Hacking I’m so confused about prod.keys

[GigiFusc]

i know you’re not allowed to tell me where to get the file from (although a PM would be nice).... but I’m all over the place with how they work.

Does every game come with its own prod key? Or do you just download one file called prod.keys for all games?

If they each have one how do I get them into the switch?

What’s adding to the confusion is every time I look them up it starts talking about lockpick. If I’ve understood lockpick is a way of getting prod keys from the games you have alreadt installed on your switch? But of course NSP files are new to your switch so...???

I found a site that includes a text file with what looks like prod key numbers for all games. But I don’t know what it is or how to use it. How do I get that text file into a file called ‘prod.keys’??

Anyone have 10 mins to just explain the concept on here and include how to actually use them.

Layman’s terms please!!

As always thanks in advance.

Regards.

 

[Engezerstorung]

No, prod.keys isnt tied to games, they are "masterkeys" for diverse encryption and security operation tied to the console, some are console and user specifics, others are common across all switches
There is usually new keys added with switch updates
The files you found are keys that are common to all switches, but its illegal to share them per see, since its nintendo copyrighted stuff, but its not illegal to find them yourself on your own switch, thats what lockpick_rcm is doing

 

[GigiFusc]

No, prod.keys isnt tied to games, they are "masterkeys" for diverse encryption and security operation tied to the console, some are console and user specifics, others are common across all switches
There is usually new keys added with switch updates
The files you found are keys that are common to all switches, but its illegal to share them per see, since its nintendo copyrighted stuff, but its not illegal to find them yourself on your own switch, thats what lockpick_rcm is doing

Hi thanks for replying!

So when I run lockpick on my switch it fails saying I’ve never installed a game and it and it can’t find whatever it’s looking for.

Can you confirm - am I looking for a single file called ‘prod.keys’ or am I looking for something else that I then convert to a file called ‘prod.keys’?

 

[Engezerstorung]

you need to use the lockpick_rcm.bin payload, not the lockpick.nro homebrew
the lockpick.nro will find the titles keys of installed stuff (if i understood correclty), it cant extract consoles keys after firmware update 7

https://github.com/shchmue/Lockpick_RCM/releases

and yes, it will be a file prod.keys

 

[pcwizard7]

yes any firmware above 6.2 you need to use lockpick_rcm payload. and you need to do this again after every firmware update as new keys are needed. and all prod.keys are tied to the console its generated from. and to use them in things like tinfoil,goldtree, sx installer and things that need the keys .

to use them make a copy of the prod.keys file into the apps folder and rename the file to keys.txt file

 

[Psyfurius]

...and to use them in things like tinfoil,goldtree, sx installer and things that need the keys .

to use them make a copy of the prod.keys file into the apps folder and rename the file to keys.txt file

Sorry for this n00b question but, is this mandatory? I mean... I’ve never put the prod.keys in my microSD card at all. I’ve been playing a lot of NSP’s installed using tinfoil and GoldLeaf through USB and I’ve never encountered a single issue.

I though they were something important and I always keep my prod.keys in an external HD along with my Nand and Boot backups.

When I ran LockPick, I was in FW 8.1.0 (sysnand). Now my sysNAND is in FW 9.0.1 but my emuMMC is in FW 8.1.0.

Should I put them in the apps folder?

 

[pcwizard7]

Sorry for this n00b question but, is this mandatory? I mean... I’ve never put the prod.keys in my microSD card at all. I’ve been playing a lot of NSP’s installed using tinfoil and GoldLeaf through USB and I’ve never encountered a single issue.

I though they were something important and I always keep my prod.keys in an external HD along with my Nand and Boot backups.

When I ran LockPick, I was in FW 8.1.0 (sysnand). Now my sysNAND is in FW 9.0.1 but my emuMMC is in FW 8.1.0.

Should I put them in the apps folder?

its only required if your keys are older than the games required fw. atm the highest fw requirement is 8.1.0. so ur 8.1.0 keys are fine but when a game is fw 9.0 or higher you need new keys

when using prod.keys always place a copy of the file and rename it to keys.txt. in the apps folder u wish to use them with for example tinfoil, so leave the original file on the pc for backup

 

[Psyfurius]

its only required if your keys are older than the games required fw. atm the highest fw requirement is 8.1.0. so ur 8.1.0 keys are fine but when a game is fw 9.0 or higher you need new keys

when using prod.keys always place a copy of the file and rename it to keys.txt. in the apps folder u wish to use them with for example tinfoil, so leave the original file on the pc for backup

Thank you for your reply

 

[The Real Jdbye]

its only required if your keys are older than the games required fw. atm the highest fw requirement is 8.1.0. so ur 8.1.0 keys are fine but when a game is fw 9.0 or higher you need new keys

when using prod.keys always place a copy of the file and rename it to keys.txt. in the apps folder u wish to use them with for example tinfoil, so leave the original file on the pc for backup

I think they might also be needed when installing XCIs, depending on what you use to install them although I'm not sure on that.

 

[pcwizard7]

I think they might also be needed when installing XCIs, depending on what you use to install them although I'm not sure on that.

you should yes if there's no cert inside it? i d never install them since i d sxos mount them instead

 

[The Real Jdbye]

you should yes if there's no cert inside it? i d never install them since i d sxos mount them instead

From what I understand it seems it depends on how they are converted. Tinfoil uses an "unsafe" (not my words) method to install so as to not require the keys, which in turn means you need ACID patches to run them (which are included in the Joonie patches for Hekate and the Atmo patches on here, but not included in the stock Hekate patches), and from what people are saying it sounds like other installers are doing it the hard way, which means modifying parts of the data to work without these patches, which requires the keys. I'm not sure exactly what those modifications entail, as I would have to go look up a bunch of switchbrew pages to understand most of the post I read about it, and I didn't feel like it at the time, but that's the gist of it.

 

[HaloEffect17]

Sorry to bump, but are backing up the prod keys needed to recover from a potential brick?

 

[pLaYeR^^]

Sorry to bump, but are backing up the prod keys needed to recover from a potential brick?

If you have a clean NAND backup (or at least a NAND backup), you can simply restore it. But if the NAND backup doesn't recover your switch or is faulty you need it (I think for rebuild NAND).

 

[AgitatedGodzilla]

I know this is very dumb for all of you tech geniuses
but is there any way to get a prod key without getting a switch.
Thanks in advance!

 

[AgitatedGodzilla]

I know this is very dumb for all of you tech geniuses
but is there any way to get a prod key without getting a switch because i have been trying to play the games on my pc .
Thanks in advance!

 

[linuxares]

I know this is very dumb for all of you tech geniuses
but is there any way to get a prod key without getting a switch because i have been trying to play the games on my pc .
Thanks in advance!

Sorry but that's illegal to share. You can google it, it's super easy to find. Or ask a friend to dump their Switch keys.