wallet restore from wallet file

[Gusep]

Hi all,

short version: is it possible to restore my wallet form just the wallet file and my wallet password (v 2.6.4)?

I haven't been using my wallet for a long time (version 2.6.4) but today I wanted to transfer everything to a new storage and found out I need to update to newer version of Electrum. So I did update but somehow I thought that Electrum would open my old wallet again. Didn't happen and I ended up with new wallet and no memory of where my seed words are
So I removed the new Electrum and started the old version again but instead of opening old wallet it is trying to create a new one.
This is all happening on ubuntu 18.04. Is there anything I can do? 

[Gusep]

Not sure why old Electrum version was unable to open my old wallet, but fresh install of 4.0.2 solved it.

[HCP]

...I wanted to transfer everything to a new storage and found out I need to update to newer version of Electrum. So I did update but somehow I thought that Electrum would open my old wallet again.

Did you actually get a message from within Electrum itself saying that you needed to update (when you tried to send funds)? And if so, did you click on any links on the displayed message?

If you answered "yes" to these questions, there is a good chance that you downloaded a fake malware version of Electrum... and there is high chance that your wallet has been compromised.

[Chikito]

are your balance still inside?.
to know that, just exploring your address using bitcoin explorer.

Official electrum has warned on top page https://electrum.org

Warning: Electrum versions older than 3.3.4 are susceptible to phishing. Do not download Electrum from another source than electrum.org, and learn to verify GPG signatures.

Not sure why old Electrum version was unable to open my old wallet, but fresh install of 4.0.2 solved it.

Because you no longer connect to the network, https://github.com/spesmilo/electrum/issues/5195#issuecomment-473157912

Clients older than 3.3 can no longer connect to the network.
Users should go to electrum.org and download the latest version of Electrum.

[nc50lc]

Not sure why old Electrum version was unable to open my old wallet, but fresh install of 4.0.2 solved it.

That's because you've opened it using an updated version which also updated your wallet file.
The only way to use that wallet now is to open it with the same or earlier newer versions of Electrum, trying to load it with an old version will result with an error.

Also, read the warnings above since you most likely downloaded a compromised version of Electrum v4.0+.
Or it may have failed to "hack" because of your wallet's previous version, it this case, send the funds to a new wallet immediately.

[TheUltraElite]

Not sure why old Electrum version was unable to open my old wallet, but fresh install of 4.0.2 solved it.

Are the funds intact? There was previously a hack which allowed a false message inside the electrum window to appear and prompt the user to install a new version which was actually a malware created to steal your money.

You can read about it here - https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5090097.0

If you didnt get such a message or you installed the new version on your own then you should be fine. Again if you have not been able to restore the wallet.dat file you need to remember your seed words to help you restore it.

[pooya87]

Not sure why old Electrum version was unable to open my old wallet, but fresh install of 4.0.2 solved it.

Are the funds intact? There was previously a hack which allowed a false message inside the electrum window to appear and prompt the user to install a new version which was actually a malware created to steal your money.

that bug only happened when user tried broadcasting a transaction, the message was ONLY received in response to a transaction that was sent. OP has problems with opening the wallet file.

[TheUltraElite]

that bug only happened when user tried broadcasting a transaction, the message was ONLY received in response to a transaction that was sent. OP has problems with opening the wallet file.

Electrum does not give update notifications on opening the wallet does it? I said so because the OP says this:

I haven't been using my wallet for a long time (version 2.6.4) but today I wanted to transfer everything to a new storage and found out I need to update to newer version of Electrum. So I did update but somehow I thought that Electrum would open my old wallet again.

Which is why I asked. I hope it was not the similar case and that OP has not lost any funds. But I would be hoping to hear from them again about whether the problem was resolved or not.

[HCP]

Yeah... it's not exactly clear at what point in the process the OP "found out they needed to update to newer version of Electrum"... They "wanted to transfer everything", but it's difficult to know if they were actually trying to transfer when they discovered they needed to update (by way of scam message) or if they discovered they needed to update because Electrum just wouldn't work and they started googling things.

OP hasn't been back on since they said they solved the problem... so I'm not holding out much hope of them returning to let us know