watching only wallet - trying to export the encryption keys

[btcArmory user]

Wallet Name:   Primary Wallet

1--------------------------------n
   PublicX   : 9cnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nncc
   PublicY   : f5nn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnnn nnna

There are four of these groups of data.
I have both wallets for the watching only wallet and the offline wallet.

This is from the watching only wallet:
wallet ID:
Wallet Name: Primary Wallet
Description: offline storage

The export to file option is not available. The dialog box appears, but there is no response from clicking that option. It's possible to export the information to the clipboard.

I tried to export the private keys from both wallets with armory offline. It hasn't synced up to the network in years. Will that be a factor?
The result of the export is that I get what looks like bitcoin wallet public addresses and public encryption keys. There are four total.

[BitMaxz]

You can't do much on a watch-only wallet; all you can do is to make an unsigned transaction and broadcast it, plus it consumes large resources, like it needs your core to be fully synced.
If you don't have a full node, Armory won't function properly.

You better switch to a much lighter version if your purpose is to use it daily. Electrum would be a good option.

I tried to export the private keys from both wallets with armory offline. It hasn't synced up to the network in years. Will that be a factor?

Exporting private keys doesn't need an online network to be synced. Exporting any sensitive keys offline is a must because if you export it on a PC connected to the internet, you are vulnerable to online attacks. So avoid exporting keys when online.

[btcArmory user]

You better switch to a much lighter version if your purpose is to use it daily. Electrum would be a good option.

There was probably a miscommunication. I want to recover the balance of BTC from the system first. I plan to move that to a new system.
I have used the armory setup a few times since about 2013. Always the same setup. cold storage. The same hardware systems. There was a balance of BTC on the cold storage system. In 2016, my windows 7 watching only wallet upgraded to windows 10. Armory didn't sync up to the bitcoin database after that. The offline wallet is still the same as the original one was - windows 7. I want to export the private keys to a flash drive, and then move them to a new wallet. electrum.
When I do the export, why don't I get the private keys from the either one of the two wallets? I did get public keys, I think, from the watching only wallet.

[nc50lc]

I want to export the private keys to a flash drive, and then move them to a new wallet. electrum.
When I do the export, why don't I get the private keys from the either one of the two wallets? I did get public keys, I think, from the watching only wallet.

The cold-storage wallet should have private keys available for export, unless it's watch-only as well.
When exporting keys, check options on the right-hand side of 'Export Key List' if "Private Key (Plain Base58)" isn't ticked.
If not, enable it.

You should also tick "Omit spaces in key data" to remove the unnecessary spaces.

[btcArmory user]

I need to reset the password. Will it work to import the paper wallet using the merge function? It provides the option to do a password reset.

Also, when I have tried to backup the wallet to export keys, the private keys are gone. It's the offline wallet. Shouldn't there be private keys for each wallet? Does using a restore from paper backup and then a merge with the same existing wallet change the wallet? I have been able to change the password that way.
I was also prompted for a new password once when importing the wallet from a paper backup.
One other variation that has cropped up is that the wallet will open at times with no password.
You have probably guessed that I've been deleting the wallet and then restoring it from backup.

[btcArmory user]

The results that I'm getting from the various wallets that I have in digital backups or paper backups vary quite a bit. Most of the time, since I haven't located the right password yet, I either don't get access or I get access to public keys, wallet address, and the root key.

I'm curious as to whether armory accepts input from a windows copy and paste as opposed to keying in the password manually. I have tried the same password both ways, but only got a result by manually keying it in and hitting the return key.

I'm getting consistent results now restoring unencrypted wallets from paper backups. Addresses are being generated during the process, unless the wallets were watching only. No private keys are being exported during the backup wallet==>export key lists process

Why don't I have any private keys?

Also, is mempool.space providing definitive information for armory wallets? I am finding 0 balances in all addresses. I was completely sure that there were more BTC than that. I do have an unsent, signed transaction. Maybe, by syncing the wallets to the blockchain, the balance will be restored to my wallet. At this point, maybe it should have a 0 balance, since my last transaction sent the remainder, but the signed transaction was never broadcast on the network.

I would try to broadcast the signed transaction, but I don't know which address it was sent to. It could easily be one that I can't access anymore.

[nc50lc]

Hmm, the right options for non-watch-only wallet are showing in 'Wallet Properties' based from your reply.

Are those restored wallets synced when you tried to export the private keys?
If not, those may only appear once you ticked "Include Unused (Address Pool)" since Armory doesn't know if those are already used.

(I've asked a mod to merge your three posts above)

[goatpig]

Consider turning on "Expert Mode" in the "User" menu, it may be that some of the features you're after are hidden behind that.

[btcArmory user]

I have been working in expert mode. I didn't switch back to advanced mode.

[btcArmory user]

Are those restored wallets synced when you tried to export the private keys?

No. The wallet has not been synced since about 2016, from what I can remember.

If not, those may only appear once you ticked "Include Unused (Address Pool)" since Armory doesn't know if those are already used.

That was it. I got the addresses, found the BTC.

[nc50lc]

If not, those may only appear once you ticked "Include Unused (Address Pool)" since Armory doesn't know if those are already used.

That was it. I got the addresses, found the BTC.

Glad that it worked.

By the way, to comply with the forum's official rule number 32 (Bitcointalk Rules Topic), please do not post multiple replies in a row.
If possible, just edit the existing post if there's no other post next to it unless it's really necessary for it to be separate.

(I again asked a mod to merge your three posts above)