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Furthermore, when I checked my account, there are only TWELVE (12) phrase words this time instead of my old SEVENTEEN (17) which I actually provided my account password.
-snip-
Is there any other way to retrieve my BTC using my 17 word phrase words?

1.  On your regular, internet-connected computer, open your web browser (Chrome or Firefox is recommended) and navigate to the Blockchain.com login page.
2.  Open your browser's Developer Tools. This is typically done by pressing the F12 key.
3.  In the Developer Tools window, click on the tab labeled "Network".
4.  Now, in the main browser window, attempt to log in using your email address and the password that was recovered using your 17-word phrase. If you had Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), you may be prompted for a code.
5.  The login will likely appear to fail or will simply take you back to the empty wallet dashboard. This is expected and is not a problem.
6.  Look back at the Network tab in your Developer Tools. You should see a list of network requests. Find the one named `wallet` (or something very similar). Click on it.
7.  A new pane will appear. Look for a tab within this pane labeled "Response" or "Preview".
8.  You will see a large block of text starting with `{`. This is your encrypted `wallet.aes.json` payload.
9.  Carefully select and copy the *entire contents* of this text block.
10. Open a plain text editor (like Notepad on Windows, or TextEdit on Mac in plain text mode). Paste the copied text into the editor.
11. Save this file with the exact name: `wallet.aes.json`. Some guides note that you may need to perform a "find and replace" to remove backslash characters (`\`) that might appear before quotation marks (e.g., changing `\"` to `"`), so inspect the file for this.
12. You now have the encrypted file containing your keys. Transfer this file to your secure offline computer using a clean, freshly formatted USB drive.

Step 3.3: Offline Decryption

Now, on your secure, offline computer:

1.  You will use a trusted, open-source, command-line tool called `btcrecover`. You will need to have downloaded this tool and its dependencies (like Python) onto your offline machine beforehand. You can find the official software on its GitHub repository.
2.  Open a command prompt or terminal on the offline machine.
3.  Navigate to the directory where you saved `btcrecover` and your `wallet.aes.json` file.
4.  Run the following command, replacing `"your-recovered-password"` with the actual password you recovered. Keep the quotation marks if your password contains spaces or special characters.
    5.  The tool will then attempt to decrypt the file. Because there were several versions of the `wallet.aes.json` format over the years with different encryption settings (iteration counts), `btcrecover` is designed to handle many of them. If the command above does not work, the tool has advanced options to test for different legacy wallet types.

Step 3.4: Success! Sweeping the Private Keys

If the decryption is successful, `btcrecover` will output the private keys associated with your Bitcoin addresses. At this point, it is imperative that you follow this final procedure:

1.  DO NOT RE-USE THE OLD WALLET. The Blockchain.com wallet structure is obsolete and should be considered insecure for long-term storage.
2.  Prepare a new, modern, secure wallet. This should be a hardware wallet (like a Ledger or Trezor) or a well-regarded desktop software wallet (like Sparrow or a fresh installation of Electrum). Set it up and securely back up its new 12 or 24-word BIP39 seed phrase.
3.  Sweep the old keys. Use the "sweep" or "import private key" function in your new wallet. Enter one of the private keys recovered from your `wallet.aes.json` file. The wallet will create a new transaction that sends all the funds controlled by that private key to a new, clean address generated by your new wallet. Repeat for any other private keys that contain funds.

This action moves your Bitcoin from the old, compromised key structure to a new, secure, modern one under your sole control.

Firstly, THANK YOU for posting this detailed guide.

Now I am stuck where I have quoted you.

This is a classic version incompatibility problem, and the good news is that the solution is simple.
In short, the error happens because you are trying to run a script written for Python 2 with a Python 3 interpreter.

• `cPickle` was a module in Python 2, used to save the program's progress. It was a faster version, written in the C language.
• In Python 3, `cPickle` was discontinued and its optimizations were incorporated directly into the standard `pickle` module. Therefore, Python 3 no longer recognizes the `import cPickle` command.
[\*] If you are seeing this error, it's almost certain that you have downloaded an old and outdated version of `btcrecover`, probably from the original "gurnec" repository, which hasn't been updated in years and was made for Python 2.7.

The Correct and Secure Solution: Use the Modern Version of BTCRecover

The right way to solve this is to ignore the old version and use the modern, actively maintained version of `btcrecover`, which is fully compatible with Python 3 and supports a much wider range of wallets and cryptocurrencies.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Download the correct version of BTCRecover
Go to the official and current `btcrecover` repository on GitHub, maintained by "3rdIteration".

• Direct download link: (https://github.com/3rdIteration/btcrecover/archive/master.zip) (https://github.com/3rdIteration/btcrecover/archive/master.zip)
  
• Unzip the.zip file to an easily accessible folder (e.g., on your Desktop).

Step 2: Install Python 3
If you don't have Python 3 yet, download the latest version. The modern version of `btcrecover` supports Python 3.9 or higher.

• Download link (Windows): (https://www.python.org/downloads/windows/) (https://www.python.org/downloads/windows/)
  
• VERY IMPORTANT: During installation, check the box that says "Add Python to PATH" or "Add python.exe to PATH". This is crucial\!
  

Step 3: Install dependencies
Now, let's install the libraries the script needs to run.

• Open the folder you unzipped in Step 1.
• In the Windows Explorer address bar, type `cmd` and press Enter. This will open the Command Prompt directly in the correct location.
• In the Command Prompt, type the following command and press Enter:

• Wait for the installation to finish. `pip` will automatically download and install everything needed.

Step 4: Run BTCRecover
Done\! Now you can run `btcrecover` without errors. The exact command depends on your wallet, but an example for a Bitcoin Core wallet with a password list would be:

To verify that the installation was successful, you can run the included test script:

Alternative Path (NOT RECOMMENDED\!)

Someone might suggest installing Python 2.7 to run the old script. DO NOT DO THIS.

• Insecure: Python 2 has not received security updates since 2020. Using it to handle wallet files is an unnecessary risk.
  
• Outdated: The old version of `btcrecover` does not support newer wallet formats, like SegWit, or many altcoins that the modern version supports.
  
• Unstable: Installing old dependencies on modern operating systems can be a nightmare and cause more errors.
  

The effort is not worth it and the risks are high. Always use the modern and secure version.

Hope this helps! Good luck with your wallet recovery.

The error message:

Appears because `btcrecover` is a recovery tool, not a simple decryption tool. It's designed to search for an unknown password from a list of possibilities.

When you type `--password`, the program doesn't know which of its password-searching functions you want to use. Your instruction is a prefix for several more complex recovery commands, like `--passwordlist`. Since it can't guess your intent, it stops and displays the error to avoid running the wrong operation.

You are trying to use a decryption command (providing the known password) on a tool whose default mode is recovery (searching for the password).

The Quick Solution: The Correct Command to Decrypt

For what you want to do—decrypt a `wallet.aes.json` file with a password you already know—you need to use a different set of flags that are specific and unambiguous.

Here is the correct command:

Let's break it down:

• --wallet-file wallet.aes.json: Specifies your encrypted wallet file.
  
• --dump-wallet wallet_decrypted.txt: Tells `btcrecover` to save the decrypted contents (your private keys!) to a new text file named `wallet_decrypted.txt` upon success.
  
• --correct-wallet-password "your-recovered-password": This is the crucial flag. It explicitly tells the program, "Use this single, exact password to decrypt," bypassing the entire search and recovery engine.
  

Replace `"your-recovered-password"` with your actual password, and the command will work perfectly.

Step-by-Step Guide for Secure Decryption

It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to follow good security practices (OpSec) when handling private keys.

1. Go Offline (Air-Gap):
The most critical step. Run this process on a computer that is not connected to the internet (an "air-gapped system"). The moment your wallet is decrypted, your private keys will exist in plain text in the computer's memory and on its disk. If the machine is online, they are vulnerable.

2. Work on a Copy:
Never work on your original `wallet.aes.json` file. Always make a copy and work with that copy. This prevents any accidental corruption of your original backup.

3. Run the Command:
On your secure, offline computer, transfer `btcrecover` and the copy of your wallet. Open the terminal/command prompt in the `btcrecover` directory and run the command I provided above.

4. Secure Your Keys:
After a successful run, you will have the file `wallet_decrypted.txt`. This file contains your private keys. Import these keys into a new, secure, and functional wallet immediately. After you have confirmed the funds are safe, permanently delete the `wallet_decrypted.txt` file.

For Future Reference: The Real Power of `btcrecover`

Now that your immediate problem is solved, it's worth knowing what the commands that caused the confusion are actually for:

• --passwordlist: Is used for dictionary attacks. You provide a text file with thousands of potential passwords, and `btcrecover` tests each one.
  
• --tokenlist: Is even more powerful. You provide password fragments ("tokens") that you remember, and `btcrecover` combines them into millions of permutations.
  
• --typos: This flag, combined with others like `--typos-swap` or `--typos-delete`, applies common typing errors (swapping letters, deleting a character, etc.) to your test passwords, massively expanding your search.
  

These are the recovery tools that make `btcrecover` so effective when you aren't sure of the password.

Hope this helps solve your issue and gives you a better understanding of this powerful tool!

Good luck!

The golden question now is: What to do now?

Haven't you noticed already?
The inconsistencies in the command/arg that it has given you and the way it corrects itself?

Thank you for spotting this fact. After digging more, it turns out some of his command is also invalid. I've mentioned some of his problematic post on https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5482297.msg65589083#msg65589083 (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5482297.msg65589083#msg65589083).

To OP, have you tried reading BTCRecover documentation on https://docs.btcrecover.org/en/latest/ (https://docs.btcrecover.org/en/latest/)? It's more helpful and accurate than following @Henark post.

Haven't you noticed already?
The inconsistencies in the command/arg that it has given you and the way it corrects itself?

I'm seeing that you're quite versed on using commands so I'll just point you to btcrecover's help menu:
That'll show you a list of available command line arguments and with explanation of each.

Thanks for this info.

It seems I do not have the actual json file at all!

I followed this video to recover my json file from blockchain.com:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f63FpoTKwSw

But it shows random info in the Response section instead of showing the actual payload file.

And I get this error message:


By the way, I did check your website, but it does not say how to recover keys from the mnemonic phrases?

Thanks.

I thought you had the "wallet.aes.json" file if you followed the guide from that YouTube link to take the payload and turn it into "wallet.aes.json" but you got that error. It means it's no longer working, I guess because the blockchain site on the recovery page seems changed.

I like what file you are trying to recover in your 2nd post above. I thought that you already have the wallet.aes.json?
If you already have that file, then skip the procedure and go to bruteforcing under that video or follow the guide from this link below

- https://docs.btcrecover.org/en/latest/TUTORIAL/#running-btcrecover

Or try to repeat the procedure from the first method from the video, but this time try with "legacy" wallet recovery and take the wallet.aes.json file from the payload.

- https://login.blockchain.com/legacy-pages/forgot-password.html

Blockchain.com used to send a wallet.aes.json file back at that time. Take a look at the e-mail folders (or another e-mail accounts) that you used to create your wallet.

Please *DO NOT* DM me regarding ANYTHING. If you have anything fruitful to say, say it here in the public. Thanks.

Hello,

I found my seed phrase paper from 2014 (precise yes), but not anything else written with it.

I do not remember which website I had my X number of BTC were stored in.

However, here's when it becomes more complicated: I have SEVENTEEN (17) phrase words. Not the standard 12, 18 or 24.

From my understanding, this is what I have done by far to retrieve my account:

I tried to retrieve my credentials from Blockchain.

I put in my seed phrase.

It generated the password for my account back then.

Username is my old email address which still works (whoosh!).

I log into Blockchain, it worked.

BUT, it became *even* more complicated: I have no BTC/any crypto in my account at all!

Furthermore, when I checked my account, there are only TWELVE (12) phrase words this time instead of my old SEVENTEEN (17) which I actually provided my account password.




My bottom-line question, for which I need assistance and the purpose of creating this thread is this:

Are there any other websites from back then where I might have purchased my BTC from other than Blockchain?

Is there any other way to retrieve my BTC using my 17 word phrase words?

Thank you.

For the second method aka legacy wallet, there is no wallet file, but rather wallet-index.js file and still, the Response tab does not have any payloads.

I confirm I DO NOT have any json file.

You can refer to one of my previous reply for the latest method of getting the correct payload.
Basically, you'll need to know your Wallet_ID and monitor your browser's Developer Menu's Network tab (should be open before the login attempt and email verification).
Then, your wallet.aes.json's payload should be in the list named as your Wallet_ID at the correct timeframe after you verified your device/IP via Email verification and/or 2FA.

Actual Example (open in new tab to view full size):
https://www.talkimg.com/images/2025/07/17/UA6D0w.png (https://www.talkimg.com/images/2025/07/17/UA6D0w.png)
It still works even provided with a random password.

However, downloading the wallet.aes.json is quite unrelated to the issue like I mentioned before because you know your password
and the private keys that you would've exported is still available in their client since it's using the same wallet.aes.json file.
It worth considering if you want to make sure that it's not caused by a bug in their online client though.

As for the possible solution, I'd still stand on my first reply.

That 12-word backup phrase is different,
It's your updated wallet's BIP39-compatible seed phrase that is a backup of the new HD keys that your wallet generated as you login to the new version.
Your 17 words backup, on the other hand, is just a backup of your account login credentials. (Password and WalletID)

If you're expecting any balance from your wallet and if it's not caused by faulty wallet synchronization;
It could be in the non-HD addresses below your "Wallets and Private Keys" menu in the Settings.

The problem is, if there's no other addresses/keys there; only them [Blockchain(dot)com] can help you with it since that 'wallet.aes.json' file that's associated with your login credentials has been sitting in their server and nowhere else.

Is this your solution when you said you stand by your first reply?

You can refer to one of my previous reply for the latest method of getting the correct payload.
Basically, you'll need to know your Wallet_ID and monitor your browser's Developer Menu's Network tab (should be open before the login attempt and email verification).
Then, your wallet.aes.json's payload should be in the list named as your Wallet_ID at the correct timeframe after you verified your device/IP via Email verification and/or 2FA.

Actual Example (open in new tab to view full size):
https://www.talkimg.com/images/2025/07/17/UA6D0w.png (https://www.talkimg.com/images/2025/07/17/UA6D0w.png)
It still works even provided with a random password.

However, downloading the wallet.aes.json is quite unrelated to the issue like I mentioned before because you know your password
and the private keys that you would've exported is still available in their client since it's using the same wallet.aes.json file.
It worth considering if you want to make sure that it's not caused by a bug in their online client though.

As for the possible solution, I'd still stand on my first reply.

How can I find my wallet ID?

I do not have any emails from Blockchain.info from back then.

It's the seemingly random numbers with dashes that you use to login.
But If you're using your email address instead; login your account first, then you can find it in your wallet's settings under 'General' settings tab.
(read the red warning note below it for your privacy)

1. Wallet successfully dumped...

I cannot find any file in this case.

Unable to decrypt wallet, likely due to incorrect password..

I am using the correct password but I am getting this error.

It feels like I am back to square one despite being so close to the end now!

Since the indicated value of --dump-privkeys arg isn't an absolute nor relative path,
If not in your BTCRecover nor python install directory, it should be in your working directory named "blockchain-github-v1-1_main_privkeys.txt".
About "working directory", it's the directory displayed in your command line before the ">" sign.

Or alternatively, specify the absolute path of where you want to save the dump file.
e.g.: --dump-privkeys D:/blockchain-github-v1-1_main_privkeys.txt to save it in D: drive's root.

If it's not the password, it may be the payload that you saved as wallet.aes.json file.
The format should look like the test "blockchain-github" wallets in ".\btcrecover\test\test-wallets" (open as text), older versions are different than the latest so check them all if your payload isn't formatted correctly.

Fingers Crossed.
But like I mentioned, his suggestion to dump the wallet's private keys isn't the direct solution to this but an option in case it's the client's issue.

Anyways, I have a suspicion that the private keys file actually don't belong to me and it was installed when I installed Btcrecover, so I am seeing someone else's transactions?

Do you mean the private keys in the dump file in your first command?

You should've expected it since you had pointed a test wallet file in that command's --wallet arg's value, the ones pre-included in BTCRecover. (./btcrecover/test/test-wallets/blockchain-github-v1-1)
I though you were testing its --dump-privkeys functionality when you used that specific command.

Ok.

Now that it's clear, how can I dump my private keys?

And someone should make a program in which you just have to drag and drop files and get dump results instantly instead of typing in DOS like it's still the 80's! It's really annoying.

P. S. I am starting to think my .json file is invalid/incorrect because it has a lot of other characters than one shown in this video:

FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'C:/XXX/recovery/wallet.aes.json'

I have made a new directory and pasted the .json file there, but getting this error.

You would get a different error if it's caused by an invalid wallet.aes.json's payload/format.
We'll see if you've copied the wrong response (payload) after fixing the current issue with the pathing error.

If you're positive that the path is correct and existing, the only Windows thing that may have caused this is its default hidden "common file extension" option.

If you initially created a text file to make that wallet file, its actual name may be "wallet.aes.json.txt" with hidden ".txt" extension.
So, try to enable the settings in your Windows Explorer in "View->Show->File Name Extensions", then rename the wallet file correctly.

I used btc_address_dump "INSERT MNEMONIC PHRASES HERE" command.

On the other hand, dumping the private keys from your wallet.aes.json file will ensure that every private keys in the dump file are the ones contained in your wallet.

Ok. I tried to do this, but it says I have incorrect password.

Also, can you please paste the command to decrypt the .json file now? (It looks like adding the .txt in the command worked as you had suggested earlier.)

Question, can you successfully login to their wallet's website or app?

Because if so, just use the same password that you're using to login since it's the same required password to decrypt the encrypted payload that you copied to create a wallet file.

My suggestion was to remove the ".txt" from the file leaving its actual name "wallet.aes.json" and use the command in the instructions.

Sorry for the delay because I am feeling this is going nowhere...

Yes, I've mentioned in post#4 (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5549745.msg65584708#msg65584708) that the deleted AI-generated reply by a certain member which included that suggestion isn't the solution to the issue.
It just posted unrelated Blockchain(dot)com recovery options based from his unclear prompt.

You're just doing that for confirmation that the wallet.aes.json doesn't actually contain the right private key(s).
If you're having trouble with the instructions, it's best to pause it for now.

-snip-
EDIT: Can running Bitcoin core show anything relevant, i.e. can it show any transactions, balance, etc. of my wallet? Thanks.

This means I didn't possess any crypto to begin with?