So I'm assuming I'm fucked on this one right?

[dewey246]

First time using bitcoin, was getting the hang of it pretty easily but then accidentally fell victim to Electrum's infamous watch-only wallet. So have no idea how the tf to get my money out of there.....Luckily there's only about $70 worth of bitcoin stuck in it but I'm still pissed. Since it's watch only, there's no seed or private master key, so no way to restore it to a new wallet. Any idea if there's any way to fix this? Feels sorta hopeless based on what I've read. I know if you have cold storage it can be used with a watch only wallet but...I don't have that....and I'm pretty sure that part has to come first, not second even if I were to retroactively. Feeling pretty defeated to say the least!

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[DireWolfM14]

First time using bitcoin, was getting the hang of it pretty easily but then accidentally fell victim to Electrum's infamous watch-only wallet. So have no idea how the tf to get my money out of there.....Luckily there's only about $70 worth of bitcoin stuck in it but I'm still pissed. Since it's watch only, there's no seed or private master key, so no way to restore it to a new wallet. Any idea if there's any way to fix this? Feels sorta hopeless based on what I've read. I know if you have cold storage it can be used with a watch only wallet but...I don't have that....and I'm pretty sure that part has to come first, not second even if I were to retroactively. Feeling pretty defeated to say the least!

How did you create this watch only wallet, or how is it you have one without having access to the private keys in another wallet?  Did you import a master public key from somewhere?

Did you write down a 12-word phrase when creating a wallet?

[jackg]

If you have no idea of any private keys, mnemonic seed or non watching only wallet file then yeah you're not getting it back. Watching only for cold storage works eitha part of the wallet that still holds all information too (one offline machine with keys, one online watching only one).

[dewey246]

First time using bitcoin, was getting the hang of it pretty easily but then accidentally fell victim to Electrum's infamous watch-only wallet. So have no idea how the tf to get my money out of there.....Luckily there's only about $70 worth of bitcoin stuck in it but I'm still pissed. Since it's watch only, there's no seed or private master key, so no way to restore it to a new wallet. Any idea if there's any way to fix this? Feels sorta hopeless based on what I've read. I know if you have cold storage it can be used with a watch only wallet but...I don't have that....and I'm pretty sure that part has to come first, not second even if I were to retroactively. Feeling pretty defeated to say the least!

How did you create this watch only wallet, or how is it you have one without having access to the private keys in another wallet?  Did you import a master public key from somewhere?

Did you write down a 12-word phrase when creating a wallet?

I just chose new wallet and then chose watch only. I'm not sure how I was able to create it without having any private or public keys. All I have is a Coinbase account and this, and I sent the money from the Coinbase account to Electrum without realizing I wouldn't be able to change it from watch only to a normal wallet. Because it's a watch only wallet, it does not generate a Seed when creating, so I was never given a 12-word phrase.

[nc50lc]

I just chose new wallet and then chose watch only. I'm not sure how I was able to create it without having any private or public keys.

There's no option "watch-only" in the new/restore wallet menu. Are you sure that you're using Electrum?
The two ways to create a watch-only wallet is to select "Standard->Use a master key->Paste a master public key" or "import Bitcoin addresses or private keys->Paste an address".
The difference will be the wallet type after the wallet name: [standard, watching only] and [imported, watching only], respectively.

The only non-watching wallet I have is my Coinbase wallet, which is what I transferred the bitcoin from.

Coinbase isn't really a wallet so you can't call it "non-watching", your receiving address still belongs to them.
They just crediting your account based form your deposits.

For the main question, you're "fucked" if you don't know where you got that address.
If you know where it came from, then you can investigate further.

[Pmalek]

Can you begin by telling us where you downloaded that Electrum software from? The exact address would be good. Check in your browsing history.
Not that it matters if you don't have private keys/seed of your wallet, but at least we will know if you are using a real Electrum wallet or one of the fake ones that you should get of your system asap.

[DireWolfM14]

I just chose new wallet and then chose watch only. I'm not sure how I was able to create it without having any private or public keys. All I have is a Coinbase account and this, and I sent the money from the Coinbase account to Electrum without realizing I wouldn't be able to change it from watch only to a normal wallet. Because it's a watch only wallet, it does not generate a Seed when creating, so I was never given a 12-word phrase.

Electrum will not allow you to create a watch-only wallet without a key or an address.  "Watch Only" isn't an option that's given when creating a new wallet.  It does provide options to enter previously generated keys or addresses, and then Electrum determines whether to create a live wallet or a watch-only depending on the nature of the key.  At the very least you would have needed a bitcoin address to create a watch only wallet.  Where did you obtain that address?  From your coinbase account?

If you are sure you've downloaded the authentic Electrum software and not a malicious clone (see here), you might want to re-trace your steps by creating another wallet, and try to remember what you did the first time.

[dewey246]

I just chose new wallet and then chose watch only. I'm not sure how I was able to create it without having any private or public keys.

There's no option "watch-only" in the new/restore wallet menu. Are you sure that you're using Electrum?
The two ways to create a watch-only wallet is to select "Standard->Use a master key->Paste a master public key" or "import Bitcoin addresses or private keys->Paste an address".
The difference will be the wallet type after the wallet name: [standard, watching only] and [imported, watching only], respectively.

The only non-watching wallet I have is my Coinbase wallet, which is what I transferred the bitcoin from.

Coinbase isn't really a wallet so you can't call it "non-watching", your receiving address still belongs to them.
They just crediting your account based form your deposits.

For the main question, you're "fucked" if you don't know where you got that address.
If you know where it came from, then you can investigate further.

It says it's imported watching only but I never imported anything, all I did was setup the wallet, copy the provided receiving address into the sending section of coinbase, and that was that. The wallet  I have setup is also encrypted. I downloaded it at https://electrum.org/#home

I just chose new wallet and then chose watch only. I'm not sure how I was able to create it without having any private or public keys. All I have is a Coinbase account and this, and I sent the money from the Coinbase account to Electrum without realizing I wouldn't be able to change it from watch only to a normal wallet. Because it's a watch only wallet, it does not generate a Seed when creating, so I was never given a 12-word phrase.

Electrum will not allow you to create a watch-only wallet without a key or an address.  "Watch Only" isn't an option that's given when creating a new wallet.  It does provide options to enter previously generated keys or addresses, and then Electrum determines whether to create a live wallet or a watch-only depending on the nature of the key.  At the very least you would have needed a bitcoin address to create a watch only wallet.  Where did you obtain that address?  From your coinbase account?

If you are sure you've downloaded the authentic Electrum software and not a malicious clone (see here), you might want to re-trace your steps by creating another wallet, and try to remember what you did the first time.

I don't believe I selected watching only actually, I think I may have selected "import Bitcoin Addresses or private keys". I downloaded it from https://electrum.org/#download (Mac OS X under sources and binaries). The receiving address I thought was generated when I created the account, but I just tried retracting my steps like you said and I believe I may have used the receiving address generated for me on Empire when it asked me to input bitcoin addresses. Of course now I know this does not make sense, but at the time I thought I was entering the address I'd be depositing money into. Newbie mistakes of course.

[DireWolfM14]

I just chose new wallet and then chose watch only. I'm not sure how I was able to create it without having any private or public keys. All I have is a Coinbase account and this, and I sent the money from the Coinbase account to Electrum without realizing I wouldn't be able to change it from watch only to a normal wallet. Because it's a watch only wallet, it does not generate a Seed when creating, so I was never given a 12-word phrase.

Electrum will not allow you to create a watch-only wallet without a key or an address.  "Watch Only" isn't an option that's given when creating a new wallet.  It does provide options to enter previously generated keys or addresses, and then Electrum determines whether to create a live wallet or a watch-only depending on the nature of the key.  At the very least you would have needed a bitcoin address to create a watch only wallet.  Where did you obtain that address?  From your coinbase account?

If you are sure you've downloaded the authentic Electrum software and not a malicious clone (see here), you might want to re-trace your steps by creating another wallet, and try to remember what you did the first time.

I don't believe I selected watching only actually, I think I may have selected "import Bitcoin Addresses or private keys". I downloaded it from https://electrum.org/#download (Mac OS X under sources and binaries). The receiving address I thought was generated when I created the account, but I just tried retracting my steps like you said and I believe I may have used the receiving address generated for me on Empire when it asked me to input bitcoin addresses. Of course now I know this does not make sense, but at the time I thought I was entering the address I'd be depositing money into. Newbie mistakes of course.

I don't use empire, so I have no idea how that works, but it sounds like you may have sent the money to your account there.  Did you check your empire account to see if it received the funds?

[dewey246]

I just chose new wallet and then chose watch only. I'm not sure how I was able to create it without having any private or public keys. All I have is a Coinbase account and this, and I sent the money from the Coinbase account to Electrum without realizing I wouldn't be able to change it from watch only to a normal wallet. Because it's a watch only wallet, it does not generate a Seed when creating, so I was never given a 12-word phrase.

Electrum will not allow you to create a watch-only wallet without a key or an address.  "Watch Only" isn't an option that's given when creating a new wallet.  It does provide options to enter previously generated keys or addresses, and then Electrum determines whether to create a live wallet or a watch-only depending on the nature of the key.  At the very least you would have needed a bitcoin address to create a watch only wallet.  Where did you obtain that address?  From your coinbase account?

If you are sure you've downloaded the authentic Electrum software and not a malicious clone (see here), you might want to re-trace your steps by creating another wallet, and try to remember what you did the first time.

I don't believe I selected watching only actually, I think I may have selected "import Bitcoin Addresses or private keys". I downloaded it from https://electrum.org/#download (Mac OS X under sources and binaries). The receiving address I thought was generated when I created the account, but I just tried retracting my steps like you said and I believe I may have used the receiving address generated for me on Empire when it asked me to input bitcoin addresses. Of course now I know this does not make sense, but at the time I thought I was entering the address I'd be depositing money into. Newbie mistakes of course.

I don't use empire, so I have no idea how that works, but it sounds like you may have sent the money to your account there.  Did you check your empire account to see if it received the funds?

I checked and have not received any funds. It also gave me a new address for some reason, even though they're not supposed to expire for a week I believe. I can see the money in my Electrum wallet though. Just can't get it tf out of there.

[DireWolfM14]

I checked and have not received any funds. It also gave me a new address for some reason, even though they're not supposed to expire for a week I believe. I can see the money in my Electrum wallet though. Just can't get it tf out of there.

Again, I have no idea whether Empire is legit or not.  It seems every other week someone posts about some issue or another, describing sent funds that never arrive at their intended destination.  After a few posts back and forth it's revealed that it involves some shady shit on Empire.  I don't know, man.

You must have picked up that address from someplace, if it wasn't Empire, check your coinbase account.  You can also do a google search for that address and see what you come up with.

Regardless, of where the address was obtained, if you don't have access to the associated private key, then you don't have access to the money.  Hopefully you sent it to your Empire or Coinbase account, and you can retrieve it from there.  You won't be able to anything with the watch-only wallet in Electrum.

[dewey246]

I checked and have not received any funds. It also gave me a new address for some reason, even though they're not supposed to expire for a week I believe. I can see the money in my Electrum wallet though. Just can't get it tf out of there.

Again, I have no idea whether Empire is legit or not.  It seems every other week someone posts about some issue or another, describing sent funds that never arrive at their intended destination.  After a few posts back and forth it's revealed that it involves some shady shit on Empire.  I don't know, man.

You must have picked up that address from someplace, if it wasn't Empire, check your coinbase account.  You can also do a google search for that address and see what you come up with.

Regardless, of where the address was obtained, if you don't have access to the associated private key, then you don't have access to the money.  Hopefully you sent it to your Empire or Coinbase account, and you can retrieve it from there.  You won't be able to anything with the watch-only wallet in Electrum.

Definitely. Well, update. Somehow, I got my money! It's in my account. Hallelujah!

[DireWolfM14]

I got my money!

Good deal.  

If you want to use Electrum as a desktop wallet you'll need to create a new wallet.  At the prompts choose "Standard wallet," then "Create a new seed."  Make sure to write down the seed phrase on a piece of paper (don't store it digitally,) and store it someplace safe and secure.

[nc50lc]

Somehow, I got my money! It's in my account. Hallelujah!

Good thing that you've used you own deposit address to create that watch-only wallet.
So, what actually happened is that you have deposited your balance from Coinbase to Empire, Electrum didn't took part of that transaction.

-snip-

It says it's imported watching only but I never imported anything, all I did was setup the wallet, copy the provided receiving address into the sending section of coinbase, and that was that. The wallet  I have setup is also encrypted. I downloaded it at https://electrum.org/#home

The name clearly tells that it was created using "import bitcoin addresses or private keys" option then you pasted that address.

[HCP]

Definitely. Well, update. Somehow, I got my money! It's in my account. Hallelujah!

So the money ended up in your "Empire" account? Sounds like you got super lucky on this one... congrats!

I hope this hasn't put you off using Electrum, it's definitely one of the better lightweight desktop wallets that has some really awesome features. It just has a few "gotcha!"s that can catch out new users. Take the time to read the advice given here and, if in doubt, just ask questions before putting large amounts of $$$ or BTC at risk!