However, if you are using .cia files, these usually need to be "installed" into the emulator first.

Citra is highly sensitive to text formatting. If your file contains typos, extra spaces, or incorrect headers, the keys will fail to load.

Place the file in the same directory as the script or executable holding the encrypted files. Troubleshooting: Why Isn't My aeskeys.txt Working?

It must be a plain text ( .txt ) file. Do not use Word or Rich Text Format.