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Alternate cryptocurrencies => Altcoin Discussion => Topic started by: NewEarthRising on April 15, 2021, 04:16:25 PM



Title: Broken phone w Coins, unknown wallet, potential back-up file, how to proceed?
Post by: NewEarthRising on April 15, 2021, 04:16:25 PM
So I had an un-backupped wallet (yes, I know...) with some NEO coins on a Samsung Phone that went dead a few years ago, and seems it might not be able to be repairable.

I have however found a file on my Drive, with unknown file type, called NEO that I had saved. But have not managed to import it anywhere...

Opening it with wordpad reveals:
https://ibb.co/d2t8qPs

After the "keys" in the document, there are numbers and small characters (blocked out in the pic)


Anyone have any ideas if this could be a back-up, and in that case how I could retrieve it - or if any of the keys listed there could be imported somehow?
(i tried the obvious ways but it said error, not valid private key etc)

If this is easy fix, I'd be super grateful for help, suggestions.

If this could take some time, I'm happy to offer 1 NEO coin for anyone who can help me through ZOOM and figure this out, granted we get the coins out.

https://ibb.co/d2t8qPs



Title: Re: Broken phone with unknown wallet, potential back-up file but how to proceed?
Post by: jackg on April 15, 2021, 04:25:11 PM
Can you paste anything that follows "publicKeyHash" into a blockchain explorer? Be sure to just put in the number that follows to see if any balances are stored.

I'm not sure how neo works exactly but publicKeyHashes are normally addresses with coins and are publicly known from the moment someone sends funds to them.


Title: Re: Broken phone with unknown wallet, potential back-up file but how to proceed?
Post by: NewEarthRising on April 15, 2021, 04:51:10 PM
Can you paste anything that follows "publicKeyHash" into a blockchain explorer? Be sure to just put in the number that follows to see if any balances are stored.

I'm not sure how neo works exactly but publicKeyHashes are normally addresses with coins and are publicly known from the moment someone sends funds to them.

Well that's a let down... I had tried Neo blockchain and found error, but regular blockchained says its a ETH wallet with 0 balances, Zero transactions...

https://www.blockchain.com/eth/address/50d39a4bba32982f8936240d9d73cf7b5ed95ec0

Strange that I had named the file NEO...

Oh well, last chance is that a skilled technician can repair the phone and make it start. Was no luck at Samsung Service but have found my way to a shop that say they may be able to recover it.


Title: Re: Broken phone w Coins, unknown wallet, potential back-up file, how to proceed?
Post by: jackg on April 15, 2021, 07:08:44 PM
I'd look up a hexadecimal to base 58 converter, I'm assuming neo uses base58 addresses (the block explorer shows a recent transaction to an address with a Q - just randomly clicking blocks).


Title: Re: Broken phone w Coins, unknown wallet, potential back-up file, how to proceed?
Post by: NewEarthRising on April 15, 2021, 08:01:42 PM
I'd look up a hexadecimal to base 58 converter, I'm assuming neo uses base58 addresses (the block explorer shows a recent transaction to an address with a Q - just randomly clicking blocks).

Thank you!

Would you mind expanding?
Which key would I convert?

Would I use something like this?

https://incoherency.co.uk/base58/


Title: Re: Broken phone w Coins, unknown wallet, potential back-up file, how to proceed?
Post by: khaled0111 on April 15, 2021, 10:30:30 PM
It looks like a NEO wallet file, indeed!
Do you remember at least which wallet you used to use? If you do, download it and import the file to restore your wallet.
The private key seems to be encrypted with a password so, you need to remember that password too to restore your wallet.

I'm assuming neo uses base58 addresses
You're correct. NEO addresses are encoded in base58. The MasterKey value in the wallet file is encrypted with AES. Therefore, encoding it to base58 isn't going to help.


Title: Re: Broken phone w Coins, unknown wallet, potential back-up file, how to proceed?
Post by: jackg on April 15, 2021, 10:51:09 PM
It looks like a NEO wallet file, indeed!
Do you remember at least which wallet you used to use? If you do, download it and import the file to restore your wallet.
The private key seems to be encrypted with a password so, you need to remember that password too to restore your wallet.

I'm assuming neo uses base58 addresses
You're correct. NEO addresses are encoded in base58. The MasterKey value in the wallet file is encrypted with AES. Therefore, encoding it to base58 isn't going to help.

I'd look up a hexadecimal to base 58 converter, I'm assuming neo uses base58 addresses (the block explorer shows a recent transaction to an address with a Q - just randomly clicking blocks).

Thank you!

Would you mind expanding?
Which key would I convert?

Would I use something like this?

https://incoherency.co.uk/base58/

I mean converting the public key hash value: and yeah I'd test out the link you found - it's base 58 so it's hard to work out whether it verifies.


Title: Re: Broken phone w Coins, unknown wallet, potential back-up file, how to proceed?
Post by: NewEarthRising on April 16, 2021, 03:49:51 AM
It looks like a NEO wallet file, indeed!
Do you remember at least which wallet you used to use? If you do, download it and import the file to restore your wallet.
The private key seems to be encrypted with a password so, you need to remember that password too to restore your wallet.

I'm assuming neo uses base58 addresses
You're correct. NEO addresses are encoded in base58. The MasterKey value in the wallet file is encrypted with AES. Therefore, encoding it to base58 isn't going to help.


YAY!!!, it worked through neowallet.cn, and I remembered the password! (for sure not the wallet I used)

1700 worth. I bought in at peaks in 2018 so still not break-even, but nonetheless, definitely a win!

I have a few scar stories so I'm happy to get one of these kinds of stories two.

https://ibb.co/XsmSFVq

Thanks a lot both of you! ❤️


Title: Re: Broken phone w Coins, unknown wallet, potential back-up file, how to proceed?
Post by: khaled0111 on April 16, 2021, 07:34:04 PM
Glad to hear you were able to recover your wallet :)

Since you've been holding those NEO coins for years, you can (and should) claim your staking reward. 
Theorically, 1 staked NEO generates ~0.14 GAS per year.
I suggest you download NEON wallet, import your private key into it then claim your GAS tokens from there.