Bitcoin Core reset - wallet.dat lost? edit: Problem solved!

[Problemuser]

Hello forum

i opend this post in the hope that anybody can help me out there, i feel so alone right now :-(

The Story:

I wanted to test the Bitcoin Core Software and installed it. Then it started to synchronize.
I checkd out the usage of the software and convinced it as good to use. Then i sent about 500€ to the Wallet adress of Bitcoin Core while the data was still synchronising with the network.
I had have no problem with that because i thought that the balance will update as soon as the synchronising has finnished.

Foolishly i played with the network configuration and got accidently on the "reset configuration" button, unknowing that this will also reset the wallet.dat!

I did not have done a backup of the wallet at this time, because the synchronisation has not finnished and the balance of the account was not available at this time.

After reset all data were lost and i realized that there is strange things going on now.

Unluckily i dont have the private key of the wallet but the public key. I tryed to dumpprivkey it, but that is not possible anymore for my privkey because of the reset.

So is there any chance to get to the bitcoins? Are they in "nirvana" now?

And the master question: Why does the programm not warn about the lost of all data when reset only the configuration?

Well, i hope that there is somebody who knows what im talking about and who can tell me if the coins are lost or not so i can grieve in peace or not ;-)

Thank you very much all!

[1714816963]

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[1714816963]

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[achow101]

What reset configuration button? Was it in the Options menu? If so, this shouldn't happen, and I have just tested it myself and it didn't happen.

Can you post the debug.log file? Maybe also a screenshot of the button that you clicked? You are absolutely sure you can't get the private key with dumpprivkey? What is the command and the output that you tried?

[Problemuser]

First of all, thank you very much knightdk for replying, i really appreciate that you donate your time for helping me!
I will try to answer your questions as precisely as i can.

I clicked on this reset button: http://www.pic-upload.de/view-29672744/configurationresetbutton.jpg.html Its german and says "configuration reset".
You are right, i thought that this shoudn´t happen too. Thats why i didn´t worry about clicking on it.

It is possible that this happend because the synchronisation wasn´t finished at this time? I had about 17 weeks left after almost 30h of downloading and calculation the data. Maybe this is a bug?

After i clicked on the reset button there was a message saying that it needs to restart the programm to effectuate the settings. I confirmed that because i saw this message befor when i configurated the proxy. And to restart the program wasn´t a problem at any time before that.

After restarting the programm the status of synchronisation said 7 years and a few weeks left.
I immediately checked aut the dater of the wallet.dat and yes, it has the exact time as it was right this time. So i think the wallet.dat was overridden as a consequence of the configuration reset.

Also the key i had send the btc to wasn´t listed anymore. Instead there was a complete new key i had no use to it.

After i recovered from this shock a bit i googled after a solution for this crap. Soon i found a Webside that has a guidance shown for looking up the private key in the console with dumpprivkey public key21345.
With this private key i should be able to reinsert the key in my new wallet and everything is going to be alright, i thought.

Sadly the message that poped up then was like " i dont know about your f*** public key, gtfo and stfu ... code -4"! 
Well, to approve that i didnt make any mistake i tryed the same with the current "new" public key and it worked just fine. Logicaly i thought, because why should the "network" give me the privkey of a publkey if the requested privkey doesn´t mach with the publkey that is listed in my actual wallet.

To complete all this, here is the debug.log file: www.file-upload.net/download-11287865/debug.log.html
Interestingly it ends at the time i made the reset. Why does it not go further? The program was absolutly in use after this time.

Okey, so i hope i could help you with helping me  

By the way, there is of course a reward over 50€ in BTCs for you or any other person who has the key for this problem - if there is a solution at all...

Again, thank you very much and have a nice time with many brilliant ideas  

[achow101]

It looks like you had set a different data directory and resetting the options cleared that setting. The default directory for you is inC:\Users\Virtuell\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin. If you look in that folder, then you should see several files there that are dated to the last time you ran Bitcoin Core. Your actual data directory with stuff in it appears to be F:\5 Programs\Bitcoin Core\Bitcoin. You need to set Bitcoin Core to use that data directory. To do this, right click the shortcut you use to start Bitcoin Core and in the textbox labeled "target", add the following:

Code:

--datadir=F:\5 Programs\Bitcoin Core\Bitcoin

That should set the data directory to be your actual one. Restart Bitcoin Core and it should pick up syncing from where you left off originally (17 weeks or so) and if you use dumpprivkey, you should be able to get the private key of your Bitcoin address.

[rikrikrik]

this did end as good news right?

[Problemuser]

Huuuuuurayyyy, this was gorgeous  

Yes, problem is solved!! Thank you so much!

I set a different directory for the data on the first start of the program. The reset changed it to default directory.

The hint with the directory was right but the solution process you suggested didn´t work for me. Instead i changed the name of the Bitcoin folder accordingly to a google search result.
After starting the program i could enter the right directory and everything was like you expected.

Anyway the menu could be more informating especially what belongs to directorys etc. Yes, i know pros use the console to handle that.

Well, the bulk of the btcs i received now is needed for a relative important transaction, so i cannot give you the full 50€ i promised. But if you give me your BTC adress i will send you the rest of the amount i don´t need now. That should be about ~30€. Is that ok for you?

So, thank you very much again! Good time and all the best!

[achow101]

Huuuuuurayyyy, this was gorgeous  

Yes, problem is solved!! Thank you so much!

I set a different directory for the data on the first start of the program. The reset changed it to default directory.

The hint with the directory was right but the solution process you suggested didn´t work for me. Instead i changed the name of the Bitcoin folder accordingly to a google search result.
After starting the program i could enter the right directory and everything was like you expected.

Anyway the menu could be more informating especially what belongs to directorys etc. Yes, i know pros use the console to handle that.

Well, the bulk of the btcs i received now is needed for a relative important transaction, so i cannot give you the full 50€ i promised. But if you give me your BTC adress i will send you the rest of the amount i don´t need now. That should be about ~30€. Is that ok for you?

So, thank you very much again! Good time and all the best!

Congrats to you!! You can send the Bitcoin to 16mT7jrpkjnJBD7a3TM2awyxHub58H6r6Z

[Lorenzo0]

Hey, glad you solved it, OP!

Next time, do a backup to an external device (USB drive) before sending money to a wallet.

Congrats!