Help with encrypted wallet.dat. Corrupted?

[tjc]

Can a wallet.dat file be corrupted in a way that it does not throw an error when loading bitcoin-qt but fails to recognize the passphrase?

I created two offline wallets in July. Went to access them and the recorded passphrases are incorrect for both of them. I never printed the private keys so now can't access either wallet. I know I could have typed incorrectly or cut and pasted improperly when I created the pass-phrase and I am definitely working on that possibility.

For this thread I am looking for any insight into other technical problems that may have occurred that make the wallet.dat file unable to recognize the passphrase. I had multiple copies of the wallet.dat stored in multiple locations. They all work in terms of making coins appear (about 42 in total) but as I said they do not recognize my expected passphrase. By the way the passphrase is 20 char random generated by the LastPass password generator.

Any and all ideas are welcomed.

Thanks

[tjc]

I think I figured out something that could replicate my scenario.

1) encrypted wallet
2) copy wallet.dat
3) change passphrase
4) did not make new copy of wallet.dat

First encrypted copy would not decrypt with the new passphrase.

Can someone confirm this would occur this way?

Thanks

[CIYAM]

First encrypted copy would not decrypt with the new passphrase.

Why would you expect a wallet encrypted with an old passphrase to work with a new one?

Sounds like you are just not using the correct (meaning older) passphrase for your backed up wallet.

[tjc]

[quote/]Sounds like you are just not using the correct (meaning older) passphrase for your backed up wallet.[/quote]

That is what I have finally come to realize. Unfortunately, at that time I would not have grasped the consequence of resetting the passkey (ie re-encrypting the wallet.dat) and not creating a new backup of wallet.dat.

If this is indeed the mistake I made, I have only a vague recollection of doing it and certainly no record of the older passphrase.

Loosing those 42 coins has been hard to swallow. At least knowing why will hopefully let me get some sleep for the first time in two days.

[CIYAM]

Loosing those 42 coins has been hard to swallow. At least knowing why will hopefully let me get some sleep for the first time in two days.

Ouch - a very hard way to learn - if you have any idea what your old password was then you might have some luck with a wallet recovery service.

In the meantime get some sleep and try your best to relax (it's much harder to be of much help to yourself when you are overly tired).

[tjc]

As a follow up I was able to discover the actual passphrase by using the ruby script from this thread https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=85495.300.

Much thanks to all who helped. It was a stressful and frustrating experience - from which I learned a lot.

[Martijnvdc]

As a follow up I was able to discover the actual passphrase by using the ruby script from this thread https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=85495.300.

Much thanks to all who helped. It was a stressful and frustrating experience - from which I learned a lot.

Wow! I'm glad you got your coins back!
I was just about to tell you you should try that script.