Wallet issues

[rachel4321]

I wonder if there is some sort of ongoing issue with the wallets.  Every time I try to use it I receive an error message telling me it cannot connect to servers.  It tells me to download the program again or use another server.  I have tried both, more than once and I still get the same error - on 3 different pcs.  One had a completely clean install last night.

Of course if I can't use it I can't transfer the funds to another wallet service either. 

Please can you help.  It says its a communciation error.  Everything else on the pc is working just fine.

[1715165265]

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[rachel4321]

The error message reads

The server returned an error when broadcasting the transaction.  Consider trying to connect to a different server or updating Electrum. Unknown error

 I am running version 3.3.8 on a windows 10 pc.  I have tried this now on 3 different machines one of which is new so had a fresh instal yesterday.

I need access to these funds.  I would really appreciate some assistance.  I have tried connecting to a different server to no avail.  Nothing appears to work.  The error started last nigh and is continuing.

[OmegaStarScream]

1. Go to your addresses in Electrum, right-click the address that contains funds, and choose "private key".
2. Install Mycelium on your phone.
3. Scan the exported private keys (QR code) that you got on step #1 by following this guide.

Your funds should now appear in your Mycelium wallet.

If you're using an iPhone, try Edge wallet instead (it has a sweep feature), Mycelium is not that good for iOS.

[hugeblack]

Are you sure that you are connected to the Internet, closed all firewalls, and any programs that prevent communication, turned off/on VPN.

If you have the option to use more than one PC "especially the completely clean install one," download the latest version from this site ---> https://electrum.org/#download, (verify the signature) and then try to connect.

Did you install VirtualBox? VM? Or any similar application to run more than one operating system on Windows?
try this

Windows key+X >> Device Manager >> Network adapters >> Disable all adapters except those you use to connect to the Internet

If you have the wallet seeds, try to download the app to your phone "make sure it's clean" and broadcast it?

[khaled0111]

Check your wallet settings and see what denomination (base unit for bitcoin amount) you are using. If it's mBTC, sat, bits change it to BTC.

That error usually occur when you try to send a very small amount because of missetting the denomination. Servers will reject the transaction and return that error message.
If this doesn't solve the problem then consider the above suggestions.

[rachel4321]

Thank you all for your replies. 

The first suggestion I can't do as I have no mobile phone only a landline.
The second one I downloaded and installed, only had one obvious adaptor which I turned off.  No joy.  I was definitely connected to the internet.
The third.  I changed the denomination as it was in MBtc but it made no difference and the amount to be sent was not insubstantial. 

No idea what the issue is other than perhaps the latest windows update.  I haven't used it for a couple of weeks and was working absolutely fine then.  I purchased BTC yesterday so the funds reached the wallet.  They just won't leave it.

Any other suggestions greatly welcomed.  Thanks for your help.

[khaled0111]

As a temporary workaround, try signing the transaction with your Electrum wallet and then broadcast it using any online tool.
Check this guide for more details (start from step11):
How to Generate a signed BTC transaction using Electrum and Trezor

[BitMaxz]

Can you try to change your DNS to Google DNS?

If you don't know how to setup follow this on how to change the PCs DNS.

- First, go to Control panel
- Click the Network and Internet
- Click the Network and Sharing Center
- Change adapter settings
- Look for ethernet or wifi then right-click
- Click the properties
- Click the internet protocol version 4(TCP/IPv4)
- Then click properties
- Now click the Use the following DNS server addresses
- Then put this DNS below.

Code:

preferred DNS 8.8.8.8
Alternative DNS 8.8.4.4

- After that open Electrum
- Change the network server to "electrumx.ddns.net" Port "50005" or try other servers that listed on the server peers.
- Then test it again.

If it still doesn't work try to open Electrum with python if you haven't installed it yet you can check https://electrum.org/#download and install the PyQt5
After that run the Electrum with python using the command "python3 run_electrum" from CMD.

Let's see if it will work but if not well, I think you will need to follow khaled0111 suggestion and make a raw transaction instead as a temporary solution.

[nc50lc]

That error usually occur when you try to send a very small amount because of missetting the denomination. Servers will reject the transaction and return that error message.

Usually, that's the case.
Electrum will return with that error if your transaction was rejected by your selected/connected server mostly because it's "non-standard", invalid or didn't follow their node's rules.
Example of non-standard transactions: Khaled's example; fee lower than 1sat/B, SegWit Address created w/ Uncompressed keys, etc.
Invalid TXare usually transactions that are trying to spend already spent UTXO (spent coins).

To expand khaled0111's reply... I have a question:
Is one of your transaction's output (the amount to be sent) lower than .00000546 BTC or .00546 mBTC?
If it is, Khaled's post is the issue.

[pooya87]

The server returned an error when broadcasting the transaction.  Consider trying to connect to a different server or updating Electrum. Unknown error

unfortunately the error messages that Electrum shows are sometimes not good. it is a long story why, but it is about them trying to mitigate a vulnerability and now some error messages that the Electrum node sends back are shown as "unknown error".

do the following to make sure the problem is from your "transaction" not your "connection":
1. in your send tab click on preview to open the tx preview window
2. if it is not signed yet, then sign the transaction.
3. instead of broadcasting it, click on copy button to copy the raw hex
4. go to a block explorer like https://live.blockcypher.com/btc/pushtx/ and enter the hex there and click broadcast (make sure you want to spend since if the broadcast were successful there is no undo button!)
5. if the problem is with your tx this will also show you an error message. if it weren't then the problem was your connection.

edit: the link posted above by @khaled0111 shows these steps with pictures.

[rachel4321]

Thank you.  I shall give those solutions a go.  The transaction amount was in excess of £200 (max. fee)

[rachel4321]

So this was odd.  In frustration I gave up.  Switched it on today and the stupid thing works.  On the same pc I was using which has been turned off for days (and I did restart it a few times when I first posted).  No idea what happened but thanks to those that replied.  It seems to have fixed itself.

[joniboini]

It must be a network issue then. Still, that could've been solved if you push the tx manually. It would be freaking weird if you can't do it and then it works now.

Consider using a VPN or dnscrypt to check whether your network blocks access to the Electrum server or not next time.

[ewaspiro]

So this was odd.  In frustration I gave up.  Switched it on today and the stupid thing works.  On the same pc I was using which has been turned off for days (and I did restart it a few times when I first posted).  No idea what happened but thanks to those that replied.  It seems to have fixed itself.

I had the same issue few days ago, ended up importing the private key to blockchain.com and broadcasting the transaction from there.