Where Does MakeMKV Store Settings and Keys?
MakeMKV keeps settings, license key and disc key database in a .MakeMKV data folder. Paths for Linux, macOS and Windows.
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MakeMKV's footprint is a single data directory with an old-school dotfolder name. On Linux and macOS it is ~/.MakeMKV holding settings.conf with your preferences, license key and output defaults. On Windows the same files live in %APPDATA%\MakeMKV. Ripped video never lands here; the output folder in Preferences decides that.
Two files in this folder do the real work. settings.conf carries the app_Key license line that headless users edit by hand, and keydb.cfg carries community disc keys for stubborn discs. Docker images map this whole directory to /config, so upgrades never touch your keys.
Where MakeMKV stores this, by platform
~/.MakeMKV
settings.conf holds preferences and the app_Key license line; keydb.cfg holds disc keys. Headless makemkvcon reads the same files, so configure once for GUI and CLI alike. Ripped output goes to the Preferences output path, never here. Docker maps this directory to /config.
~/.MakeMKV
Same dotfolder layout as Linux, confirmed on the MakeMKV forum. settings.conf and keydb.cfg work identically. Use Go, Go to Folder in Finder to reach it, since dotfolders stay hidden.
%APPDATA%\MakeMKV
Same files as other platforms: settings.conf plus keydb.cfg for disc keys. Enter the beta key via Help, Register in the GUI instead of hand-editing. Default rip output is set in Preferences, Video tab, not here.
Frequently asked questions
where do i enter the makemkv beta key
Paste it into Preferences, General tab, or write app_Key into settings.conf yourself. The beta key from the MakeMKV forum works while the program stays in beta, which has been years. On headless Linux the settings.conf line is the only route, since there is no GUI to paste into.
where does the makemkv keydb file go
In the data directory as keydb.cfg (or a downloaded keydb archive). MakeMKV reads hashed disc keys from there for discs whose keys are not built in. Community tools keep the file updated automatically. Place it in ~/.MakeMKV on Linux and Mac or %APPDATA%\MakeMKV on Windows.
how do i change makemkv output folder
Set it in Preferences, Video tab, under the default output directory. That one setting controls where rips land. The data directory holds settings and keys only, never video output, so a full drive during a rip points at the output path, not this folder.
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