Help with Missing BTC

[Bart74]

Hi all.  I’m trying to recover BTC from a v0.8.5 Bitcoin Core wallet.

After copying the wallet off an old computer and letting it resync I sent two test ( .01) transactions to a new wallet.  I neglected to add a transaction fee to the first.  The second I sent with a .0001250 transaction fee.  After a week, neither were confirmed.  Frustrated, I then upgraded the wallet to v0.16.0.  Unfortunately, after the upgrade the wallet’s BTC balance is lower than it should be. It’s missing more that the total of the two stuck transactions.

Viewing the address on Blockchain.info shows the correct balance.

I’m not sure if the wallet upgrade itself or upgrading with pending transaction was the problem but I’m looking for advice on how to proceed?  Should I try sweeping or importing the key into a new wallet or first try to accelerate the transactions to get them confirmed? 

Any thoughts?

Thanks

[ranochigo]

Just to be sure, did you import the wallet file that you've used to send the stuck transaction? If not, then the problem would be with the missing change address.

Go to Settings>Wallet tab and check the box to enable the coin control feature. Next, go to the send tab and press "Inputs...". Can you see any of the inputs associated with your address?

[Bart74]

Ranochigo,

I don't think I imported it, I just copied the wallet folder from one PC to another.

I'm missing two of seven inputs and the missing ones add up to the missing BTC.

Are the missing inputs recoverable?

thanks

[Sellingaccs]

I suppose you own the private keys of the address/addresses. If yes, the most easy solution would probably to go to Bitcoin core, then Help -> Debug -> Console and then using this command to get private key:

Code:

dumpprivkey 1yourbtcaddress

That should give you the private key, but if your wallet is protected with password, you need to open the wallet first with:

Code:

walletpassphrase password 999

After getting the private key, download the Electrum client, and then install and open it. After opening electrum just choose the "Standard wallet" and then "Use public or private keys" or whatever it is called on the newest version.

You should be good to go and be able to spend the balance, you will have to repeat this process if you own many addresses, that you cannot spend the balance of.

[Bart74]

Sellingaccs,

My BTC were in the v0.8.5 wallet at the time of the Bitcoin Cash fork.  Will moving my key to a new wallet impact my ability to claim Bitcoin Cash and Gold coins?

Thanks

[Sellingaccs]

Sellingaccs,

My BTC were in the v0.8.5 wallet at the time of the Bitcoin Cash fork.  Will moving my key to a new wallet impact my ability to claim Bitcoin Cash and Gold coins?

Thanks

Nope, it will not. Although if you are planning to claim the fork coins, i suggest to move your Bitcoin before entering the private key on Electron Cash for example because the software is not enough trusted yet. You'll still need the private key for that progress anyway.

[Bart74]

Sellingaccs,

Would importing the key into a Ledger Nano S work the same?  It has wallets for BTC as well as Bitcoin Cash and Gold?

I followed what Ranochigo recommended and i'm missing a few inputs (I only used a single address), should importing the key into a new wallet correct the issue of missing inputs?

Thanks

[bob123]

Would importing the key into a Ledger Nano S work the same?  It has wallets for BTC as well as Bitcoin Cash and Gold?

(Fortunately) you can't import private keys into the nano s.
The nano s (as a hardware wallet) is designed to generate the private keys in a gapped (offline) environment.
The best would be to send your coins to your nano s if you want to store them on your hardware wallet.

Yes, the nano s supports BTC, bcash, BTG and a lot more. For more information look here: https://www.ledgerwallet.com/cryptocurrencies

I followed what Ranochigo recommended and i'm missing a few inputs (I only used a single address), should importing the key into a new wallet correct the issue of missing inputs?

If you import the private key corresponding to the 'address containing your missing coins', then yes.
Note that, after importing the private key, you have to back your wallet file up. The seed won't generate your imported addresses.

[Bart74]

Bob123,

Thanks for the info, I'll try importing the key.

Sellingaccs,

Are you saying the Electron Cash wallet is trusted for claiming the fork coins?

Thanks

[TryNinja]

Are you saying the Electron Cash wallet is trusted for claiming the fork coins?

Yes.

But if you are a paranoid man, you can first send your BTC to a different wallet (so there is only BCH in the old wallet) and then import it into Electron Cash.
This way, your BTC is completely safe and you are only "risking" the BCH.

[Bart74]

TryNinja,

Understood. 

Thanks

[Sellingaccs]

Bob123,

Thanks for the info, I'll try importing the key.

Sellingaccs,

Are you saying the Electron Cash wallet is trusted for claiming the fork coins?

Thanks

Well, i would not say "trusted" but it is often used. However i'd still not reuse that bitcoin private key if given to a 3rd party.
Running from source is the best way to go, because if you run binaries (the ready to executable apps), you never know of what they were compiled from

But if you don't have time and don't want to stress of finding all the details about the forks on your own, then there is LoyceV's Bitcoin Fork claiming guide (and service) so he can do that for you if needed as well.

[Bart74]

Hello all,

I was able to import my bitcoin core private key from my old wallet into electrum and now my balance is correct.  Woohoo! thanks everyone for your advice.

Now, I'd like to get them to my Ledger Nano S, but i'm not sure if I need to claim my Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin Gold coins first or after the move to the Nano.

I like the idea of moving them to the Nano first but I'm confused as to whether or not sending the coins will prevent me from being able to claim the new coins.

Thanks

[TryNinja]

I was able to import my bitcoin core private key from my old wallet into electrum and now my balance is correct.  Woohoo! thanks everyone for your advice.

Now, I'd like to get them to my Ledger Nano S, but i'm not sure if I need to claim my Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin Gold coins first or after the move to the Nano.

Just move one coin at a time. Only the coin you send will be transferred. The other 2 will stay there until you do the same.

1. Send BTC to Nano S.
2. Send BCH to Nano S.
3. Send BTG to Nano S.

I like the idea of moving them to the Nano first but I'm confused as to whether or not sending the coins will prevent me from being able to claim the new coins.

To claim future forks, you will need to import your Nano S seed/private-key in the fork-supported wallet. This is probably a bad idea considering that you can't trust the software and this could compromise your Nano S wallet. If you really want to get a specific fork, you could send all the coins from your Nano S to a different wallet/Nano S, get your private-keys and import them in the fork-supported wallet. Then, generate a completely new Nano S wallet and send the coins back.

Edit: forgot to say that some *legit* forks have a chance of being supported by Ledger/Trezor in the future. In this case, you will receive them automatically. Thanks Lucius!

[Sellingaccs]

I like the idea of moving them to the Nano first but I'm confused as to whether or not sending the coins will prevent me from being able to claim the new coins.

Thanks

Different chains do not interfere with each other, all of the balances will be at the original address that you have been holding BTC on the fork day(s).
I do however recommend transfering the BTC to your nano before claiming those forks, as then your BTC is safe there, like mentioned before.
Also on the LoyceV's service which i linked before, you can see most of the forks that you may be able to claim.

[Lucius]

To claim future forks, you will need to import your Nano S seed/private-key in the fork-supported wallet. This is probably a bad idea considering that you can't trust the software and this could compromise your Nano S wallet. If you really want to get a specific fork, you could send all the coins from your Nano S to a different wallet/Nano S, get your private-keys and import them in the fork-supported wallet. Then, generate a completely new Nano S wallet and send the coins back.

Not necessarily like you wrote and of course depending on the supported fork by Ledger.For example let's take BitcoinCash&BitcoinGold,for users that have BTC on their hardware wallets in a time of fork Ledger is enabled split tool, so every users is very easy got access to forked coins.

As you say importing seed from hardware wallet is something which is not at all advisable,and if that was done only new seed makes sense.What worries me that in such proceedings users can be victims of fake wallets-and that is the most happening in time of some "important" fork.

[Bart74]

Is this thought process correct?

In order to claim coins from a fork you need to have the address and private key of where the coins were at the time of the fork, not were they are now. The fork location private key / address combo is still valid for claiming the new fork coins even if the BTC have since moved to a new address and or private key. Correct?

If the above is true, then I could protect my current BTC from a malice fork wallet by moving them from Etherium to the Nano S, thus associating them with both a new address and a new private key.  Then I could use the original address and private key (the one from the time of the fork) with the fork wallets.  This would protect the BTC and allow me to claim the fork coins.  Correct?

Thanks

[Sellingaccs]

Is this thought process correct?

In order to claim coins from a fork you need to have the address and private key of where the coins were at the time of the fork, not were they are now. The fork location private key / address combo is still valid for claiming the new fork coins even if the BTC have since moved to a new address and or private key. Correct?

If the above is true, then I could protect my current BTC from a malice fork wallet by moving them from Etherium to the Nano S, thus associating them with both a new address and a new private key.  Then I could use the original address and private key (the one from the time of the fork) with the fork wallets.  This would protect the BTC and allow me to claim the fork coins.  Correct?

Thanks

That is absolutely correct, and this is why it is recommended. Even if the wallet software was malicious, it cannot steal your BTC if spent to different address. You can move the coins without a worry.