### Renewing a Callsign Certificate

These instructions assume that

- your Callsign Certificates reside in the folder `C:\MyLoTWCertificates` (if you've stored them in a different folder, adjust the instructions accordingly)
- you are renewing a Callsign Certificate before it expires
- the Callsign Certificate to be renewed is named `YourCallsign.tq6`, e.g. `K1MU.tq6`

If your Callsign Certificate has already expired, you must request an initial Callsign Certificate.

To initiate the renewal of your unexpired Callsign Certificate,

1. | Delete the Callsign Certificate Request file `C:\MyLoTWCertificates\YourCallsign.tq5` if it's present; this original certificate request is no longer needed.
2. | Navigate to `C:\MyLoTWCertificates` and create a subfolder there named `Obsolete`, if this subfolder has not previously been created.
3. | Move the Callsign Certificate file `YourCallsign.tq6` from the folder `C:\MyLoTWCertificates` to its subfolder `C:\MyLoTWCertificates\Obsolete`, replacing any existing file in that subfolder with the same name.
4. | Move the Certificate Container file `YourCallsign.p12` from the folder `C:\MyLoTWCertificates` to its subfolder `C:\MyLoTWCertificates\Obsolete`, replacing any existing file in that subfolder with the same name.
5. | Start TQSL and select the Callsign Certificates tab, which lists your Callsign Certificates.
6. | In the Callsign Certificates tab, click on the certificate to be renewed:
| and then click the Renew the Callsign Certificate button.
7. | The Request a New Callsign Certificate window will appear, showing that you are creating a new Callsign Certificate Request file; click the Next button.
8. | The Request a New Callsign Certificate window will now show your Callsign and DXCC entity (both grayed out because they can't be changed):

| 8.a | the QSO begin date should already be set to the begin date specified on your current certificate
| 8.b | for an active callsign, the QSO end date should be remain blank; for an inactive callsign, the QSO end date should already be set to the end date specified on your current certificate
| 8.c | click the Next button

9. | The Request a New Callsign Certificate window will now show your name and address; make any necessary corrections, and click the Next button.
10. | The Request a New Callsign Certificate window will now show your email address; make any necessary corrections, and click the Next button.
11. | The Request a New Callsign Certificate window will now prompt you to specify a password; leave both password boxes empty, and click the Finish button.
12. | A Save request window will appear, with the File name set to `YourCallsign.tq5`; navigate to `C:\MyLoTWCertificates`, and then click the Save button to save your new Callsign Certificate Request file.
13. | A window will appear displaying text that explains how to convey your new Callsign Certificate Request file to the ARRL; click this window's OK button.
14. | TQSL's Callsign Certificates tab will display an entry for your new certificate request with a pending icon:
15. | Upload your certificate request to the ARRL via `https://p1k.arrl.org/lotw/upload` ; use the web page's Choose File button to navigate to the folder `C:\MyLoTWCertificates` and select the `YourCallsign.tq5` file you find there; then click the Upload file button.
16. | Retain the `YourCallsign.tq5` file; its presence in `C:\MyLoTWCertificates` will be required when you accept the certificate that the ARRL will send you, so don't delete it!
17. | You can terminate TQSL by opening its File menu and selecting the Exit command (on OS X, by selecting the Application menu's Quit tqsl command).

When you receive email from the ARRL message with an attached file named `YourCallsign.tq6`,

18. | Save the attached file into the folder `C:\MyLoTWCertificates`.
19. | Start TQSL and select the Callsign Certificates tab, which lists your Callsign Certificates; in the Alert window that asks if you are ready to load your new certificate, click Yes button.

| 19.a | the Load Certificate File window will appear; in this window, set the type of certificate to `TQSL (.tq6)`, and click the Next button; the Select Certificate File window will appear
| 19.b | in the Select Certificate File window, select the file `C:\MyLoTWCertificates\YourCallsign.tq6` and click the Open button; a small Install Certificate window will appear
| 19.c | in the Install Certificate window, click the Finish button
| 19.d | the tQSL Certificates tab will now show

|  | 19.d.1. | an entry for your renewed Callsign Certificate with a yellow medal valid icon:
|  | 19.d.2. | an entry for your now obsolete Callsign Certificate with either a replaced icon or an expired icon either way, delete this obsolete Callsign Certificate by clicking it's entry and then selecting the Callsign Certificate menu's Delete Callsign Certificate command.

| 19.e | if you received more than one certificate file from the ARRL, then click the Load a new Callsign Certificate button and proceed to step 19a above; after all received certificate files have been processed, you can terminate TQSL by opening the File menu and selecting the Exit command (on OS X, by selecting the Application menu's Quit tqsl command).

20. | To protect your renewed Callsign Certificate(s), direct TQSL to create a Backup File.