OpenSSL Installation Packages for Windows

OpenSSL is an open source toolkit that implements the SSL and TLS security protocols. We have made Windows installation packages available for OpenSSL 1.1.1w which was released on September 11, 2023.

More Information

We’ve built a version of OpenSSL which has no external dependencies, including no dependency on the Visual C runtime. The primary benefit for SocketTools developers is the OpenSSL tool can be used to create self-signed test certificates for their server applications, as well as generate certificate signing requests (CSRs) to obtain certificates from Certificate Authorities like DigiCert.

The OpenSSL tool can also be used to troubleshoot secure connections to servers and return information about the cipher suites and certificates used with the connection.

Downloads

These installer packages include the latest stable release of OpenSSL. We will update these packages as new versions are released and they will only be compiled from the stable branch. There are two versions of the install packages available, and both packages include the 32-bit versions of the OpenSSL tool which can be used on 32-bit and 64-bit Windows platforms.

» openssl_1.1.1w_win32_complete.zip

This is a complete install (about 20MB) that includes static link libraries, include files for Visual C++ and the documentation, which is an HTML version of the UNIX man pages. We’ve combined the documentation into a single Compiled HMTL Help file (CHM) format. By default, it will install under C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenSSL and the configuration files into C:\ProgramData\OpenSSL. The actual folder locations can vary depending on platform.

» openssl_1.1.1w_win32_minimal.zip

This is a minimal install package (about 3MB) that only includes the OpenSSL tool and its configuration files. There are no shortcuts created, and no libraries, include files or documentation.

If you are using SocketTools and want to create a “localhost” test certificate, you can also download an OpenSSL configuration file and script that will create a test root certificate and localhost certificate that simplifies the process.

» openssl_localhost.zip

This includes a readme.txt file that explains what you’ll need to do. The script presumes that you’re using 64-bit Windows and OpenSSL is installed in C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenSSL. If you’re using 32-bit Windows, or you’ve installed OpenSSL somewhere other than the default location, edit the script to provide the correct location.

Source Code

Although we are providing this for use with SocketTools, you don’t need a SocketTools license to use it. This is freely available open source software, and we are making the compiled binaries available as a convenience for developers using our components and libraries.

SocketTools itself doesn’t actually use OpenSSL, it uses the CryptoAPI and Schannel SSP that’s part of Windows. However, we believe that OpenSSL is a useful tool that every developer should have.

You can obtain the source code for the OpenSSL toolkit from the official GitHub repository. If you want to contribute to the development of OpenSSL, report a security bug or review open issues, visit the OpenSSL Project website.

There are other binary distributions of OpenSSL that are available for the Windows platform, which can include shared libraries (DLLs) and support for other compilers such as MinGW and GCC. More information can be found on the OpenSSL website.

Please remember that OpenSSL is cryptography software, and as such, its use may be restricted depending on any applicable laws in your country that govern encryption. You alone are responsible for knowing your legal rights and obligations.

See Also

Creating a Certificate Using OpenSSL
Connections Fail Using Test Certificate

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