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Bitcoin => Bitcoin Technical Support => Topic started by: CryptoMamma on December 16, 2017, 09:40:29 PM



Title: Copy/Paste Passphrase from Notepad - Possible Error
Post by: CryptoMamma on December 16, 2017, 09:40:29 PM
Hi all!

I recall my last passphrase but I was copying it from notepad .txt file. I opened up the txt file but guess what? Doesn't open! I cannot access this .txt file anymore. Thankfully I know the phrase, it is the same as I have had for years - WearelivingInahologramstupid$*** --  I type in the passphrase, doesn't work! I'm not sure why the notepad file its not opening but I'm wondering if MAYBE the copy/paste was adding random characters. 

I typed in the passphrase on notepad when I first set up this particular wallet and then I would copy it from that notepad. I would always copy/paste it from the text file.  What do you guys think? Could it be that Copy/Paste added extra random characters? It doesn't make any sense right? Or WAIT! Is it possible that some hacker maliciously changed by PW and is just loves watching me squirm? I can't figure this out! What could be the problem?


Title: Re: Copy/Paste Passphrase from Notepad - Possible Error
Post by: achow101 on December 17, 2017, 01:44:42 AM
Passphrase to what? What software are you trying to use?


Title: Re: Copy/Paste Passphrase from Notepad - Possible Error
Post by: CryptoMamma on December 17, 2017, 12:32:58 PM
Bitcoin Core version v0.14.2 (64-bit)


Title: Re: Copy/Paste Passphrase from Notepad - Possible Error
Post by: achow101 on December 17, 2017, 04:27:48 PM
The problem could be a number of possible things.

You could have malware which is messing with the clipboard and resulting in bad text being copied and pasted. In this case, you should perform a malware scan on your computer.

Your wallet file could also be corrupted so the passphrase no longer works (and also the private keys are corrupted so you may not even be able to access your Bitcoin). In this case, you should restore a backup of your wallet file (of course back up the wallet file first to another location, then restore a different, older backup) and trying to see if that works too.


Title: Re: Copy/Paste Passphrase from Notepad - Possible Error
Post by: kaygie on December 17, 2017, 04:32:54 PM
The text file itself is not opening?it might be corrupted due to some virus invading your device storage. Or you mean the passphrase you used to copy paste in the text file just suddenly didn't work? If that's the case it is possible that you had unintentionally add or type some character while doing your copy paste act because as you said when you manually type the passphrase you remember it works so I don't think there's hacking involved.


Title: Re: Copy/Paste Passphrase from Notepad - Possible Error
Post by: HCP on December 18, 2017, 10:18:41 PM
I recall my last passphrase but I was copying it from notepad .txt file. I opened up the txt file but guess what? Doesn't open! I cannot access this .txt file anymore.
What error are you getting when you try to open the .txt file? Is it a "file not found" error or something else? ???

It seems odd that you cannot open a simple text file... they aren't stored in a "special" format or anything like that, so should be able to be opened by any text editor.


Title: Re: Copy/Paste Passphrase from Notepad - Possible Error
Post by: CryptoMamma on December 21, 2017, 09:43:21 PM
The problem could be a number of possible things.

You could have malware which is messing with the clipboard and resulting in bad text being copied and pasted. In this case, you should perform a malware scan on your computer.

Your wallet file could also be corrupted so the passphrase no longer works (and also the private keys are corrupted so you may not even be able to access your Bitcoin). In this case, you should restore a backup of your wallet file (of course back up the wallet file first to another location, then restore a different, older backup) and trying to see if that works too.

That sounds scary but I don't think this is the case because I manage to copy/paste from other text files just fine. The corrupt wallet is even worse. Is it normal for wallets to just lock like that? If so, I'd consider that a SERIOUS bug in Core client. Any documentation that you know of mentioning this as a common problem?

I found  this error message on the Debug file and it never appeared at any time since I installed it. Oddly enough, it appears exactly on the day that my wallet stopped accepting my password:

2017-12-05 13:02:17 No rpcpassword set - using random cookie authentication
2017-12-05 13:02:17 Generated RPC authentication cookie C:\Users\USER\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\.cookie

What does it mean???