www.makemkv.com

Most keys are generated automatically and only a few require Mike to work on those.

It would be nice to understand the process. Is there no way the first person with the dump can upload the key to the db? Or split the work between multiple people? Coordinate on Discord or something.

macdev wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2024 2:11 pm It would be nice to understand the process.
...

The process is detailed in 1st post of the UHD FAQ.

Increasingly, users are running into issues retrieving new keys:

Fixing Volume Key is Unknown

Automatic HK download disabled or failed

hkdata.crabdance.com or hkdata.fairuse.org not found

IF you are one of the affected, the fix can be moving target. Servers mentioned in the referenced articles have already changed. Spend some time reading to better understand the issue & avoid alarmist opinions.

Excuse me, I'm a software engineer. I understand how it works, but in the last two weeks everything is breaking.

Spend some time reading to better understand people's issues.

Here...it's not working:
viewtopic.php?p=148919#p148919

macdev wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2024 3:00 pm Spend some time reading to better understand people's issues.

I've been following the problem for ages & I understand the collective frustration of those experiencing issues.

While it's roots are manifold, it isn't a MakeMKV problem, per se, except for the hosting being in the Russian Federation... geo-political.

- Over-protective DNS systems

- Over-protective system protection... AV/anti-malware, etc..

Until recently, people experiencing the problem were able to avoid it by (to mention a few):

- using alternative DNS servers

- using VPN(s)

- adding exceptions to system protection

- bypassing DNS look-up by creating a host file entry

The latter 2 of which may/may not require sniffing network traffic to determine current servers. Just speculation, but publishing that info might cause unwanted attention?

It would seem providers may be "tightening the screws", as it were. As an engineer, I imagine you've been curious enough to dig a little deeper on you own?

OR, Mike has just been sidetracked by other demands & is not getting to key generation as quickly as some would prefer? It wouldn't be the 1st time.

EDIT: I see by your amended post above that there my be deeper issues w/ the latest hkdata. This is new. Let's see if the powers-that-be take note & address the issue?

This has only been a problem for me for a few days, I don't use MakeMKV on a daily basis or anything. Also, this isn't the first time it took time for keys to show up, so I only came here after it's been a strangely long amount of time to not get the key for Footloose.

So I tried VPN, no good. I tried editing my hosts file, no good. Nothing's working. I'm sure it'll resolve at some point but it's a bit frustrating since all the tricks we're trying aren't working.

Someguy1234 wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2024 4:45 am

Coopervid wrote: Thu Feb 15, 2024 11:22 am You can always try this if Makemkv does not have your key yet:

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=32784

I've tried FindVUK v1.72 and putting its keydb.cfg file into the C:\Users\USERNAME\.MakeMKV\ folder. It's not helping it decode any of the four discs with issues ripping. Admittedly they are new releases and in some cases aren't even out yet. But I don't see how it could take over a week and a half (or maybe two weeks) for it to be able to decrypt DARKMAN on 4K UHD Blu-ray for example. It's starting to baffle me, considering I've seen at least 3 or 4 people here have submitted that dump file to SKV.

I was unsuccessful with the keydb.cfg approach as well. Not sure how some here get it to work. I do have a n AnyDVD license and pointing AnyDVD to the keydb.cfg generated by FindVUK works perfectly with MakeMKV. I ripped the Columbia Classics vol4 set as well as Footloose yesterday with that approach on my Windows PC. Of course that isn't an option if you are Mac-only (I run both).

I think people are confusing 2 entirely different issues - 1) a network reachability problem to the HK server(s) and 2) the time it takes Mike (or whomever) to generate the keys that are downloaded. Personally I have never had an issue reaching and MakeMKV downloading new HK files. However it can take anywhere from a few hours to a week or 10 days for a key to be available. While I don't doubt some folks have trouble with the key servers, I have never had an issue with that and I'm not using a VPN or hosts file. I'm in the US with Spectrum as my ISP - zero problems.

rkhollister wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2024 8:48 pm

Someguy1234 wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2024 4:45 am

Coopervid wrote: Thu Feb 15, 2024 11:22 am You can always try this if Makemkv does not have your key yet:

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=32784

I've tried FindVUK v1.72 and putting its keydb.cfg file into the C:\Users\USERNAME\.MakeMKV\ folder. It's not helping it decode any of the four discs with issues ripping. Admittedly they are new releases and in some cases aren't even out yet. But I don't see how it could take over a week and a half (or maybe two weeks) for it to be able to decrypt DARKMAN on 4K UHD Blu-ray for example. It's starting to baffle me, considering I've seen at least 3 or 4 people here have submitted that dump file to SKV.

I was unsuccessful with the keydb.cfg approach as well. Not sure how some here get it to work. I do have a n AnyDVD license and pointing AnyDVD to the keydb.cfg generated by FindVUK works perfectly with MakeMKV. I ripped the Columbia Classics vol4 set as well as Footloose yesterday with that approach on my Windows PC. Of course that isn't an option if you are Mac-only (I run both).

I think people are confusing 2 entirely different issues - 1) a network reachability problem to the HK server(s) and 2) the time it takes Mike (or whomever) to generate the keys that are downloaded. Personally I have never had an issue reaching and MakeMKV downloading new HK files. However it can take anywhere from a few hours to a week or 10 days for a key to be available. While I don't doubt some folks have trouble with the key servers, I have never had an issue with that and I'm not using a VPN or hosts file. I'm in the US with Spectrum as my ISP - zero problems.

I'm a bit confused by what you meant about AnyDVD. Are you saying you used it to rip discs instead of MakeMKV or that you used it in conjunction? I've tried everything here, and I'm willing to try that but I've seen AnyDVD or DVDFab brick my previous drive because I uninstalled it and kept MakeMKV. So, I'm trying my best to avoid using other software, or at least when I do, turn my external USB enclosure for my UHD drive off.

This is complete BS! How did you come to that conclusion?????

" I've seen AnyDVD or DVDFab brick my previous drive because I uninstalled it and kept MakeMKV"

Someguy1234 wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2024 1:20 am I'm a bit confused by what you meant about AnyDVD. Are you saying you used it to rip discs instead of MakeMKV or that you used it in conjunction? I've tried everything here, and I'm willing to try that but I've seen AnyDVD or DVDFab brick my previous drive because I uninstalled it and kept MakeMKV. So, I'm trying my best to avoid using other software, or at least when I do, turn my external USB enclosure for my UHD drive off.

Use AnyDVD HD to remove the disc protection, then use MakeMKV in conjunction to rip the disc to MKV. It will (of course) complain that using AnyDVD is useless/harmful - just ignore that. Until recent keys are added to MakeMKVs own database, this is the only option that currently works.

ultrahorst wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2024 11:05 am

Someguy1234 wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2024 1:20 am I'm a bit confused by what you meant about AnyDVD. Are you saying you used it to rip discs instead of MakeMKV or that you used it in conjunction? I've tried everything here, and I'm willing to try that but I've seen AnyDVD or DVDFab brick my previous drive because I uninstalled it and kept MakeMKV. So, I'm trying my best to avoid using other software, or at least when I do, turn my external USB enclosure for my UHD drive off.

Use AnyDVD HD to remove the disc protection, then use MakeMKV in conjunction to rip the disc to MKV. It will (of course) complain that using AnyDVD is useless/harmful - just ignore that. Until recent keys are added to MakeMKVs own database, this is the only option that currently works.

This works but if you don't own AnyDVD this works as well:

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=32784

Coopervid wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2024 11:33 am
This works but if you don't own AnyDVD this works as well:

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=32784

I have not been able to get that to work. MakeMKV appears to completely ignore the keydb.cfg file. There have been others here who also can't get it to work.

It works. Maybe you are logged in as a different user. It must be in the .Makemkv folder under the users/"Current user"/.Makemkv folder. E.g. it won't work if you are logged in as MAINUSER and the keydb.cfg file is in C:/users/SECONDUSER/.Makemkv folder.

That makes the assumption that the .makemkv location hasn't been changed by the user. You should go into settings, general tab and see what the default directory is set to. And if it's not set, try setting it.

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SamuriHL wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2024 12:54 pm That makes the assumption that the .makemkv location hasn't been changed by the user. You should go into settings, general tab and see what the default directory is set to. And if it's not set, try setting it.

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AHA! It appears that somewhere along the line the MakeMKV directory was set to ~\Documents\Makemkv instead of ~\.MakeMKV. I don't remember ever changing this so I wonder if a newer version changed the default. At any rate, keydb.cfg now works! I disabled internet access in MakeMKV, deleted the _private_data.tar and made sure AnyDVD wasn't running - Footloose decrypted just fine.

I stand corrected

UPDATE: Assuming you have a Windows machine or VM to run FindVUK to generate the keydb.cfg file, this also works on the Mac version of MakeMKV if you copy the file over to the correct folder on the Mac!