Strange BTC transaction issue (sent but not...) - TX ID ADDED

[l8nit3]

Hello all!

I am here asking a question for a friend who is not a user on the (and Im curious aswell).

Background:
So I have a friend, an older man, who wanted to get into bitcoin about 2 years ago. We set him up a wallet, and he bought a number of miners which I personally setup for him. Throughout this time he has been buying his equipment through ebay (...I know....but his choice). Finally he decides to go with a brand new s7 and makes his first actual BTC purchase.... good times.

The Issue:
When making the transaction to bitmain, he accidentally sent the transaction twice, HOWEVER, there was not enough funds in his wallet for the second transaction. So, safe right...... wrong. Basically, it shows as a valid transaction (he was using an early version of the core wallet, so likely no 'insufficient fund' warning) with 0/6 confirms..... for about 3 days now.

Even Worse:
He has approximately 0.5  BTC remaining in the wallet, which to protect (he assumed when wallet had sufficient funds it would be sent to bitmain without a purchase order) he sent to a newly opened electrum wallet.
Now both transactions are stuck in limbo.

My attempts:
I have rescanned the wallet hoping the insufficient transaction would simply be cancelled.
I have update him to the newest core, and rescanned again.

I am at a loss how we can salvage these coins... especially updetting because included in the 0.5 BTC is a payment meant for me for computer repairs lol :/

Anyone have any ideas?

EDIT#1
TX ID for the 'double spent' BTC - 0fde44a1a987b2c1eccc764fedbe5c70ea5d5bd3b4e7a45f609aa3c158b7d61b-000
blockchain.io claims 'Sorry we could not find any blocks or transactions matching this hash'

TX ID for the ~0.5 sent after - 5180fe412ab78445a49726b8c5ed14ff5e7fa2d545c25df9bdb43a33d41ad6bb-000
blockchain.io also claims 'Sorry we could not find any blocks or transactions matching this hash'
/EDIT

[--Encrypted--]

maybe you should post the tx ID. it sounds like a double spend + unconfirmed input but we can't be sure without looking at the transaction.

[kotwica666]

It is strange situation. I can give you maybe not smartest advice, but it can works. Normally when wallet is open, he from time to time update hanging transaction. When you turn off wallet for >24h transaction should disappear.

Will be better if someone confirm my theory, but anyway if you try it will cost you nothing.

[l8nit3]

It is strange situation. I can give you maybe not smartest advice, but it can works. Normally when wallet is open, he from time to time update hanging transaction. When you turn off wallet for >24h transaction should disappear.

Will be better if someone confirm my theory, but anyway if you try it will cost you nothing.

he claims to have tried this, however I have advised to simply keep the wallet closed untill we have a few more ideas for solutions lol better safe then sorry.

[kotwica666]

Try this:

1. Export of used keys
2. Turn off wallet and wait over 24 hours.
3. Check in blockchain - transaction should disapper.
4. Turn on NEW wallet and import keys

Probably there is no other way.

[l8nit3]

Try this:

1. Export of used keys
2. Turn off wallet and wait over 24 hours.
3. Check in blockchain - transaction should disapper.
4. Turn on NEW wallet and import keys

Probably there is no other way.

I absolutely will, but the issue is, neither transaction has made it to the blockchain yet, so I cant check the chain to see if they have gone away.

Thank you for the idea, I will definitely give it a try.

[kotwica666]

Try this:

1. Export of used keys
2. Turn off wallet and wait over 24 hours.
3. Check in blockchain - transaction should disapper.
4. Turn on NEW wallet and import keys

Probably there is no other way.

I absolutely will, but the issue is, neither transaction has made it to the blockchain yet, so I cant check the chain to see if they have gone away.

Thank you for the idea, I will definitely give it a try.

Transaction didn't reach blockchain?! hmm.. im confused now..
Good luck dude! Let us know how it goes!

[--Encrypted--]

try copying the raw of the second tx (or the first too if you want) from core and push it on blockchain (or from electrum.). as of 0.12 you can get the raw tx by right clicking on a tx and choose copy raw transaction.

this happened before here. but the tx shows up on the blockcypher after a while. I have no idea what caused it.

edit:
it looks like the first tx was rejected because another tx with same input got confirmed already (link. the other tx is probably the one to bitmain).

[l8nit3]

... push it on blockchain (or from electrum.).....

How so? like an API send? Im not sure I understand what you mean.

[--Encrypted--]

... push it on blockchain (or from electrum.).....

How so? like an API send? Im not sure I understand what you mean.

https://blockchain.info/pushtx
or from electrum: tools -> load transaction -> from text. then broadcast it.

this will broadcast the tx to the network.
the first tx will probably get rejected because of what I said above. but you don't need it to be broadcasted anyway right?

[l8nit3]

... push it on blockchain (or from electrum.).....

How so? like an API send? Im not sure I understand what you mean.

https://blockchain.info/pushtx
or from electrum: tools -> load transaction -> from text. then broadcast it.

this will broadcast the tx to the network.
the first tx will probably get rejected because of what I said above. but you don't need it to be broadcasted anyway right?

Awesome, as soon as I can get him online for a teamview session I'm going to give it a go, thanks so much for the help and ill update as soon as Im finished

EDIT
ok so Ive managed to broadcast the transaction through electrum (thank you for the tip), Now Im just sitting on blocktrail searching for the tx each time a block is found.... I assume it may take a few hours for the first conf after loading the transaction this way?
/EDIT

[--Encrypted--]

... push it on blockchain (or from electrum.).....

How so? like an API send? Im not sure I understand what you mean.

https://blockchain.info/pushtx
or from electrum: tools -> load transaction -> from text. then broadcast it.

this will broadcast the tx to the network.
the first tx will probably get rejected because of what I said above. but you don't need it to be broadcasted anyway right?

Awesome, as soon as I can get him online for a teamview session I'm going to give it a go, thanks so much for the help and ill update as soon as Im finished

EDIT
ok so Ive managed to broadcast the transaction through electrum (thank you for the tip), Now Im just sitting on blocktrail searching for the tx each time a block is found.... I assume it may take a few hours for the first conf after loading the transaction this way?
/EDIT

it will confirm like normal depending on the fee and priority.

I can't find the tx anywhere though. did the hash changed or something?

[l8nit3]

when re-broadcasting the transaction through electrum I got the id 5180fe412ab78445a49726b8c5ed14ff5e7fa2d545c25df9bdb43a33d41ad6bb....... which is the exact same, without the -000. however I also cannot find it anywhere, every time a block come through i check and get the same 'not found' error.

[--Encrypted--]

when re-broadcasting the transaction through electrum I got the id 5180fe412ab78445a49726b8c5ed14ff5e7fa2d545c25df9bdb43a33d41ad6bb....... which is the exact same, without the -000. however I also cannot find it anywhere, every time a block come through i check and get the same 'not found' error.

it should appear right away (you don't need to wait for blocks). but maybe broadcasting from electrum didn't work. try pushing it on blockchain instead.

if that also doesn't work then just remove the unconfirmed transaction from core by running it with -zapwallettxes (read this if you don't know how.) and wait for the btc to return to your wallet and resend it if needed.

[l8nit3]

when re-broadcasting the transaction through electrum I got the id 5180fe412ab78445a49726b8c5ed14ff5e7fa2d545c25df9bdb43a33d41ad6bb....... which is the exact same, without the -000. however I also cannot find it anywhere, every time a block come through i check and get the same 'not found' error.

it should appear right away (you don't need to wait for blocks). but maybe broadcasting from electrum didn't work. try pushing it on blockchain instead.

if that also doesn't work then just remove the unconfirmed transaction from core by running it with -zapwallettxes (read this if you don't know how.) and wait for the btc to return to your wallet and resend it if needed.

Ok ill have to do the zapwallettxes, because I tried on blockchain.info and it said something about missing 1 input tx. I'm on it, and thank you again for your help

EDIT
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE! the coins have been returned properly to his wallet and are safe and sound in the end it was the zapwallettxes that did the trick