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          <div style="font-size:18px;margin:0;font-weight:700;color:var(--text)">DB Browser (SQLCipher) — Windows</div>
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        <h1 id="title" class="title">Fix “wrong key” error in DB Browser (SQLCipher)</h1>
        <p class="lead">“Wrong key” usually means the passphrase is incorrect or encryption parameters don’t match how the database was created. Follow this checklist to identify the cause and fix the issue safely.</p>
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          <a class="btn" href="/open-encrypted-db.html">Open an encrypted DB</a>
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        <strong>Top causes</strong>
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          <li>Passphrase typo, layout or trailing spaces</li>
          <li>Mismatched KDF iterations or page size</li>
          <li>Different cipher/integrity settings used at creation</li>
          <li>Corrupted file or wrong file selected</li>
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        <li><strong>Confirm the passphrase</strong> — retype manually (avoid paste), check Caps Lock and keyboard layout, remove leading/trailing spaces.</li>
        <li><strong>Check KDF iterations</strong> — ensure the same value used at creation; if unknown, try common values used in your stack before.</li>
        <li><strong>Check page size</strong> — it must match the value used when the DB was created.</li>
        <li><strong>Validate cipher/integrity options</strong> — ensure you’re opening the DB in SQLCipher mode with matching settings.</li>
        <li><strong>Rule out corruption</strong> — test a backup or open on another machine/version; verify storage isn’t failing.</li>
        <li><strong>Reopen after changes</strong> — close the DB and try again after each adjustment.</li>
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          <h3 style="margin:0 0 6px 0">You know the correct passphrase</h3>
          <ul class="list">
            <li>Try alternate iteration counts used in your environment.</li>
            <li>Try the page size you usually set for new DBs.</li>
            <li>Ensure SQLCipher mode is selected, not plain SQLite.</li>
          </ul>
          <p class="muted">Walkthrough: <a href="/open-encrypted-db.html">Open an encrypted DB</a></p>
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          <h3 style="margin:0 0 6px 0">Passphrase might be wrong</h3>
          <ul class="list">
            <li>Confirm the exact passphrase used at creation time.</li>
            <li>Check if a password manager auto‑filled the wrong entry.</li>
            <li>Verify there are no invisible characters/spaces.</li>
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          <p class="muted">If you cannot recover it, consider restoring from a known‑good backup.</p>
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      <ul class="list">
        <li>Standardize KDF iterations and page size in team docs.</li>
        <li>Record parameters used for each database at creation.</li>
        <li>Use a password manager; avoid reusing passphrases.</li>
        <li>Keep backups and test restores periodically.</li>
      </ul>
      <p class="muted">See also: <a href="/best-practices-security.html">Security best practices</a> and <a href="/migrate-to-sqlcipher.html">Migrate to SQLCipher</a> for standardization tips.</p>
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            <li><a href="/open-encrypted-db.html">Open an encrypted database</a></li>
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            <li><a href="/encrypt-decrypt-sqlcipher.html">Encrypt/Decrypt guide</a></li>
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