# Installing SQLCipher on Win 11

**URL:** <https://discuss.zetetic.net/t/installing-sqlcipher-on-win-11/6792>\
**Category:** SQLCipher\
**Created:** [January 16, 2025, 7:28pm UTC](https://discuss.zetetic.net/t/installing-sqlcipher-on-win-11/6792 "2025-01-16T19:28:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Fineness6](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discuss.zetetic.net/fineness6/32/2365_2.png) [@Fineness6](https://discuss.zetetic.net/u/Fineness6)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 7:28pm UTC](https://discuss.zetetic.net/t/installing-sqlcipher-on-win-11/6792/1 "2025-01-16T19:28:34Z")

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Greetings. I’m finding practically zero documentation on this so I’m asking here. I just downloaded the sqlcipher-windows-4.6.1.zip file, and I’d like to test it on a SQlite.db file to which I have the decryption key.

I can’t find any information on how to integrate the sqlcipher files into my system. Where do I extract the files? Do I need to add anything to the Windows environment variables to force the system to use SQLCipher?

I am on the 15-day trial so I have limited time to test this to see if I’d like to buy it.

Any and all help would be appreciated.

On a side note, I tried compiling SQLCipher myself on a Windows box for about 4 weeks using various instructions but the make file is all kinds of broken, so I’ve gone this route.

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**Author:** ![sjlombardo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discuss.zetetic.net/sjlombardo/32/3_2.png) [@sjlombardo](https://discuss.zetetic.net/u/sjlombardo)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2025, 12:48am UTC](https://discuss.zetetic.net/t/installing-sqlcipher-on-win-11/6792/2 "2025-01-17T00:48:22Z")

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Hello @Fineness6 - since you’re using SQLCipher Commercial Edition, we’re replying back to you via private support. You should see an email from us shortly.

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**Author:** ![Fineness6](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discuss.zetetic.net/fineness6/32/2365_2.png) [@Fineness6](https://discuss.zetetic.net/u/Fineness6)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 1:20pm UTC](https://discuss.zetetic.net/t/installing-sqlcipher-on-win-11/6792/3 "2025-01-22T13:20:57Z")

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_SOLVED:_

Due to the myriad ways a user’s Windows box might be set up, it is difficult for any software company to compile a perfect one-solution-fits-all guide for Windows users.

My solution was extremely simple - use Windows Subsystem for Linux (WAL) and install the Linux version of the application.

If you’re on Win 10 or above, follow these simple instructions to install WSL on Windows:

> **[Install WSL](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install)**
>
> Install Windows Subsystem for Linux with the command, wsl --install. Use a Bash terminal on your Windows machine run by your preferred Linux distribution - Ubuntu, Debian, SUSE, Kali, Fedora, Pengwin, Alpine, and more are available.

Then, install the Linux version of SQLCipher using the command  
`sudo apt-get install sqlcipher`

Took me 10 minutes in total and SQLCipher worked flawlessly the first time.

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**Author:** ![Ncls775](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/46a35a/32.png) [@Ncls775](https://discuss.zetetic.net/u/Ncls775)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 5:30pm UTC](https://discuss.zetetic.net/t/installing-sqlcipher-on-win-11/6792/4 "2025-01-23T17:30:15Z")

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Thanks.  
I had trouble for installing sqlcipher on W11 too. Your comment remember me I had also WLS installed. So I installed sqlcipher on WSL and all work fine. Was so easier.