IE: Choose a digital certificate from a blank, empty list

Question

I've created a web application that I've hosted with IIS 7 on a Windows Server 2008 machine. I've loaded a security certificate for secure.xxxxx.com.

IIS 7 Server Certificates http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/324/certxx6.gif

When I browse to the web site with Microsoft Internet Explorer, I get this prompt:

Choose a digital certificate
Identification
The website you want to view requests identification.
Please choose a certificate.

There are no certificates. It's an empty, blank list.

If I click either OK or Cancel, then the page loads just fine. There's no warning or other indication from Internet Explorer that there is a security issue.

Microsoft Internet Explorer SSL Security Certificate Website Identification http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/8265/ie2yr5.gif

The Apple Safari browser won't display the page at all.

Safari can't open the page.
Safari can't open the page xxxxx because it couldn't establish a secure connection to the server xxxxx.

Apple Safari can't open the page http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/2899/safka3.gif

Both Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome load the web site perfectly with no hassles.

Mozilla Firefox SSL Security Certificate http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/6833/foxsk4.gif

Google Chrome SSL Security Certificate http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/7928/chrsx2.gif

Why might Microsoft Internet Explorer and Apple Safari fail to load my web site properly?

Answer 1

I found the solution at forums.iis.net.

In IIS I modified the SSL Settings for my web site.

IIS SSL Settings icon http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/8808/ssl1uc7.gif

I changed "Client certificates" from "Accept" to "Ignore".

Before:

IIS SSL Settings accept client certificates http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/548/ssl2om9.gif

After:

IIS SSL Settings ignore client certificates http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/4945/ssl3kx6.gif

The web site now loads perfectly in Microsoft Internet Explorer and Apple Safari as well as Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.