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title: "Step One: Create the Encryption Key File"
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canonical_url: https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/platform/data-loader-impl/guide/command-line-create-encryption-key.html
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---

# Step One: Create the Encryption Key File

When you use Data Loader from the command line, there's no user interface. Therefore, you provide the information that you enter in the user interface in a text file named process-conf.xml. For example, you add the username and password that Data Loader uses to log in to Salesforce.

**note:** The Data Loader command-line interface is supported for Windows only.

**note:** The password must be encrypted before you add it to the process-conf.xml file, and creating the key is the first step in that process.

1.  Open a command prompt window by selecting **Start** | **All Programs** | **Accessories** | **Command Prompt**. Alternatively, you can click **Start** | **Run**, enter `cmd` in the **Open** field, and click **OK**.
2.  In the command window, enter `cd\` to navigate to the root directory of the drive where Data Loader is installed.
3.  Navigate to the Data Loader \bin directory by entering this command. Replace the file path with the path from your system.

    C:\Users\{userName}\dataloader\version\bin

4.  Create an encryption key file by entering the following command. Replace [_path to key file_] with the key file path.

    `encrypt.bat —k [path to key file]`

    For example:

    ```nolang
    C:\Users\jjang\Dataloader\v45\bin>encrypt.bat -k
      Keyfile "C:\Users\jjang\.dataloader\dataloader.key" was created!
      C:\Users\jjang\Dataloader\v45\bin>
    ```

    **note:** To see a list of command-line options for encrypt.bat, enter `encrypt.bat` on the command line.

5.  Note the key file path. In this example, the path is `C:\Users\{userName}\.dataloader\dataLoader.key`.

The encryption utility encrypts passwords but not data. HTTPS with TLS 1.0 or later encrypts data transmitted by the Apex Data Loader.

**See Also**  


-   [Data Loader Command Line Introduction](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/platform/data-loader-impl/guide/command-line-intro.md)
-   [Step Two: Create the Encrypted Password](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/platform/data-loader-impl/guide/command-line-create-enc-password.md)