This thread is deprecated
For a faster, easier and more up-to-date way of getting keys use Lockpick_RCM by shchmue
If you still want to follow this tutorial and end up with less keys, continue reading the Thread.

WARNING

• DO NOT GIVE OUT ANY OF YOUR KEYS TO ANYONE! I CANNOT STRESS THAT ENOUGH!
• DO NOT SHARE YOUR KEYS BETWEEN MULTIPLE SWITCHES THAT YOU DO/DON'T OWN! SOME ARE CONSOLE-UNIQUE
• DO NOT ASK ME FOR KEYS

LEGEND

• SBK
  SecureBootKey
• TSEC
  Tegra Security Co-processor Key
• eMMC
  Embedded MultiMediaCard (Switch's Onboard Storage)

GOAL
End up with 83+ keys including SBK and TSEC keys. Get Master Key's 0-5. (Master Keys 6 onwards is not done in this tutorial)
Reminder, if you want more up-to-date and much more convenient way to get your Switch's Keys, use Lockpick by shchmue (available in nx-appstore/homebrew store)

Tutorial — (Outdated for Switch's on firmware 6.x or newer)

#1 - Dumping System Keys (Biskeydump)#2 - Dumping Required Files#3 - Hactool Preparation#4 - Dumping KeysFinal WordsTroubleshooting

1. 
   We need to get your Secure Boot Key (SBK) and Tegra Security Co-processor Key (TSEC) before we can get the main keys.
   These are 100% console unique.
   
   
   1. Download and extract biskeydump.bin from biskeydumpvx.zip
      - Follow this tutorial but instead of using CTCaer's Hekate Mod .bin file, use the biskeydump.bin file
      - If the QR Code is Blue, Scan the QR Code with your Phone, Laptop e.t.c
      - If you cant find a device you can scan with, type them out into your PC/Laptop (Its highly recommended to scan the QR Code, as a lot of characters can look like another, O0, Il, rn can look like m, e.t.c)
   2. Once you have the biskeydump of your System, store all the keys you received somewhere safe, I recommend a secure cloud storage aswell as a USB Stick, perhaps even print it.
      - Don't give this to ANYONE, Seriously.
   
   If you get any errors please go to the Troubleshooting Tab.
   
2. 
   
   1. Follow this tutorial AGAIN but this time use CTCaer's Hekate Mod.
      - "Tools" -> "Backup..." -> "Backup eMMC BOOT0/1"
      - "Tools" -> "Backup..." -> "Backup eMMC SYS"
      - Back all the way to the first menu, and choose "Power off"
   2. Take the microSD Card out of your Switch and into your PC.
   3. Copy both "BOOT0" and "BCPKG2-1-Normal-Main" from "sd:/backup/xxxxxx/" (xxxxxx is different for everyone) to "hactool" on your Desktop (create the "hactool" folder)
      - Rename them with .bin at the end, "BOOT0.bin", "BCPKG2-1-Normal-Main.bin"
3. 
   
   1. Download and install Python 2.7.x - NOT Python 3.x.x
      When installing, it will ask you what features you want installed, scroll to the bottom and make sure "Add Python to Path" has "Entire Feature Installed to HDD" option chose (No Red X Icon), otherwise the scripts wont find Python and WILL fail
   2. Download and extract hactool TO THE DESKTOP AND NAME THE FOLDER "hactool"
      On Linux/MacOS: clone and build hactool manually
   3. Right-click this (script originally by tesnos6921, patched by shadowninja108, jakibaki and shchmue)
      - Click "Save link as" / "save as"
      - Set "Save as type" to "All Files"
      - Name it "keys.py"
      And finally save it to the hactool folder you placed in the Desktop.
      NOTICE TO GBATEMP STAFF: The "keys" inside this file, are NOT keys, they are SHA digest hashes used to search through files to find text that matches, which would be the keys.
4. 
   
   1. Press WIN(Btn)+R to open "Run", type "cmd" and press Ctrl+Shift then Enter to open Command Prompt as an Administrator
   2. Type (in order) or Copy the following and paste into Command Prompt (Some Windows Versions use Right Click to Paste, some use CTRL+C)
      python -m pip install --upgrade pip
      pip install lz4
      cd Desktop/hactool
      python keys.py SBK_Here_From_Biskeydump TSEC_Here_From_Biskeydump
   3. It should say: "Now you can do hactool --keyset=keys.txt to use them!", if it does, and there's no warning messages, you're good to go!
   If you get any errors please go to the Troubleshooting Tab.
   
5. 
   You now have a keys.txt file with your console-specific keys inside.
   Rename as needed by any software that requires a different name or file extension, it doesn't matter.
   Though I highly recommend renaming it to prod.keys as this filename for Key file's is becoming a popular choice with other software
   There may be more keys, as the Switch's lifecycle goes on, more and more keys will be needed as the firmwares grow and grow.
   
   • The Hactool warning:

     [WARN] prod.keys does not exist.

     can be safely ignored.
     - if you want to place your "keys.txt" file their, put "keys.txt" on your Desktop and run the following with Administrator Command Prompt (Step #4.1 for instructions):
     

     mkdir -p %USERPROFILE%\.switch
     move "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\keys.txt" "%USERPROFILE%\.switch\prod.keys"

6. 
   #1 ISSUES:
   

   • Red QR Code Outline

     - The reasons this can occur is quite a rarity, all I can say is to keep rebooting and trying again.
     - If there's a new version of biskeydump out, try using the newer biskeydump.bin

   • QR Code not being scanned by your Reader

     - Align your QR Code Readers alignment overlay with the Blue Square's Corners/Edges, NOT the QR Code's Corners/Edges.
     - Clean your camera lens
     - Be in a bright room
   
   #4 ISSUES:
   

   • File "keys.py", line ...
     print message
     ^
     SyntaxError: Missing parentheses in call to 'print'. Did you mean print(message)?

     - You didn't place SBK and TSEC in the 4th line of the Command in Step #4.2
     - You installed Python 3.x.x when you must use 2.7.x, uninstall python, logout of windows (important it removes python from PATH) and follow Step #3.2 then move back to #4.1

   • import lz4.block
     File "C:\Python27\lib\site-packages\lz4\__init__.py", line 17, in <module>
     from ._version import ( # noqa: F401
     ImportError: DLL load failed: The specified module could not be found.

     - The 2nd line of the Command in Step #4.2 failed without you noticing. Try running the 1st line to upgrade pip and if that goes successfully run the 2nd line to install lz4 and see if it successfully installs.

 

[Nitsuka]

Use python 2 instead of python 3 @Constipette & @rainbowkittypaw

 

[Constipette]

Use python 2 instead of python 3 @Constipette & @rainbowkittypaw

but when i install python 2, i don't have pip installed with this, and i don't have "pip install option" when i install python 2.7, u have a link for python 2.7, WITH pip ?

 

[rainbowkittypaw]

Me too, anyone have solution ?

I can't promise it'll work but I'm working on a solution. I'll post a pastebin link here if it works.

 

[Nitsuka]

install python 2.7.15 it gots pip

 

[rainbowkittypaw]

Use python 2 instead of python 3 @Constipette & @rainbowkittypaw

Ty for answering

 

[Constipette]

install python 2.7.15 it gots pip

okay, i try it so ^^

 

[rainbowkittypaw]

I can't promise it'll work but I'm working on a solution. I'll post a pastebin link here if it works.

Doesn't work. Trying to get python 2 to do the thing

 

[SkittleDash]

Okay, so dumped my keys and got everything ready. Though when I try the "Python Keys.py and blah blah", I get IndexError: List index out of range. Why?

 

[Constipette]

install python 2.7.15 it gots pip

Works, ty u_u <3

 

[mcmrc1]

Me too, anyone have solution ?

I think you use python 3.x. You need python 2.7 or change the key.py -> every print "example Hello" must be changed to print ("example hallo") in the key.py file.
( ) <- add these after all print commands !!! Because PYthon 3 reads this code print ("Example hello")

 

[Nitsuka]

I think you use python 3.x. You need python 2.7 or change the key.py -> every print "example Hello" must be changed to print ("example hallo") in the key.py file.
( ) <- add these after all print commands !!! Because PYthon 3 reads this code print ("Example hello")

It will not work, other things on the script are python 2 specific...
Faster to install python 2

 

[rainbowkittypaw]

Use python 2 instead of python 3 @Constipette & @rainbowkittypaw

Thanks. After uninstalling all python, installing py 2 and rebooting the .py works now. ty again for the help

 

[mcmrc1]

It will not work, other things on the script are python 2 specific...
Faster to install python 2

Worked for me ^^

 

[rpgwaiter]

Hi im having this error
Using BOOT0.bin to get keys from package1...
Deriving keys...
Key (TSEC) must be 32 hex digits!
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "keys.py", line 374, in <module>
stage0_results = subprocess.check_output([HACTOOL_PATH, "--keyset=keys.txt", "--intype=keygen", "BOOT0.bin"])
File "C:\Python27\lib\subprocess.py", line 223, in check_output
raise CalledProcessError(retcode, cmd, output=output)
subprocess.CalledProcessError: Command '['hactool', '--keyset=keys.txt', '--intype=keygen', 'BOOT0.bin']' returned non-zero exit status 1

Same error here, any advice?

 

[AlphaSapphire]

you have to put your actually keys as the tesc and sbk are place holders

 

[strangequark]

When I try to use keys.py, I get this error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "keys.py", line 374, in <module>
stage0_results = subprocess.check_output([HACTOOL_PATH, "--keyset=keys.txt", "--intype=keygen", "BOOT0.bin"])
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/subprocess.py", line 216, in check_output
process = Popen(stdout=PIPE, *popenargs, **kwargs)
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/subprocess.py", line 394, in __init__
errread, errwrite)
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/subprocess.py", line 1047, in _execute_child
raise child_exception
OSError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory

Can someone give any advice?

 

[kuki89]

Hey guys. Everything worked for me, but i only got the Masterkeys 0 and 4 so far. I also tried to decrypt it with the 1-click-decrypt tool, but it does not work, because "section 0" is corrupted. Any ideas?

 

[Hondyn]

Type the following in Bold: (meaning dont include <>)
pip install lz4
python keys.py <SBKSecureBootKey> <TSEC>

I m having this message when I try and do that step:

C:\Users\hondy\Desktop\hactool>python keys.py SBKSecureBootKey TSEC
File "keys.py", line 259
print message
^
SyntaxError: Missing parentheses in call to 'print'. Did you mean print(message)?

Could someone help me out here?

 

[PRAGMA]

I m having this message when I try and do that step:

C:\Users\hondy\Desktop\hactool>python keys.py SBKSecureBootKey TSEC
File "keys.py", line 259
print message
^
SyntaxError: Missing parentheses in call to 'print'. Did you mean print(message)?

Could someone help me out here?

put the SBK and TSEC, dont just type SBK and TSEC next to keys.py

 

[Nitsuka]

Actually he got an error for using Python 3 instead of Python 2...