# Getting OpenSSL working

**URL:** <https://forum.anaconda.com/t/getting-openssl-working/51512>\
**Category:** How do I...?\
**Created:** [March 1, 2023, 12:44pm UTC](https://forum.anaconda.com/t/getting-openssl-working/51512 "2023-03-01T12:44:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![os20436](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c2df01/32.png) [@os20436](https://forum.anaconda.com/u/os20436)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2023, 12:44pm UTC](https://forum.anaconda.com/t/getting-openssl-working/51512/1 "2023-03-01T12:44:18Z")

</div>

Hi there,  
I’m trying to use conda to set up a virtual environment for tensorflow. When I try and do so  
this error appears (this is in the anaconda powershell prompt)

Collecting package metadata (current\_repodata.json): failed

CondaSSLError: OpenSSL appears to be unavailable on this machine. OpenSSL is required to  
download and install packages.

Exception: HTTPSConnectionPool(host=‘[repo.anaconda.com](http://repo.anaconda.com)’, port=443): Max retries exceeded with url: /pkgs/main/win-64/current\_repodata.json (Caused by SSLError(“Can’t connect to HTTPS URL because the SSL module is not available.”))

I have since installed openssl but the same error still appears.  
In terminal when I type “openssl version” this error appears

7804:error:02001005:system library:fopen:Input/output error:bss\_file.c:175:fopen(‘C:\OpenSSL\bin’,‘rb’)  
7804:error:2006D002:BIO routines:BIO\_new\_file:system lib:bss\_file.c:184:  
7804:error:0E078002:configuration file routines:DEF\_LOAD:system lib:conf\_def.c:197:

so far I’ve looked at changing path system variables, permissions of openssl files, uninstalling and re-installing openssl.  
I don’t think there’s an issue with conda so I haven’t uninstalled and re-installed that. Could anyone help? Thank you

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![os20436](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c2df01/32.png) [@os20436](https://forum.anaconda.com/u/os20436)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2023, 12:45pm UTC](https://forum.anaconda.com/t/getting-openssl-working/51512/2 "2023-03-01T12:45:04Z")

</div>

For the first error this is what triggers it:  
conda create -n tf python==3.10

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sweller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2df01/32.png) [@sweller](https://forum.anaconda.com/u/sweller)\
**Post date:** [March 2, 2023, 7:30pm UTC](https://forum.anaconda.com/t/getting-openssl-working/51512/3 "2023-03-02T19:30:05Z")

</div>

Hello,

This is a known bug on Windows machines. The fix is to copy the two below DLL’s from the ‘bin’ folder to the 'DLL’s folder:

On Windows machines the anaconda installation directory will reside under one of the following, depending on whether you proceed with a ‘system-wide’ or ‘per-user’ install:

‘C:\ProgramData\anaconda3’ (system-wide install)  
‘C:\Users\<your\_user\_name\>\anaconda3’ (‘per-user’ install)

Under this directory there will be a ‘Library\bin’ folder.

You can search, copy and paste using ‘Windows Explorer’.

Copy and paste the files:  
libcrypto-1\_1-x64.dll  
libssl-1\_1-x64.dll

from this folder

into the directory:

‘C:\Users\<your\_login\_name\anaconda3\DLLs’ folder.

This should fix the problem.