### Accepting an Initial Callsign Certificate

LoTW requires that you accept your Initial Callsign Certificate using the same computer from which you generated the request for your Initial Callsign Certificate.

These instructions assume that your Callsign Certificate reside in the folder `C:\MyLoTWCertificates` (if you've stored them in a different folder, adjust the instructions accordingly).

When you receive an email message from the ARRL with an attached file named `YourCallsign.tq6` (for example, `CT2IRY.tq6`),

1. | Direct your email application to open the email message.

| 1.a | The attached file contains your Initial Callsign Certificate -- save it into the folder `C:\MyLotWCertificates`
| 1.b | The message will contain a Web Account Username and a Web Account Password; be sure to record these, as they are required to view your uploaded QSOs and LoTW-generated confirmations via https://lotw.arrl.org/lotwuser/default

2. | Start TQSL and select the Callsign Certificates tab. note: You will need to expand the "Certificates that are awaiting ARRL approval" list by clicking the "+" to the left of the folder icon to see the pending callsign certificate.

| 2a | Click the Load a Callsign Certificate button; the Select Certificate File dialog will appear
| 2.b | In the Select Certificate File dialog,

|  | 2.b.1. | Set the Files of type selector (on OS X, set the Enable selector) to `Certificate Request response files (*.tq6)`
|  | 2.b.2. | Select the file `YourCallsign.tq6` in your `C:\MyLotWCertificates` folder
|  | 2.b.3. | Click the Open button; a small Install Certificate dialog will appear.

| 2.c | In the Install Certificate dialog, you may be asked if its okay to install a trusted root certificate; click the Yes button
| 2.d | In the Load Certificate File dialog, click the Finish button
| 2.e | The Callsign Certificates tab will show an entry for your Callsign Certificate, with a yellow medal valid icon: . Note that this now appears under the Active, usable certificates category.
| 2.f | To protect your new Callsign Certificate, direct TQSL to create a Backup File.
| 2.g | You can terminate TQSL by selecting its File menu's Exit command (on OS X, by selecting the Application menu's Quit tqsl command).

3. | At the completion of this phase, the folder `C:\MyLotWCertificates` will contain

| * | the Certificate Request file `YourCallsign.tq5` -- request sent to ARRL (no longer needed)
| * | the Certificate file `YourCallsign.tq6` -- contains your actual Callsign Certificate, in a form that cannot be moved or copied

4. | If you have TQSL installed on multiple computers, then perform the following steps on each such computer:

| 4.a | Delete the files `YourCallsign.tq6` and `YourCallsign.p12` if they are present, as these files now contain obsolete information
| 4.b | Obtain a copy of the Backup File you created in step 3.f (via your home network, or by using a thumb drive)
| 4.c | Start TQSL, and direct it to Restore from the backup file you obtained in step 5.b; this will update all Callsign Certificates, Station Locations, and Preferences on this computer to match those on the computer you used to accept the Callsign Certificate in step 3

A table illustrating the icons used by Windows to designate the above-mentioned LoTW file types in Windows Explorer is provided here.