Just use BTCRecover, there's a tutorial on how to set it up, it's outdated but working.

If you got any problem, create your own thread with the question and information (this is quite off-topic).
To get you started, after setting-up btcrecover, use this command:
Change "wallet_name" into your wallet file's name, --typos-replace '%a' into '%A' if you think you've used uppercase
& --typos' value depending on how many characters you think is wrong;
Take note: The higher the number of possible passwords, the higher RAM you will be needing.

And a 'tokens.txt' file in the same directory as btcrecover.py with the lines:

It can be improved as I'm not an expert when it comes with btcrecover.

If you need help with the token file, there's also a guide on how to set it up: https://github.com/gurnec/btcrecover/blob/master/TUTORIAL.md#btcrecover-tutorial
Or typos: https://github.com/gurnec/btcrecover/blob/master/docs/Typos_Quick_Start_Guide.md

As for me, I can only bruteforce weak passwords (there's no other way to contact me),
you can contact this guy though: walletrecoveryservices He's got positive reviews and trust rating.

If it's encrypted, it will be hard to gain access to your funds even if he got the wallet file.
If it's strong (long, numerals, lower/upper-case letters & symbols) and you don't have an idea of the possible missing characters, it's almost impossible.

But it depends on how strong is your password because it's fairly easy to bruteforce a weak password like 8-character-password which  is purely composed of numbers.

The main title (question) is a bit vague, so I'll just answer based from the context:

Q: Will the difficulty change during/after the halving?
A: No, there's no direct relation between halving and difficulty,
The increased/decreased difficulty is just the effect of more/less miner competing for the lowered block reward and/or just because of the new ASICs that's more efficient.

That's the new "bump system" doing its job.

I'll edit this with the link to theymos' thread...

Edit:
Bumping changes on some boards

Not as efficient as the regular heater but I agree with the lottery part. (IK it's a joke)
Anyways, he might have been using it for solo mining due to his "since cracked anything" statement.

Why don't you join a pool then?

You can "post" your messages using a "text-to-HEX converter" & Electrum, and it will be saved to Bitcoin's blockchain after getting a confirmation, but the transaction can already be seen on blockexplorers right after it was broadcast.
Although, you won't be able to see the messages directly like in that website. You'll have to convert the hex string into txt, image or other formats manually.

There are limitations though, it will be non-standard and wont easily propagate nor mined if it didn't follow any of the standard rules: Standard-transactions | Non-standard-transactions.
Like converting an image into hex, the size will not even fit the default relay size of 83bytes.

TL;DR: In comparison, that website is using BitcoinSV's chain that has a maximum OP_RETURN relay size of 100kB (just because?) while Bitcoin's default standard limit is 83 Bytes.
In short, something like that site that can 'casually' post long messages, codes, images, etc. using Bitcoin's [BTC] Blockchain isn't possible.

(Call bitcoin: Bitcoin, not Bitcoin Core, it's the full node client's name or a name of another misleading fork - BTCC).
(Do not try doing this in the mainnet without sufficient research, use testnet for your tests).

The three ".exe" that you can download from the official site behave differently.

I'll just list them for you:

• Stand-alone Executable (name: electrum-3.3.8.exe) - as the name implies, it's "stand-alone" and will run as it is without needing to install.
  It will save the data directory (wallets and settings) to the default location %appdata%/electrum.
• Windows Installer (name: electrum-3.3.8-setup.exe) - is an installer, it will install Electrum (and the launcher) to the location that you selected (C:\Program Files (x86)\Electrum by default)
  Just like the stand-alone, it will save the 'data directory' to the default location %appdata%/electrum.
  
• Portable version (name: electrum-3.3.8-portable.exe) - Behaves like the "stand-lone" version but it saves the 'data directory' in the same location where the executable is.
  This version is made for removable disks.

You likely have downloaded the stand-alone version.

Do you still have a virgin copy of the wallet file?
If you have, disable your internet, then create a copy of it and open the copy using Electrum version 2.7.18, then export your seed from it.
Download the previous releases here: https://download.electrum.org/

It's not hashed, it's your encrypted seed, in Base-64.

Usually, that's the case.
Electrum will return with that error if your transaction was rejected by your selected/connected server mostly because it's "non-standard", invalid or didn't follow their node's rules.
Example of non-standard transactions: Khaled's example; fee lower than 1sat/B, SegWit Address created w/ Uncompressed keys, etc.
Invalid TXare usually transactions that are trying to spend already spent UTXO (spent coins).

To expand khaled0111's reply... I have a question:
Is one of your transaction's output (the amount to be sent) lower than .00000546 BTC or .00546 mBTC?
If it is, Khaled's post is the issue.

If you can get your hands on an industrial grade SSD which has 'SLC' "flash type", that'll be a great replacement for your HDD.
Because it's expected to last for more than 20 decades even with extreme read/write processes.

If not, you can settle with consumer grade SSD with 'SLC cache' and 'MLC' flash, the life expectancy for that type is about a decade.
The key is not filling the drive with data over 80%, the lower the free space, the better.

Also, the old SSD issue "expensive price per GB" is almost solved by now,
For example: You can buy a 1TB SLC Cache/MLC flash SSD for $100 today (consumer grade).

Portable? So the data directory will be the same directory as your Electrum-portable.exe.

Was your original wallet non-portable like "stand-alone"?
Because if it is, your real wallet might be in your user-roaming folders: Hit "WindowsKey+R", type %appdata% then enter.
Open 'Electrum', then 'wallets'; if there are files there, then that should be your original wallet file (make a backup copy).
Use a non-portable version to open it or browse to that location when selecting wallets using "File->Open" in Electrum.

Try to add: assumevalid=0000000000000000000b804d0a7c68afaf198cbae1cc16ea3613435ce77a9521 to your bitcoin.conf file.
That's the block hash of block height 618,873; with that setting, core will not verify all the blocks below the specified height.
But with your CPU/RAM, I think this will not dramatically increase your syncing speed [for blocks higher than 453354 (commit 3c02b95)]

Also temporarily add, blocksonly=1 So your node will not relay transactions that could add a very little strain to your HDD.

But as always pointed out to the same issue, it all comes down to the limitations of an HDD;
Consider upgrading to SSD (SLC: single-level cell type).

Are you seeing something like this when you open the wallet file with a text editor?:

Looks like the answer to my question above is yes?
When you see something like those strings, it means that your wallet file isn't encrypted but the keys are encrypted (as you can see above).
When using that kind of wallet, it will only ask for your password whenever you need to access your private keys like signing tx and messages.

You can select that option after you typed the password below the text-boxes in the wallet-creation window or password-creation window.
It's the checkbox: "Encrypt wallet file", enabled by default.

BTW, I've tried to reproduce your issue by creating a wallet using 3.1.2 then open that wallet file using the latest version. It successfully upgraded.
I suspect that your wallet file was corrupted somehow.

Coinb.in's "custom seed" is not a BIP39 mnemonic seed and wont use the same process as BIP39 when deriving the root key.
In fact, you can type anything to coinb while BIP39 have a standard word-list.

It said: "deposited from", means the address that you've used to deposit.
Moreover, it also said "in your profile" as the main option, which is the default receiving address used during registration or the user added afterwards.

Example (for deposited from): When you sent bitcoins to any of your deposit address, you can sign a message to any of the listed inputs.
Paste your previously used deposit address to https://www.blockchain.com/explorer?view=btc_blocks, and you'll see something like this:


Use the wallet that you've used to send that transaction and sign a message containing "I want to change my email into blahblah@emailprovider.com" to that "purple-marked" address.
Of course, if it's a "custodial wallet", you wont be able to do that.

Yes, He can't.
It needs to be complete because there's a checksum which is the double SHA256 hash of version byte & the (HEX) private key.
And that checksum is included when converting the "combined results" into base58.

Wait, based from this:
Do you have any 'Sent' transactions in the history?
Because "USD Acquisition Price" and "USD Capital Gains" wont be displayed for "received transactions".
Only for outgoing transactions since it's for the Bitcoins that you've sold.

If there are, consider enable logging and paste the log to a new issue in Electrum's Github repository (github.com/spesmilo/electrum).
Enable logging: Tools->Preferences->'General' Tab->'Write logs to file'
Logs location: Electrum(data directory)/logs

It doesn't look like an issue with Electrum settings, it's more of a network issue to me.
Can you try to ping api.coindesk.com to check if there's a connection issue between you and coindesk?

If you're using windows, open 'command prompt' and enter this:
If it returned with timeout(s), there must be something that's blocking your connection with coindesk API.

No, there's no other way to create a signed message without the address' private key.

But your did they really said fbc's deposit address?
Because that address is in their control, you must have meant default "withdrawal address"?

If that's the case, which wallet does your withdrawal address displayed in "More->Profile->Change Withdrawal Address" belongs?

---

Next time, create your own thread even if you have a somehow related question

Mine has values using these settings. All were ticked and Source was set to CoinDesk:


Have you checked if you can browse to Coindesk.com using your browser?
It's worth the try, although I'm not sure if their API is using the same server as their webpage.