Help: recover privkey after exporting from Qt?

[cypherdoc]

Code:

python pywallet.py

should work and print help.

Then

Code:

python pywallet.py --dumpwallet --datadir=/home/jj --wallet=walletzz.dat

to dump /home/jj/walletzz.dat

sorry.  how do i actually install pywallet?  not used to navigating github.

[jackjack]

Oh yeah sorry

Code:

wget https://raw.github.com/jackjack-jj/pywallet/master/pywallet.py

in the directory you want to put pywallet in

In Github you can retrieve the raw file by clicking the 'Raw' button, top left of screen when you click on the file.

[cypherdoc]

Oh yeah sorry

Code:

wget https://raw.github.com/jackjack-jj/pywallet/master/pywallet.py

in the directory you want to put pywallet in

In Github you can retrieve the raw file by clicking the 'Raw' button, top left of screen when you click on the file.

getting this:

Code:

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

problem is i did do a bitcoind stop command.

[jackjack]

Are you sure the directory and filename are correct?
Do you have the correct permissions? (maybe try sudo?)
Are you sure all the bitcoind/bitcoin-qt are closed? (run fuser on it)

[cypherdoc]

Are you sure the directory and filename are correct?
Do you have the correct permissions? (maybe try sudo?)
Are you sure all the bitcoind/bitcoin-qt are closed? (run fuser on it)

i need to clarify something before going forward. 

i moved a copy of the wallet.dat in question to the desktop of this pc which is the wallet that i hope to dump the keys from.  will running pywallet effect any other wallet.dat on this computer?

[jackjack]

Nope, pywallet will only deal with files you provide to it
Also, dumping won't modify them

[cypherdoc]

ok, i think i got it.

how do i identify the privkey?

[jackjack]

The private key is the "hexsec" entry
If the wallet is encrypted you need to put the passphrase by adding ' --passphrase=PASSPHRASE' in the command line

[cypherdoc]

The private key is the "hexsec" entry
If the wallet is encrypted you need to put the passphrase by adding ' --passphrase=PASSPHRASE' in the command line

you mean like?:

Code:

python pywallet.py --dumpwallet --datadir=/home/jj --wallet=walletzz.dat --passphrase=PASSPHRASE

[jackjack]

Absolutely

[cypherdoc]

Absolutely

how would i integrate a |less command?

[cypherdoc]

unfortunately doesn't seem to have worked.

i got a huge dump and i see the address in the "names" list but not anywhere else with a hexsec  

[jackjack]

You see it in the "name" list but not in the "key" list??
I don't even know how that can happen. Except using the pywallet feature but you don't seem to used it.

[cypherdoc]

You see it in the "name" list but not in the "key" list??
I don't even know how that can happen. Except using the pywallet feature but you don't seem to used it.

i ran pywallet just like you said in linux on the wallet in question and it only produced my vanitygen address in the "name" list w/o a hexsec but nowhere else in the key list above it.

[jackjack]

You see it in the "name" list but not in the "key" list??
I don't even know how that can happen. Except using the pywallet feature but you don't seem to used it.

i ran pywallet just like you said in linux on the wallet in question and it only produced my vanitygen address in the "name" list w/o a hexsec but nowhere else in the key list above it.

Do other addresses have hexsecs? Do you see this address in the first list (even without hexsec)?

[cypherdoc]

You see it in the "name" list but not in the "key" list??
I don't even know how that can happen. Except using the pywallet feature but you don't seem to used it.

i ran pywallet just like you said in linux on the wallet in question and it only produced my vanitygen address in the "name" list w/o a hexsec but nowhere else in the key list above it.

Do other addresses have hexsecs? Do you see this address in the first list (even without hexsec)?

yes, all the other addresses have hexsecs and no the vanitygen address is not listed there.  only in the "names" list.

[cypherdoc]

Make a wallet backup and then run Bitcoin-Qt with -salvagewallet command. If nothing happens try -rescan to check if wallet recognizes
transactions associated with address in question.

can you be a little more specific about the command lines involved and from what folder?

You need to run Bitcoin-Qt with commands added, e.g. bitcoin-qt.exe -salvagewallet and then eventualy bitcoin-qt.exe -rescan

and on a mac and from which directory?

Locate directory where bitcoin-qt.exe is, create shortcut for it and add commands listed above to it then start wallet using created shortcut. Do
not forget to remove commands from shortcut after you are done.

didn't work.

on a mac, it's not a *.exe, it's an *.app file.  and the term is alias, not shortcut.

[jackjack]

Then I'm sorry, I can't help you
AFAIK pywallet is the only tool that allows you to delete an address but it would have deleted the entry in "names" too anyway
I really don't see what happened here

If you definitely can't find it again, you should consider using pywallet's recovery feature

[cypherdoc]

this is what i keep getting using -salvagewallet and -rescan on Mac itself:

Code:

13:27:42

walletpassphrase <passphrase> <timeout>
Stores the wallet decryption key in memory for <timeout> seconds. (code -1)


13:27:48

dumpprivkey 1cypherEucdwyZ8Xn84M8qUscjBXnWGZA


13:27:48

Private key for address 1cypherEucdwyZ8Xn84M8qUscjBXnWGZA is not known (code -4)

[cypherdoc]

Then I'm sorry, I can't help you
AFAIK pywallet is the only tool that allows you to delete an address but it would have deleted the entry in "names" too anyway
I really don't see what happened here

If you definitely can't find it again, you should consider using pywallet's recovery feature

remember that i used Armory's import key function which extracts the key out of Qt.  it appears that it does what it says it does and this is irreversible.