Issue when switching wallet

[ranochigo]

I recently created another wallet just solely for the purpose of managing my escrow addresses. However, I am forced to import my keys over and over again when I restart the client. My client loads up my default wallet and when I select my new wallet from the recently opened tab, I have to select to import my seed.



I can see my addresses but it is rather annoying to import the keys over and over again.

[Coin-Keeper]

A thought would be go through the process of setting up the wallet again, but this time backup the wallet so that you can then simply open the backup next time with a split second restore?  I wonder if the wallet backup would retain the keys you need?  Of course you would need to monitor the security well if "keys" are all present on the system you are using.  Don't know if what I am merely "thinking out loud" would work, but its what came to my mind to try.

[steven0021]

Weird... I'm not getting any problem like that. Could be an OS or standalone/installed version problem. You're using a standard wallet with seed right?

A thought would be go through the process of setting up the wallet again, but this time backup the wallet so that you can then simply open the backup next time with a split second restore?  I wonder if the wallet backup would retain the keys you need?  Of course you would need to monitor the security well if "keys" are all present on the system you are using.  Don't know if what I am merely "thinking out loud" would work, but its what came to my mind to try.

The wallet files always have the keys.

[Coin-Keeper]

Weird... I'm not getting any problem like that. Could be an OS or standalone/installed version problem. You're using a standard wallet with seed right?

A thought would be go through the process of setting up the wallet again, but this time backup the wallet so that you can then simply open the backup next time with a split second restore?  I wonder if the wallet backup would retain the keys you need?  Of course you would need to monitor the security well if "keys" are all present on the system you are using.  Don't know if what I am merely "thinking out loud" would work, but its what came to my mind to try.

The wallet files always have the keys.

Exactly.  But if his OS is somehow dropping keys when he shuts down, what could be the cause?  Wouldn't there be some chance a solid backup could retain the keys better?  The backup would be outside of Electrum (example: Desktop), which could eliminate his OS and Electrum fighting over handling somehow during the next bootup.  I see where you are going and I acknowledge the current working wallets do all have the keys, but how exactly are they placed when the private keys are imported into an existing wallet?  Once the OP's wallet is created during the same session everything works perfectly.  After shutdown it goes away, now that is strange!

I am very interested in how this thread problem gets resolved.  Not a factor directly for me, but it goes to my better understanding how Electrum behaves using imported keys.

[ranochigo]

Weird... I'm not getting any problem like that. Could be an OS or standalone/installed version problem. You're using a standard wallet with seed right?

A thought would be go through the process of setting up the wallet again, but this time backup the wallet so that you can then simply open the backup next time with a split second restore?  I wonder if the wallet backup would retain the keys you need?  Of course you would need to monitor the security well if "keys" are all present on the system you are using.  Don't know if what I am merely "thinking out loud" would work, but its what came to my mind to try.

The wallet files always have the keys.

Exactly.  But if his OS is somehow dropping keys when he shuts down, what could be the cause?  Wouldn't there be some chance a solid backup could retain the keys better?  The backup would be outside of Electrum (example: Desktop), which could eliminate his OS and Electrum fighting over handling somehow during the next bootup.  I see where you are going and I acknowledge the current working wallets do all have the keys, but how exactly are they placed when the private keys are imported into an existing wallet?  Once the OP's wallet is created during the same session everything works perfectly.  After shutdown it goes away, now that is strange!

I am very interested in how this thread problem gets resolved.  Not a factor directly for me, but it goes to my better understanding how Electrum behaves using imported keys.

I believe the problem is that Electrum isn't creating the wallet and saving the keys. The tab which generates the key is always there and will not go away. There is another problem, the wallet will not synchronize and show my addresses unless I select another server.

I'm not sure if this plays a part but Electrum used to not be able to boot before I reinstalled it.

[ranochigo]

Bump. Issue is still there and I can't find any solution.

[Coin-Keeper]

I am still visualizing this.  Did you try to use a saved wallet file from the desktop after maybe deleting the wallet file used in the previous session?  Visualizing again; Electrum is open, maybe connected via the default wallet or whatever.   Now you restore that saved wallet file and test to see if everything remained during the SAVE from the previous session.  I know this would not be ideal but if it works it might be better than sweeping/importing keys all the time.

Also, if it works it might give us an idea where to learn WHY stuff disappears between sessions of Electrum.

If you have another computer I am wondering if taking the saved wallet file to that computer would work.  You would most likely have already tried that on the second machine, but I had to throw this out there just in case.

Just to be crystal clear:  I understand you to be saying that during the CURRENT session, and after you bring over all the private keys and stuff, everything works just fine?  If yes, then at that point you are good to go.  Now this project needs to determine how to save the entire configuration, or more importantly why Electrum isn't doing this automatically?

Thomas, are you out there reading through this thread??

[mocacinno]

I have exactly the same problem... I started a new thread about untill Coin-Keeper pointed out ranochigo already opened a thread about this problem.

Windows 7 pro, electrum 2.7.12

I opened an issue on github: https://github.com/spesmilo/electrum/issues/2068

[ranochigo]

I am still visualizing this.  Did you try to use a saved wallet file from the desktop after maybe deleting the wallet file used in the previous session?

Nope. The wallet file was not saved at all. Huge issue there.

Just to be crystal clear:  I understand you to be saying that during the CURRENT session, and after you bring over all the private keys and stuff, everything works just fine?  If yes, then at that point you are good to go.  Now this project needs to determine how to save the entire configuration, or more importantly why Electrum isn't doing this automatically?

I can see all my addresses after I use the seed and the generating addresses dialog NEVER disappears. I can see the transactions too but I cannot see the wallet after I close the session.

Sorry for the late reply, missed this somehow .

I have exactly the same problem... I started a new thread about untill Coin-Keeper pointed out ranochigo already opened a thread about this problem.

Windows 7 pro, electrum 2.7.12

I opened an issue on github: https://github.com/spesmilo/electrum/issues/2068

Thank you, I posted my response too.

[btchris]

Silly question perhaps, but might this be a simple file permissions issue (for ranochigo's issue; mocacinno's issue seems different because it's intermittent)?

ranochigo, can you try creating a file (say a text file) in the wallets folder next to your default_wallet?

[Coin-Keeper]

Silly question perhaps, but might this be a simple file permissions issue (for ranochigo's issue; mocacinno's issue seems different because it's intermittent)?

ranochigo, can you try creating a file (say a text file) in the wallets folder next to your default_wallet?

I was thinking along your lines when I mentioned putting a saved file on his Desktop.  It would mean a quick wallet restore when ranochigo opened Electrum, but that would be much easier than importing/sweeping keys all the time.  I suspect resolution will happen at GitHub.  I have read about this problem in several places so its not just two users.  I personally don't like the practice of using addresses that don't restore from a SEED quickly and easily.  I don't trust myself not to lose private keys, while SEED keeps my loss control in check!!  I can understand why some need it though.  I just don't find myself in a place where I must configure that way.

[ranochigo]

Silly question perhaps, but might this be a simple file permissions issue (for ranochigo's issue; mocacinno's issue seems different because it's intermittent)?

ranochigo, can you try creating a file (say a text file) in the wallets folder next to your default_wallet?

Yup. It got saved and I can open it with the text in it.

[btchris]

Yup. It got saved and I can open it with the text in it.

Oh well, was worth a try.

If you're up to it, could you try this next?

Recreate your wallet as normal, and once it's ready, close (via the X in the upper right, there is no cancel button) the "Electrum is generating your addresses" window. Next, on the Console tab, run these four commands (each command is the text to the right of the ">>"). If it's successful, it should look like this:

Code:

>> wallet.gap_limit
20
>> wallet.gap_limit_for_change
6
>> wallet.synchronize()
>> wallet.storage.write()
>> 

I'm hoping it's not successful, and that one of the last two commands (they are what get run in that dialog box you closed above) either generates an error or hangs... it might offer a clue as to what's going on.

[ranochigo]

Yup. It got saved and I can open it with the text in it.

Oh well, was worth a try.

If you're up to it, could you try this next?

Recreate your wallet as normal, and once it's ready, close (via the X in the upper right, there is no cancel button) the "Electrum is generating your addresses" window. Next, on the Console tab, run these four commands (each command is the text to the right of the ">>"). If it's successful, it should look like this:

Code:

>> wallet.gap_limit
20
>> wallet.gap_limit_for_change
6
>> wallet.synchronize()
>> wallet.storage.write()
>> 

I'm hoping it's not successful, and that one of the last two commands (they are what get run in that dialog box you closed above) either generates an error or hangs... it might offer a clue as to what's going on.

Yup, not successful.

Code:

>> wallet.gap_limit
20
>> wallet.gap_limit_for_change
6
>> wallet.synchronize()
>> wallet.storage.write()
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI76842\lib\storage.py", line 140, in write
    self._write()
  File "C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI76842\lib\storage.py", line 151, in _write
    with open(temp_path, "w") as f:
IOError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: u'C:\\Users\\User\\AppData\\Roaming\\Electrum\\wallets\\Escrow/MISC wallet.tmp.7776'
>> 

Have to sleep now, saw this message just before I turned my phone off.

[btchris]

Code:

>> wallet.storage.write()
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI76842\lib\storage.py", line 140, in write
    self._write()
  File "C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI76842\lib\storage.py", line 151, in _write
    with open(temp_path, "w") as f:
IOError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: u'C:\\Users\\User\\AppData\\Roaming\\Electrum\\wallets\\Escrow/MISC wallet.tmp.7776'
>> 

Have to sleep now, saw this message just before I turned my phone off.

Great, there it is! You can't use a '/' in the name of an Electrum wallet. Electrum obviously didn't handle this in a user-friendly way....

[Coin-Keeper]

Excellent work btchris!!  I learn something every single day reading in this great forum!

[ranochigo]

Code:

>> wallet.storage.write()
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI76842\lib\storage.py", line 140, in write
    self._write()
  File "C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI76842\lib\storage.py", line 151, in _write
    with open(temp_path, "w") as f:
IOError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: u'C:\\Users\\User\\AppData\\Roaming\\Electrum\\wallets\\Escrow/MISC wallet.tmp.7776'
>> 

Have to sleep now, saw this message just before I turned my phone off.

Great, there it is! You can't use a '/' in the name of an Electrum wallet. Electrum obviously didn't handle this in a user-friendly way....

Problem solved! The problem wasn't with the '/', had none in the name of the wallet. However, the extra space between MISC and the wallet was the problem.

Perhaps we can add a warning of some sort .

Thank you all for your help!

[btchris]

Excellent work btchris!!  I learn something every single day reading in this great forum!

Thanks!

Problem solved! The problem wasn't with the '/', had none in the name of the wallet. However, the extra space between MISC and the wallet was the problem.

Perhaps we can add a warning of some sort .

Thank you all for your help!

I'm glad it's solved!

Not to be argumentative, but when you initially created your wallet, you did use a '/', specifically you named it "Escrow/MISC wallet". That slash was definitely the culprit. You probably forgot about the slash because (related to this bug) the "Escrow/" part wasn't being displayed when you re-opened (recreated really) the wallet via the "Recently open" menu item. It was hidden from view in the menu/wallet name, but it was still in there and was the cause of this issue.

Having spaces in the wallet name works fine (feel free to give it a try).

[ranochigo]

Problem solved! The problem wasn't with the '/', had none in the name of the wallet. However, the extra space between MISC and the wallet was the problem.

Perhaps we can add a warning of some sort .

Thank you all for your help!

I'm glad it's solved!

Not to be argumentative, but when you initially created your wallet, you did use a '/', specifically you named it "Escrow/MISC wallet". That slash was definitely the culprit. You probably forgot about the slash because (related to this bug) the "Escrow/" part wasn't being displayed when you re-opened (recreated really) the wallet via the "Recently open" menu item. It was hidden from view in the menu/wallet name, but it was still in there and was the cause of this issue.

Having spaces in the wallet name works fine (feel free to give it a try).

You're right. I have a slight recollection of making a wallet wirh that name since it was meant to be an escrow wallet and some other stuff that is important. Still rather weird that I wasn't warned prior to generating the seed though. Perhaps we could add a warning into the code?

[Coin-Keeper]

Guys,

So lets cement this for users, mostly ME right now.  Are you saying that any symbol (/&*#%^) used in a Electrum wallet name will cause this problem?  Next is this issue universal or periodic in appearance?  Also, for some reason I seem to remember a "warning" not to use spaces in the wallet name.  I can't find it now, but mentioning that possibility set off alarm bells in my head.  Maybe older versions of Electrum were suspect there.  Heck, I might even be thinking of file names with a space and some other software.  I am just saying!