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Author Topic: Private key file in plain file with a bunch of characters, how do I recover?  (Read 452 times)
BMW_BTC (OP)
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July 04, 2017, 04:46:01 PM
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I have a bitcoin backup with what I assume is my private keys (and encrypted) but it's in a plain file with no extension. I backed them up to my Google Drive back in '13 and am now trying to figure out how to access them. I'm about 90% sure I know the password, but I don't know what to do with this file.

It contains letters, numbers, some symbols, a few backslashes, and nothing more. I'm almost half-tempted to post the file here, but I just want to try and recover it on my own. I know there is very little in the wallet itself as my much bigger investment in BTC is safe in cold storage.

Does anyone know how I can access this unknown file? I had to have backed it up from BitcoinQT or similar.
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achow101
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July 04, 2017, 05:35:38 PM
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It sounds like you have a text file with base64 encoded data inside of it. Unfortunately I don't know of any wallets that make backups with Base 64 encoded data. Do you have any idea what wallet you used in 2013 that may have produced such a backup? I don't think Bitcoin Core will make such backups.

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July 04, 2017, 06:00:29 PM
Last edit: July 04, 2017, 06:57:13 PM by BMW_BTC
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I don't remember using any other wallet honestly. I have the same files for my LTC, DOGE, and PTS from back in the day, and I distinctly remember using the core programs. I'm not sure where to go from here.

I (stupidly) backed them up to my Google Drive and left them there ever since. None of those files have an extension on them, and I wouldn't have removed them unless some set of instructions told me to do so.

UPDATE: Looks like it was the Bitcoin Mobile Wallet. Trying now.

EDIT: Definitely was Bitcoin Mobile Wallet, along with the others, which was base64 aes-256 encrypted. I found out using openssl, but the passwords I remember were incorrect, so they're lost unless I can remember them. Oh well. I wasn't worried that I had a TON of coin in those wallets, just looking for a way to decrypt them. Of course, IIRC, no amount of computing power could decrypt it. :/
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July 21, 2017, 04:35:25 PM
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Contact a wallet recovery service, they may be able to help.

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July 21, 2017, 04:59:03 PM
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EDIT: Definitely was Bitcoin Mobile Wallet, along with the others, which was base64 aes-256 encrypted. I found out using openssl, but the passwords I remember were incorrect, so they're lost unless I can remember them.

If you mean you were using Bitcoin Wallet for Android by Andreas Schildbach then did openssl display a "bad decrypt" error when you tried derypting a file?

Quote
enter aes-256-cbc decryption password:
bad decrypt

If it didn't show the quoted error maybe there's still hope. When I tested decrypting some wallet files I found you had to open the decrypted file in an editor like notepad++ to see the 12 wallet words that you can use to recover your coins with. If you open it in the ordinary notepad editor that comes pre-installed on windows it doesn't show the 12 words.

These are my instructions.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1822148.msg18191881#msg18191881
BuySomeBitcoins
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July 21, 2017, 05:05:16 PM
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Probably a blockchain.info wallet backup

Try uploading it to https://blockchain.info/wallet/import-wallet and use one of your old pwd to recover it.

I had the same file yesterday when I was looking in some old files, and I was able to recover my 2013 wallet.
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