pywallet install help

[morbius55]

I now get ERROR:root:Couldn't open wallet.dat/main. Try quitting Bitcoin and running this again.

In which case it sounds like the path to the wallet file might be incorrect... where exactly are the recovered_wallet.dat files located? and what are their exact names?

For some reason i have db.001 to db.006 showing as separate files when i go to downloads. But i also have a folder i created in downloads that i named pywallet. The pywallet folder contains those same db files and also the recovered wallet.dats. Don't know why they are duplicated separately. Could that be messing up the path? Each db file is the same size as the ones in the pywallet folder.The name of the wallet file is the same as you wrote and is within the pywallet folder along with others i recovered.

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[HCP]

just ignore the __db.001 files... they aren't really import in the grand scheme of things... but given they are in your "Downloads" folder... as well as in the "Pywallet" folder, suggests that you might not be in the correct location when attempting to run the scripts...

Just so we're on the same page, and can create the correct commands, can you please list the:

1. The full path (C:\blah\blah\foo\downloads\pywallet etc) of where the pywallet.py file is
2. The full path of where the recovered wallet.dat's are
3. The full names of the recovered wallet.dat files.

[morbius55]

just ignore the __db.001 files... they aren't really import in the grand scheme of things... but given they are in your "Downloads" folder... as well as in the "Pywallet" folder, suggests that you might not be in the correct location when attempting to run the scripts...

Just so we're on the same page, and can create the correct commands, can you please list the:

1. The full path (C:\blah\blah\foo\downloads\pywallet etc) of where the pywallet.py file is
2. The full path of where the recovered wallet.dat's are
3. The full names of the recovered wallet.dat files.

C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet.py
             C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet This contains individual wallet files eg recovered_wallet_1511377727.dat plus others the same with different numbers. These are from different recoveries but in the same format including pywallet_partial_recovery_1512502528.dat for instance. This is a folder i created to receive the found results, it also has the db files i mentioned. In properties it is ticked as read only, if that makes a difference?

[HCP]

Awesome... that helps a lot...

Try this:

Code:

C:\Python27\python.exe C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet.py --dumpwallet --datadir=C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet --wallet=C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet\recovered_wallet_1511377727.dat

See if that does anything... if you still get the "ERROR:root:Couldn't open wallet.dat/main" error, then it would appear that either the wallet filename is wrong... or the recovered wallet.dat is corrupted. You could try one of the other recovered wallet.dat's... just chance the filename as appropriate... although the fact they say "partial_recovery" in the name is not encouraging

[morbius55]

Awesome... that helps a lot...

Try this:

Code:

C:\Python27\python.exe C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet.py --dumpwallet --datadir=C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet --wallet=C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet\recovered_wallet_1511377727.dat

See if that does anything... if you still get the "ERROR:root:Couldn't open wallet.dat/main" error, then it would appear that either the wallet filename is wrong... or the recovered wallet.dat is corrupted. You could try one of the other recovered wallet.dat's... just chance the filename as appropriate... although the fact they say "partial_recovery" in the name is not encouraging

So i tried it and got a similar error to last time. I then unticked read only in the pywallet folder and something actually worked The thing is it's not set out neatly with the rows named as to what they are. It consists of (on the left side) lines of numbers and letters 42 long and below that line is a string of numbers and letters 34 long all starting with 1. These alternate like that all the way down the page. Over on the right corresponding to the lines starting with 1 it says recovered and a string of numbers and letters mainly 23 long and some 22 long.

[HCP]

Ok... try this:

Code:

C:\Python27\python.exe C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet.py --dumpwallet --datadir=C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet --wallet=C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet\recovered_wallet_1511377727.dat > C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet_output.txt

That will dump all the output from the script into a file: C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet_output.txt

You'll be able to open that with a text editor. It'll make it easier to view/read and search. At the very top of the file, does it say "The wallet is encrypted but no passphrase is used"? You should also see some records below it that have names like: "addr", "compressed", "encrypted_privkey", "pubkey" etc

[morbius55]

Ok... try this:

Code:

C:\Python27\python.exe C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet.py --dumpwallet --datadir=C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet --wallet=C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet\recovered_wallet_1511377727.dat > C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet_output.txt

That will dump all the output from the script into a file: C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet_output.txt

You'll be able to open that with a text editor. It'll make it easier to view/read and search. At the very top of the file, does it say "The wallet is encrypted but no passphrase is used"? You should also see some records below it that have names like: "addr", "compressed", "encrypted_privkey", "pubkey" etc

You're brilliant! I did what you said and looked in the pywallet folder, nothing. Then i looked in downloads and it was there on it's own and not within pywallet, weird Anyway i will have to go through all the addresses and check them on blockchain explorer and i have multiple wallet dat recoveries to check (different scans of hard drive with other passphrases he suggested to me) plus the partial recoveries to try. I will let you know if i have any luck and will be true to my word if by any chance i find some coins.

[HCP]

Excellent... seems like we are getting somewhere. If you find addresses with coins, you will need to use the --passphrase option to generate the same output, but with the private keys listed... the command would be:

Code:

C:\Python27\python.exe C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet.py --dumpwallet --datadir=C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet --wallet=C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet\recovered_wallet_1511377727.dat --passphrase=YOUR_PASSPHRASE_HERE > C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet_output_with_privatekeys.txt

And change the YOUR_PASSPHRASE_HERE part as appropriate... this time the file created will be called: C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet_output_with_privatekeys.txt

And the format should look the same, but you should see a field called "sec"... this will be the private key in "WIF" format (it will start with a "5", "K" or "L")... that can be used to import the private key(s) into another wallet.

[morbius55]

Excellent... seems like we are getting somewhere. If you find addresses with coins, you will need to use the --passphrase option to generate the same output, but with the private keys listed... the command would be:

Code:

C:\Python27\python.exe C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet.py --dumpwallet --datadir=C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet --wallet=C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet\recovered_wallet_1511377727.dat --passphrase=YOUR_PASSPHRASE_HERE > C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet_output_with_privatekeys.txt

And change the YOUR_PASSPHRASE_HERE part as appropriate... this time the file created will be called: C:\Users\Catherine\Downloads\pywallet_output_with_privatekeys.txt

And the format should look the same, but you should see a field called "sec"... this will be the private key in "WIF" format (it will start with a "5", "K" or "L")... that can be used to import the private key(s) into another wallet.

Just one thing before i call it a night (hard day at work) at the bottom after all the sets of addresses, encrypted private keys etc there is extra stuff like 64 character strings with the heading recovered. Is that normal? Thanks.

[HCP]

Those are simply a list of labels/names etc that PyWallet has stored in the wallet file for those particular addresses so that you know they were "recovered"... and are not newly generated etc. I think the original idea was that you could just use the whole recovered wallet.dat with Bitcoin Core and continue using it as "normal" and Bitcoin Core would be able to generate new keys and add them into the wallet file etc.

However, with the advent of HD wallets, that is probably not recommended.

[morbius55]

Not had any luck so far, still working through them. I did used some recovery software on the hard drive and found 2 copies of bitcoin QT version 8.5 each being about 21 meg in size. I opened one and it is locked but i don't know how to unlock it. It only gives me the option to change the passphrase and remains locked. Should the addresses be visible when it is locked and am i wasting my time? Cheers

[HCP]

Yes... the addresses should probably still be visible when the wallet is locked... the only data that is actually encrypted in a wallet.dat is the private keys. Pretty much everything else is unencrypted, hence why you can open Bitcoin Core and load a password protected wallet file and see the contents without knowing what the passphrase is.

The only time you need the passphrase is when you need to execute actions that require private keys (signing message, signing transaction, dumping wallet or private keys etc)

[morbius55]

Sorry to ask, but what would be the correct command for using pywallet to scan a usb stick in G: and dump the output to screen only, assuming I had the correct passphrase. Thanks again. That's based on my messy directory setup.

[HCP]

sorry for the delay in getting back to you... I had an unexpected hospital adventure

the command for Pywallet to scan a USB stick in G: would be:

Code:

python pywallet.py --recover --recov_device=G: --recov_size=XXGio

"XXGio" should be set to the size of G: thumbstick in gigabytes... ie. 8Gio

Note that it won't really "dump" the output to the screen only (ie. you're not going to see any addresses or private keys)... the --recover option scans the selected device looking for "wallet" data and attempts to create a "recovered wallet.dat" file from what it can find... you can then try and use Pywallet's --dumpwallet feature to try and dump the contents of the "recovered wallet.dat" to the screen.

But it's not possible to simply scan a device and directly output addresses/keys using PyWallet

[HCP]

That's okay. I will just do the recoveries and then dump the wallets as per your excellent help. Hope everything Is okay with you now, after your adventure. Now, do you know anything about weird word docx labelled Bitcoin addresses? lol. Take care.

That would depend on what you mean by "weird word docx"? Is it just a collection of private keys or something?

[HCP]

https://imgur.com/0Iefhxy This is what i get when dumping one of the recovered wallets. Some of the numbers and characters of the key have been altered.

Is from one of the "recovered" wallets using the PyWallet "recover" functionality?

In any case, that wallet file is essentially an empty wallet with no private keys (empty as in it doesn't have any keys, not empty as in "zero balance")... the "mkey" record that you can see, is the "random" master key used to encrypt the wallet data.

This master key is generated at random and encrypted using the chosen wallet passphrase. Usually, when you "unlock" your wallet, what you're actually doing is unlocking this master key and then that is used to decrypt your actual private keys.

Unfortunately, you can see that the "keys" array is actually empty... meaning that PyWallet has not been able to find any private key data in your wallet.dat


It would seem that PyWallet has not actually been able to locate any private key data during the scan/recovery... and has simply created an empty wallet.dat, encrypted with your chosen passphrase (hence the "mkey" record)

[morbius55]

Thanks for the reply. It was from a pywallet recovered wallet via some wallet.dat files that I moved to a thumb drive from the hard drive using recovery software. I have got some inconsistent results with pywallet when searching the whole hard drive. In past searches it has found up to 300 keys, but the last couple of attempts using even more passphrases has produced only 103 at the most. Something else i wondered about was the possible unencrypted keys it says it has found. Do you know whether pywallet will search a whole hard drive that you have mounted in an enclosure and connected via usb, including any partitions it has? Thanks again.

[HCP]

You should be able to search drives in a USB enclosure... as long as it is visible as a "device" to the operating system, you can specify it using the -recov_device option.

[fxsniper]

test use pywallet.py how to fix
this is test , not have any bitcoin

I try test using pywallet.py dumpwallet from wallet.dat

with normal file try create new wallet thousand
python pywallet.py --dumpwallet --datadir=C:\python\27\ >wallet.txt

pywallet.py convert to file success no problem


but I try create wallet new one test and rename wallet.dat file before close
and close bitcoin program, bitcoin program error

then I use wallet.dat that copy before close bitcoin program

python pywallet.py --dumpwallet --datadir=C:\python\27\ >wallet.txt
ERROR:root:Couldn't open wallet.dat/main. Try quitting Bitcoin and running this again.

(using python 2.7)

[fxsniper]

Code:

python pywallet.py --dumpwallet --datadir=C:\python\27\ >wallet.txt
ERROR:root:Couldn't open wallet.dat/main. Try quitting Bitcoin and running this again.

I test already by run bitcoin program again follow  error message tell to know
it is work fine  wallet.dat can use with pywallet.py dumpwallet success

but if I can not run bitcoin program again to fix it , How can I fix this wallet.dat
if can not open any bitcoin program to fix it or wrong version may be old version it will make wallet.dat error or not