Urgent - Cannot find Electrum wallet and the bitcoins in it

[RIBC]

I had installed Electrum (ver 3.3.1) in May 2019 on Windows 10 OS. I used to open it by simply typing 'electrum' in the windows search location on the main page. I had a receiving address through which I received mining output from Genesis Mining.

I most likely deleted some Electrum file from desktop a few months ago. After this, when I tried to open the wallet a few days ago (not having checked it for a few months), only the .exe file showed in the result, and I could not open the wallet. I ended up installing Electrum from this .exe file. I only later found-out about the electrum location in C:\users\appdata\.... for the May 2019 Electrum installation.

During the attempt to search for the May 2019 installation, I also got the messages 'This file does not exist' and 'Cannot load wallet - This version of Electrum is too old to open this wallet - (highest supported storage version: 17; version of this file: 18)'

While I don't remember the exact steps in-between, I also found-out about using the recovery seed, most likely after the first of the above 2 messages. I successfully used the recovery seed, but the wallet that opened after it did not show any bitcoins and also showed a different receiving address from the earlier one.

I have a login username and password for Electrum wallet, and the recovery seed for the first Electrum wallet. Genesis Mining also shows a transaction id for every time that they sent bitcoins to the wallet. I tried to load this transaction into the Electrum wallet, but it says that the 'server did not respond (or some such message)'.

Can somebody help me recover the Electrum wallet and the bitcoins in it? Also, once I closed the wallet recovered from the seed, I am again unable to find the wallet or open it? Can somebody help me correctly find/install the wallet?

[1715463793]

1715463793

[1715463793]

1715463793

[1715463793]

1715463793

[HCP]

Run Electrum... Once it is running (it doesn't matter what wallet it opens)... Click "File -> Open"

That should open the C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\roaming\Electrum\wallets directory and show you ALL the wallet files that are currently in there.

Do you see any wallet files that you didn't create just now?

How many wallet files do you see any are any of them your old wallet? Electrum will let you open multiple wallet files at the same time, so just try opening all of them.

If you cannot find your old wallet file there, it's quite possible you were running the "portable" version of Electrum that does NOT use this folder for wallet storage, but stores the wallet in a subdirectory of where the portable.exe is located. Do a search for a folder called: electrum_data

If that folder was removed when you deleted Electrum, then you will likely not be able to recover the wallet file

In addition, as your seed is recovering an empty wallet, it's highly likely that while it is a valid Electrum seed (ie. It is accepted by Electrum), it isn't the right one for your old wallet.

[AltcoinBuilder]

you mentioned lot of problems, what is the main problem now? "server did not respond (or some such message)" error? then you can change server in preferences.

[nc50lc]

During the attempt to search for the May 2019 installation, I also got the messages 'This file does not exist' and 'Cannot load wallet - This version of Electrum is too old to open this wallet - (highest supported storage version: 17; version of this file: 18)'

This usually happens when you load a wallet file to a lower version of Electrum.
Which might be the case since you've opened an old stored exe file from your past downloads.

Make sure to backup a copy of your current wallet file from the directory above (HCP's post) or wherever directory you stored it
in case there's a corruption happen when you load it to the latest version.

While I don't remember the exact steps in-between, I also found-out about using the recovery seed, most likely after the first of the above 2 messages. I successfully used the recovery seed, but the wallet that opened after it did not show any bitcoins and also showed a different receiving address from the earlier one.

It indicates that you used the wrong backup (SEED), or is it from the receive tab only?
Open the address tab to be sure (View->Show Addresses), receive tab will always show you an unused address.
The correct addresses should be restored unless you made some modification with the derivation path during your wallet creation.

Can somebody help me recover the Electrum wallet and the bitcoins in it? Also, once I closed the wallet recovered from the seed, I am again unable to find the wallet or open it? Can somebody help me correctly find/install the wallet?

Try to download and install the latest installer/stand-alone version from electrum.org.

[BitMaxz]

If you are trying to load a transaction on the same version of electrum(3.3.1) you will receive some error like "Your transaction couldn't be loaded because you are using old version of electrum. Please update it to the latest version http://fakelink.com" this is just an example error but most error forcing you to update it to the latest electrum wallet including their fake electrum website to download the fake electrum.

Since you have the SEED backup you don't need to worry about your wallet just make sure that the seed is your backup of the wallet you want to recover.

If you don't want to touch the corrupted Electrum file(For future recovery if needed) I suggest you to download the latest portable version of Electrum make sure to download it to the right URL not the URL popping up on the old version of Electrum.
The right URL is already mentioned above which is https://electrum.org/#download

Make a new folder and put the portable Electrum then open it then import your backup seed.
This time it should show your wallet with live servers.


My method is just an alternative if the HCP suggestion doesn't work.

[RIBC]

Hello HCP,

With my recent installation of Electrum, I now have an icon in the start menu, using which I was able to open the Electrum wallet.

When I went to 'File -> Open...' it opened to C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\roaming\Electrum VTC\wallets directory, which is the directory for the new installation and there was only 1 file there called 'default wallet'.

I went to browse and changed this path to C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\roaming\Electrum\wallets directory (difference being the term 'VTC') and tried to open the old 'default_wallet' file stored there, but it gave me the message 'Cannot load wallet (2): This version of Electrum is too old to open this wallet. (highest supported storage version: 17, version of this file: 18)'.

I also have a copy (most likely backup) of the wallet from May 2019, saved in a different drive and location. When I go to 'File -> Open...' and try to open this copy, I again get the same message as above.

I did not see any wallet files that I did not create, except that I created this installation of Electrum wallet accidentally.

As mentioned, I did try to open the old wallet file, but received the message stated above i.e. 'Cannot load wallet (2)'.

I searched for the terms in 'My Computer/This PC'. I do not have a folder called 'electrum_data' and I found portable.exe related only to PowerDVD14 software and not Electrum.

As for the SEED, I don't know how it is the wrong one because I had written it down in May 2019 during the first Electrum wallet installation.

[RIBC]

Hello nc50lc,

I think I am starting to understand the part that my .exe file is too old and hence, I am getting the 'Cannot load...' message.

As suggested, I have stored a backup file of the wallet from the May 2019 installation. By this I mean that I have copied the file and pasted it in a different location and drive - is that the correct way to backup that file? I think this will be my 2nd such backup file saved. For the purpose of backup, I have also carried-out this process on the wallet file of the recent Electrum wallet installation.

I don't see how come I have the wrong backup SEED. I had written down this SEED in May 2019 itself. I opened the address tab, but did not find the old receving address on which I received the mining output.

What can I do about the 'Cannot load wallet' problem? Is it possible for me to load those wallet files, and if yes, how? Will I be able to see the bitcoins after I load the old wallets, and if yes, how to that?
   From your reply, is it a correct understanding that I should take a backup of the wallet files, uninstall current Electrum, download latest stand-alone installer version from electrum.org, install Electrum wallet from this new file, and then load the old backup files with 'File -> Open'?

Just to be sure, I will download the Windows (7 and higher) installation files and not the Python (3.6.1 and higher) files. Or is it okay to use either of them?

[DireWolfM14]

I'm sorry, I don't know why you are unable to open your wallet files.  Are you sure you downloaded Electrum from the official site?

https://electrum.org/#download

As for the recovery option; did you write your seed phrase in two or more columns?  You may have entered them in the wrong order.  Also, be very careful to scrutinize every word.  Some of the bip39 words tend to look alike, and you may have missed a typo with a quick glance.

[Lucius]

RIBC, assuming you have the correct seed, then the problem is in derivation path as mentioned by nc50lc. When you restore your wallet with seed, what type od address you see, starting with 1 (legacy), starting with bc1(native segwit) or starting with 3 (nested segwit)? In the process of wallet recovery you need to select type of wallet you have used before, which means type of address needs to be the same.

My advice is to download 3.3.8 version (Windows Installer), to be as careful as possible when typing seed and to select correct option for derivation path. After wallet is sync, you should see your balance.

[RIBC]

Hello BitMaxz,

I am receving the 'Cannot load' error but it does not include links to any website. It is difficult to be wrong about the SEED because I had written it down in May 2019 itself during that installation.
   I will attempt to download the latest portable version of Electrum (without touching the older installation/s), save it in a separate folder on a separate drive, and then try to install/open it with the backup SEED. I hope that it a correct understanding.

Just to be sure, I will download the Windows (7 and higher) installation files and not the Python (3.6.1 and higher) files. Or is it okay to use either of them?

[RIBC]

Hello AltcoinBuilder,

My apologies for the long-winding description, but the problem continues to be the case that I cannot find my May 2019 Electrum wallet and the bitcoins in it.

[RIBC]

Hello DireWolfM14, I certainly think and hope that I downloaded Electrum from the official site.

Hello nc50lc, the difference in the receiving address was from the receiving tab only, and not from 'View->Show Addresses'. I don't particularly remember ever checking the Addresses tab in the old wallet, but in the new wallet, there are many addresses and they all start with 'V' and the 'Type' on all of them is 'receiving' (to the extent that I can read that column) except 6 of them which have the 'Type' as 'change' (to the extent that I can read that column).

While I do not have a very good understanding of the derivation path, I did not select or change the default installation path when installing Electrum wallet during both the times. Is this the same derivation path that is being talked about?

[RIBC]

Hello Lucius,

If you are talking about the receiving address in the receiving tab only (and not the Addresses tab), then the earlier address started with '1', but the current address starts with 'V'. Does that mean that the type of address is not the same? According to my noted-down information, the May 2019 installation had the wallet type 'standard' and the recovery that I attempted with the 12-word Wallet Generation Seed (I hope this is the recovery seed everybody is talking about) was also of standard type (with wallet recovery seed option of the installer file I believe).

Is it correct to understand that you're saying I should download the latest Electrum installer and use it to recover the wallet using the SEED. Does it include uninstalling the current Electrum wallet and/or should I also attempt installing a new Electrum wallet with the latest installers and then try to load the old backup files which are currently giving the 'Cannot load...' message? Will that also show me the balance in it?

In this, is there anything else that I should know or understand about the derivation path apart from the above?

[DireWolfM14]

there are many addresses and they all start with 'V' and the 'Type' on all of them is 'receiving' (to the extent that I can read that column) except 6 of them which have the 'Type' as 'change' (to the extent that I can read that column).

I don't know of any bitcoin addresses that start with "V."  Is that a typo?  Do you mean the addresses start with "b?"

While I do not have a very good understanding of the derivation path, I did not select or change the default installation path when installing Electrum wallet during both the times. Is this the same derivation path that is being talked about?

That's very likely the reason you aren't finding your coins.  Try this:

Restore your seed by creating a new wallet, select "Standard Wallet">"I already have a seed."

On the following page, before entering your seed click on the "Options" button, then select the "BIP39 seed" option, and click ok.



Enter your seed phrase, then click "Next."  On the following page, select the first option "legacy (p2pkh)" for addresses that start with "1," or the second option "p2sg-segwit (p2wpkh-p2sh)" for addresses that start with "3."



Then continue to follow the prompts until your wallet is created.  

[HCP]

it opened to C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\roaming\Electrum VTC\wallets directory

THAT is your problem... Electrum "VTC" is NOT Electrum. It is not even developed by the same devs as Electrum. It is a fork of the Electrum wallet intended for use with VertCoin... it is NOT a Bitcoin wallet. It will NOT be compatible with any Electrum Bitcoin wallet file and probably explains a number of the errors you are seeing. Your backup seed mnemonics (12 words) will most likely work ok, but it will still generate VertCoin wallets/addresses (starting with a V) if used in Electrum-VTC.

You need to download and install the latest Electrum client from here: https://electrum.org/#download

Then try opening your old wallet files and/or using your recovery seed mnemonic.

[nc50lc]

Hello nc50lc, the difference in the receiving address was from the receiving tab only, and not from 'View->Show Addresses'. I don't particularly remember ever checking the Addresses tab in the old wallet, but in the new wallet, there are many addresses and they all start with 'V' and the 'Type' on all of them is 'receiving'

Those (bold texts) supports HCP's reply, Bitcoin's addresses starts with either '1', '3' or 'bc1'.
Haven't you followed the last part of my post (#4) above? (Download from electrum.org)

[Lucius]

Well noticed HCP, the rest of us have completely missed that detail, though it occurred to me that it might be another coin. OP was convinced he was using Electrum BTC, but completely unaware that the BTC address can not start with V. A good lesson for him, but as well for others who have yet to learn some basics.

One thing I don't understand is how the OP came to VertCoin Electrum wallet, but one thing is for sure, he did not download it from the official Electrum site.

[joniboini]

-snip-

Certainly won't solve the OP problem because he didn't even use Electrum for Bitcoin.

[Pmalek]

How did you even find that wallet is beyond me. I just went over 5 pages of Google searches searching "Electrum" but there is no mention of that wallet at all. The official site mentions only a Vertcoin Wallet but no Electrum Vertcoin or whatever.  Searching for Electrum Vertcoin finds the wallet of course.

[Lucius]

-snip-

Certainly won't solve the OP problem because he didn't even use Electrum for Bitcoin.

What was missed by everyone except HCP, is still unknown fact for BitMaxz. Posts definitely needs to be read very carefully, because only one letter can mean a big difference and take the discussion in a completely wrong direction.

How did you even find that wallet is beyond me.

I was wondering the same thing, and the only logical explanation is that the OP used VertCoin Electrum sometime in the past, and he obviously mixed two different versions of Electrum.