Import PGP keys with PGP Encryption Desktop for Windows (Symantec Encryption Desktop) (2024)

When running into the screenshot message above, the trust values for PGP Key pairs must be set. To do this, you simply double-click the key, click on Trust, and set to "Implicit". This will give the key full trust at a keypair level. For more details on importing keys, see the rest of this article.

This article details how to import PGP keys using PGP Encryption Desktop. You can import PGP public keys and PKCS-12 X.509 certificates (a digital certificate format that most web browsers use) to your PGP Keys keyring. You can also import Privacy Enhanced Mail (PEM) format X.509 certificates from your browser by copying and pasting into your public keyring.

Here are some methods to import a PGP public key and add it to your keyring:

Double-clicking the file on your system. If PGP Encryption Desktop recognizes the file format, it opens and asks if you want to import the key(s) in the file.
Choosing to import the key file in PGP Encryption Desktop.
Dragging the file containing the public key onto the PGP Keys window.

Import PGP Keys

Double-click Method

1. Double-click the .asc file that includes the public key. PGP Encryption Desktop recognizes the file format and opens the Select key(s) dialog box.
2. If you are prompted, specify to open the file.
3. Select the public key(s) you want to add to your keyring and click Import. The key is then added to your keyring.

Import within PGP Encryption Desktop

1. Open Encryption Desktop.
2. Click the File menu and select Import.
3. Select the .asc file for the key then click Open.
4. Click Import. The key is then added to your keyring.

Drag and Drop Method

1. Open Symantec Encryption Desktop.
2. Click the PGP Keys Control box to display a list of keys in the right pane.
3. Drag the .asc file containing the public key to the PGP Keys window.
4. Click Import. The key is then added to your keyring.

Note: After importing keys to Encryption Desktop, you may need to Sign or change the Trust level of the key.

• Private keys - When private keys are imported, you receive a PGP Information pop-up that the trust values of the key must be set. To set the Trust for the key, double-click the key and click Trust in the key properties, then change the value to Implicit. The key then displays a green checkmark in the Verified column.
• Public keys - After importing a public key, you must Sign the key to use the key for encryption. To Sign a key, right-click the key and select Sign. Click OK when prompted, then enter the pass phrase for your key and click OK. The key then displays a green checkmark in the Verified column.