Found my old Bitcoin wallet.dat. Already ran pywallet. What now?

[ltcdude]

I read through multiple threads here...couldn't find a solution so please bear with me stupid questions.

I have a small amount of BTC in this old wallet.dat file from a few years ago in my old laptop...I am NOT a tech guy, but I followed instructions posted in various threads here to download/run pywallet on this wallet.dat file.

I ran this script:

Code:

pywallet.py --dumpwallet  --datadir=.

...which returned:

Code:

WARNING:root:encrypted wallet, specify password to decrypt

"bestblock": "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
    "bestblock_nomerkle": "unsupported",
    "defaultkey": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "keymeta": "unsupported",
    "keys": [
        {
            "addr": "xxxxxx",
            "ckey": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
            "label": "",
            "pubkey": "xxxxxxxxxxxxx"
        }
        {
            "addr": "xxxxxx",
            "ckey": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
            "label": "",
            "pubkey": "xxxxxxxxxxxxx"
        }
        {
            "addr": "xxxxxx",
            "ckey": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
            "label": "",
            "pubkey": "xxxxxxxxxxxxx"
        }
    ],
    "minversion": 60000,
    "mkey": {
        "crypted_key": "xxxxxxxxxxxxx",
        "nDerivationMethod": 0,
        "nDeriveIterations": xxxx,
        "nID": 1,
        "salt": "xxxxxxxxxxxx",
        "vchOtherDerivationParameters": ""
    },
    "orderposnext": "unsupported",
    "purpose": "unsupported",
    "tx": "unsupported",
    "version": 190001
}

Obviously not with 'xxxxxxxx' but various numbers.

What do I do now? I can't remember where I kept my "private key", if that's what is needed. Can someone please help?

[morbius55]

My amateur opinion is that the wallet is encrypted, so you need to add the passphrase for it in the script.

[BitMaxz]

Do you remember the password of your wallet before?

If you still remember the password use this command below.

Code:

pywallet.py --dumpwallet  --datadir=. --passphrase=YourPassword

If you don't remember the password of your old wallet you might need a BTCrecovery tool to recover your password.

The guide can be found here https://github.com/gurnec/btcrecover/blob/master/TUTORIAL.md#btcrecover-tutorial

[ltcdude]

I don't remember the password. What I *do* remember is trying to be smart back then and having a complicated passphrase, and then encoding THAT to make it "extra secure", and then, saving it in a hidden drive with TrueCrypt. I thought I was being very smart and secure, now I realized I'm really quite the opposite.

Is the BTCrecovery tool legit? I will go through the link. Thanks.

[escobol]

Without pass it is almost impossible

[fxsniper]

if you can get all private key already

example

Code:

The wallet is not encrypted
{
    "ckey": [], 
    "defaultkey": "1AYtm4VnUCWTBbGhXC4RZMB3QVL1DGtT1M", 
    "keys": [
        {
            "addr": "1PpMsgK7CvVQCX4kdRwgGC38NL5xG2yRs5", 
            "compressed": false, 
            "hexsec": "cc376a11e0db7e21bcd62d00d3d9a5ebac20b159f6e3dea39ad590549ee6496a", 
            "label": "", 
            "private": "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", 
            "pubkey": "040688323133bf17cc728553553c41f122cf8872b1b931546cfd7c8d4deeae48c5335ec677d177d5098789eb0e949bf35cd93f2d5cff2ca6d3b1addc04a208af81", 
            "reserve": 0, 
            "sec": "5KNE1wGnB9PdTDWd8asN3RyLVBxN3NGs8Qjd8V4RVPQ9ByAh57R", 
            "secret": "cc376a11e0db7e21bcd62d00d3d9a5ebac20b159f6e3dea39ad590549ee6496a"
        }, 

using  "sec": "5KNE1wGnB9PdTDWd8asN3RyLVBxN3NGs8Qjd8V4RVPQ9ByAh57R", 
this is WIF private key
use this import to new wallet

or  "secret": "cc376a11e0db7e21bcd62d00d3d9a5ebac20b159f6e3dea39ad590549ee6496a"
this is you private key

[HCP]

I don't remember the password. What I *do* remember is trying to be smart back then and having a complicated passphrase, and then encoding THAT to make it "extra secure", and then, saving it in a hidden drive with TrueCrypt. I thought I was being very smart and secure, now I realized I'm really quite the opposite.

Do you remember anything at all about the wallet passphrase?

- Approximate passphrase length
- Character set used: lower, UPPER, numb3r5, symb@|s? etc
- Likely format of the passphrase (ie. 10 letters + 4 numbers... or "1 uppercase, followed by 8 mixed letters/symbols, followed by 2 numbers" etc)

If you don't, you may as well save yourself some time and stress and give up now... This tools rely on you having a fairly good starting point to be able to achieve results in a reasonable amount of time.

Is the BTCrecovery tool legit? I will go through the link. Thanks.

Yes, it is. Although, the version linked above is a little outdated now... and isn't being actively maintained.

You might want to look at this version: https://github.com/3rdIteration/btcrecover/

[EdouardDuval]

Hi everyone, Hope you doing well.
I'm stuck to the exact same point.


"mkey": {
        "encrypted_key": "96 lengths encrypted key",
        "nDerivationIterations": 64425,
        "nDerivationMethod": 0,
        "nID": 1,
        "otherParams": "",
        "salt": "salt*** "
    },
    "names": {
        "Myadress": ""
    },


How can i figure out the private keys from these information please?

[BitMaxz]

How can i figure out the private keys from these information please?

If you just use the script or command that the OP did then you both will receive the same result.

Do you know exactly the password of your wallet.dat? then use the command that I posted above or this below

Code:

pywallet.py --dumpwallet  --datadir=. --passphrase=YourPassword

Or if you don't know the password then you need BTCrecover tool the guide can find here btcrecover Tutorial

[nc50lc]

-snip-
How can i figure out the private keys from these information please?

If you've provided the passphrase, the WIF private keys will be listed under the "keys" json array (usually above that master key array).

It contains "addr", "compressed", "encrypted_privkey" down to "secret",
the one that you're looking for are the "sec" above secret, which is the WIF prvKey of the address above it.

But if you see this line:

Code:

The wallet is encrypted but no passphrase is used

Then there'll be no WIF keys listed there.

[EdouardDuval]

How can i figure out the private keys from these information please?

If you just use the script or command that the OP did then you both will receive the same result.

Do you know exactly the password of your wallet.dat? then use the command that I posted above or this below

Code:

pywallet.py --dumpwallet  --datadir=. --passphrase=YourPassword

Or if you don't know the password then you need BTCrecover tool the guide can find here btcrecover Tutorial

I tried this . But everytime, on all my computer it says : Segmentation fault
I think I ve got the right password but I can make it work.

thanks for all the answers , very appreciate.

[EdouardDuval]

-snip-
How can i figure out the private keys from these information please?

If you've provided the passphrase, the WIF private keys will be listed under the "keys" json array (usually above that master key array).

It contains "addr", "compressed", "encrypted_privkey" down to "secret",
the one that you're looking for are the "sec" above secret, which is the WIF prvKey of the address above it.

But if you see this line:

Code:

The wallet is encrypted but no passphrase is used

Then there'll be no WIF keys listed there.

Yep I understand it.
But everytime I get to add the password it says : segmentation fault.
How can i make it work?
Thanks  you for your time.

[nc50lc]

-snip-
But everytime I get to add the password it says : segmentation fault.
How can i make it work?

From which version of pywallet was it?
Because in my tests, I haven't encountered a 'seg fault' error by using the master branch of: https://github.com/jackjack-jj/pywallet/tree/master
Tested in Python v2.7.17.

Do not download from the releases tag, it's the old version from 2011.

[EdouardDuval]

-snip-
But everytime I get to add the password it says : segmentation fault.
How can i make it work?

From which version of pywallet was it?
Because in my tests, I haven't encountered a 'seg fault' error by using the master branch of: https://github.com/jackjack-jj/pywallet/tree/master
Tested in Python v2.7.17.

Do not download from the releases tag, it's the old version from 2011.

THANKS YOU A LOT MAN ! It helps.
Now i get the error
ERROR parsing wallet.dat, type b'mkey'
 ... i don't know what to do .

but i foudn this on github
I found a lazier fix that won't cause errors: just don't parse the settings.
Add a "continue" as the first line of the elif type == b"setting": block here:

pywallet/pywallet.py

Line 2271 in c88faf8
 elif type == b"setting":

I don't understand where i'm supposed to put the continue?? thanks you a lot for your time.

[nc50lc]

Now i get the error
ERROR parsing wallet.dat, type b'mkey'
-snip-
but i foudn this on github
I found a lazier fix that won't cause errors: just don't parse the settings.

You mean this specific comment: link?
If so, the OP's issue about type setting error isn't related to the type b'mkey' error that you're getting.

You can try to open a new issue in that repository since I haven't found any duplicate and I can't reproduce it.

[BitMaxz]

I tried this . But everytime, on all my computer it says : Segmentation fault
I think I ve got the right password but I can make it work.

thanks for all the answers , very appreciate.

How about this command would you mind trying this one

Code:

python pywallet.py –dumpwallet -datadir="yourpath" > wallet.text --passphrase= PASSPHRASE

The segmentation fault might be because of an incorrect Passphrase/Password would you mind to confirm if the password is correct by using the BTCrecover tool let see if the result will be the same? If the password you put is not correct then the error you get from pywallet is due to an incorrect passphrase/password.