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Web Help Desk stops collecting email after an SSL Certificate update

This article describes an issue where the WHD stops collecting emails.

First published date

10/25/2018 2:59 PM

Last published date

6/30/2026 12:36 PM

Overview

After you update the SSL certificate on a server running Microsoft® Exchange Server, Web Help Desk cannot retrieve incoming emails. 

Product section

Web Help Desk

Cause

The Web Help Desk Java code does not recognize a Certificate Authority. As a result, Web Help Desk does not accept the certificate.

Resolution

Use Portecle to import the Certificate Authority Information (CRT) file to the Web Help Desk cacerts trust store. See the appropriate procedure below for your operating system.

Microsoft Windows

  1. Navigate to C:\Program Files\WebHelpDesk.
  2. Right-click the Portecle.bat and access it as an administrator. 
  3. Navigate to \bin\jre\lib\security and double-click cacerts. 
  4. Enter your password.
    The default password is changeit. 
  5. Click Tools > Import Trusted Certificates and locate the CRT file. 
  6. Enter an alias or name.
  7. Click File > Save Keystore.
  8. Restart Web Help Desk (Stop and start Web Help Desk). 

Mac OS X and macOS

  1. Log in to the server with administrator privileges.
  2. Navigate to Applications > WebHelpDesk and double-click Portecle.
  3. Click File > Open Keystore File.
  4. Open Terminal and enter /usr/libexec/java_home.
  5. Enter your password.
    The default password is changeit.
  6. Click Tools > Import Trusted Certificates and locate the CRT file. 
  7. Enter an alias or name.
  8. Click File > Save Keystore
  9. Restart Web Help Desk (Stop and start Web Help Desk).

Linux (Virtual Appliance)

Use the appliance terminal to import the certificate.

  1. Open a terminal window.
  2. Execute: 
    echo -n | openssl s_client -connect <exchange_address> : <port> | sed -ne '/BEGIN CERTIFICATE-/,/-END CERTIFICATE-p' > /tmp/<cert_name>.crt
    where
    • <exchange_address> is the IP address of your Exchange server.
    • <port> is the the port number for HTTP communications with Microsoft Exchange Web Services (usually port 80).
    • <cert_name> is the file name of your Certificate Authority Information (CRT) file. 
  3. Execute: 
    sudo /usr/local/webhelpdesk/bin/jre/bin/keytool -import -trustcacerts -keystore /usr/local/webhelpdesk/bin/jre/lib/security/cacerts -storepass <password> -noprompt -alias <cert_alias_name> -file /tmp/<cert_name>.crt
    where:
    • <password> is the cacerts password (the default password is changeit). 
    • <cert_name> is the CRT file name. 
  4. Restart Web Help Desk (Stop and start Web Help Desk).