Electrum 2.9 wont synchronize

[Evergreen Star]

Don't tell me to upgrade electrum. I'm aware this old version has problem but I'm using an old laptop that can't download the new version.  I only use this laptop to play runescape and I only keep $50 or less of btc on it to buy runescape gold.  I had no problem using 2.9 version of electrum until a few days ago,  now it just is stuck on synchronizing...

How do I fix this without upgrading versions?

[TryNinja]

Why can't you download the latest version?

There is no right fix to this that isn't by upgrading it to the latest version. What you could do is export your private-key and import it in a different wallet/in a different computer to recover the coins.

[harizen]

Don't tell me to upgrade electrum. I'm aware this old version has problem but I'm using an old laptop that can't download the new version.  I only use this laptop to play runescape and I only keep $50 or less of btc on it to buy runescape gold.  I had no problem using 2.9 version of electrum until a few days ago,  now it just is stuck on synchronizing...

How do I fix this without upgrading versions?

An old laptop can download a new version.  I don't see how it was a problem.

Anyways, you have a quiet same case here.
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2356386.0
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1976559.0

Try reading some suggestions there and come back here if you have any questions along the process.

Also check your connection since it was fine just "few days ago".

[pooya87]

did you by any chance receive a new transaction recently? and is that payment coming from a SegWit address (a quick way of knowing it is if the sender's address starts with 3 or bc1)?
if that is the case then there was a couple of bugs in Electrum regarding parsing SegWit transactions in the past, specifically when it is a P2SH nested address (starts with 3) which might be the problem here and it won't be fixed unless you upgrade your wallet since it has nothing to do with servers.

[NeuroticFish]

How do I fix this without upgrading versions?

I just did a quick test with 2.9.0.
For me the sync worked. A quick fix for you would be to close electrum, delete the content of electrum_data except electrum_data/wallets (also a backup won't hurt) and start electrum again.
However, as @pooya87 wrote, there are cases the old client doesn't know how to handle and the sync will keep failing. And then you'll have to upgrade (I see no valid reason for keeping that outdated and dangerous version, really).

[Pmalek]

...I'm using an old laptop that can't download the new version. I only use this laptop to play runescape

Runescape is an Online game which means that your laptop is connected to the Internet, why you cant download the newest Electrum version is not clear to me as there shouldnt be any limits based on the age of your computer.

Just take a look at the share amount of bug fixes and improvements that were carried out in the updated versions of Electrum.
https://github.com/spesmilo/electrum/blob/master/RELEASE-NOTES

   

[pooya87]

@Evergreen Star Since the game support Linux OS, i recommend you to use Linux OS (such as Puppy Linux or Lubuntu) which support newest Electrum version

FWIW for Linux users in case they couldn't upgrade to Python3 there is another version of Electrum 2.9.4[1] which is fixing the vulnerability. although it won't fix the SegWit tx parse bugs but it is best to have that version so that it removes the serious vulnerability.

[1] https://github.com/spesmilo/electrum/releases/tag/2.9.4