Bitcoin Forum

Bitcoin => Bitcoin Technical Support => Topic started by: DrLexer on March 05, 2018, 02:45:07 PM



Title: Restore wallet
Post by: DrLexer on March 05, 2018, 02:45:07 PM
How to restore bitcoin wallet if key not in WIF format?
May be exist wallets for this task?


Title: Re: Restore wallet
Post by: bob123 on March 05, 2018, 03:07:18 PM
How to restore bitcoin wallet if key not in WIF format?
May be exist wallets for this task?

This fully depends on which format your private key is stored in.

Do you have a private key or a seed (12 or 24 words)? Is it encrypted? Or what has been performed on your key(s)?
What is the reason you aren't able to restore it?

What is the first character of your 'key'? Do not post your whole key!


Helping might be easier when those questions are answered.



Title: Re: Restore wallet
Post by: Yaroslav_ on March 05, 2018, 04:41:47 PM
Tried to do through Wallet.dat? Their path is as follows:
Windows:% APPDATA% \ Bitcoin
Linux: ~ / .bitcoin /
Mac OS X: ~ / Library / Application Support / Bitcoin /
And so, you need more information, now there are a lot of ways.


Title: Re: Restore wallet
Post by: crairezx20 on March 05, 2018, 06:15:49 PM
Tried to do through Wallet.dat? Their path is as follows:
Windows:% APPDATA% \ Bitcoin
Linux: ~ / .bitcoin /
Mac OS X: ~ / Library / Application Support / Bitcoin /
And so, you need more information, now there are a lot of ways.
Are you using bitcoin core or bitcoin-qt wallet?
If you are using bitcoin core you can backup the private key in debug console by using "dumpprivkey 1yourbitcoinaddress"
To do this you must go to help>debug window> type this command to backup private key "dumpprivkey 1yourbitcoinaddress" without a quote.
Then you get the private key that you can use for restoration of your wallet in other wallet like in electrum..

Where did you want to restore your wallet? I'll guide if you want.


Title: Re: Restore wallet
Post by: bob123 on March 06, 2018, 03:14:51 PM
Are you using bitcoin core or bitcoin-qt wallet?
If you are using bitcoin core you can backup the private key in debug console by using "dumpprivkey 1yourbitcoinaddress"
To do this you must go to help>debug window> type this command to backup private key "dumpprivkey 1yourbitcoinaddress" without a quote.

OP is not trying to extract a private key out of a core wallet.
He is trying to restore a wallet (probably one private key).


@OP: It would be helpful to know how your key starts: 5.., K.. or L.. ?


Title: Re: Restore wallet
Post by: HCP on March 07, 2018, 03:20:30 AM
How to restore bitcoin wallet if key not in WIF format?
May be exist wallets for this task?
If it isn't in WIF format... most wallets are NOT going to be able to import it...

You can try entering your "private key" into https://www.bitaddress.org/ (NOTE: download, run "offline"... click on "Wallet Details" tab). It purports to accept - WIF (starts with "5"), WIFC (WIF Compressed, starts with "K" or "L"), HEX, B64 (Base64), B6 (Base6... ie. "dice"), MINI, BIP38 (BIP38 Encrypted)

It will display the WIF and WIF Compressed keys along with the matching bitcoin addresses, so you know which WIF key to use to import into the wallet of your choice.

Things will be slightly more complicated if your private key is in "xprv" format.