Watch only wallet with Private key

[BlackHatCoiner]

Yes I did it exactly like you did. Same key type and it returned next to the green "Receiving" my original addresses.

But, the wallet is watch-only?

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[o_e_l_e_o]

Yes I am busy with it. On the other computer now it is the first time the orb remains blue arrows while its syncing. Previously went to green quickly but not fully synced. You might have a good point here.

Whether or not it syncs is irrelevant for the purposes of checking the address. Create a new wallet, import a private key, go to the addresses tab and see if the correct address shows up. You don't even need an internet connection to do this.

But, the wallet is watch-only?

Which obviously means OP has imported an address rather than a private key, but he insists he is importing private keys only and not addresses, and he also insists he is not getting confused and opening different wallets files. Either he is mistaken, or there is a never seen before bug in which his Electrum is converting an imported private key wallet in to a watch only wallet.


Are any of the old addresses which you cannot recover with these private keys empty? If there is a private key with no funds on it, it might be worth sharing it with someone you trust and asking them to recover it to see what happens.

[NeuroticFish]

Are any of the old addresses which you cannot recover with these private keys empty? If there is a private key with no funds on it, it might be worth sharing it with someone you trust and asking them to recover it to see what happens.

At least one of his test addresses has one Satoshi on it. Sharing the private key would be an interesting approach so we can see what the problem is.
Just the risk is that maybe OP - as confused as he is - gives the key of an address with funds by mistake. Hence I would rather do this privately for start.

[Bennas]

Yes I did it exactly like you did. Same key type and it returned next to the green "Receiving" my original addresses.

But, the wallet is watch-only?

Yes a watching only wallet!

Now what we did next yesterday. We went to the city for a quicker internet line. We did a fresh download from Electrum.org website the oldest version available namely v1.8. We took one key (not address - Starts with an L ) and did like you did in your previous reply. Exactly like that.

It started importing and next to the Green receiving line gives a totally unknown address. The orb in the bottom righthand corner remains with the blue arrows syncing for 15 hours. Following moment orb goes green. Imported on top of the app change to watching only and the old original address appears next to the green receiving line and unknown address is gone.

Any ideas (OP did not make a mistake with the private key - Lets move beyond that point)

[Bennas]

Are any of the old addresses which you cannot recover with these private keys empty? If there is a private key with no funds on it, it might be worth sharing it with someone you trust and asking them to recover it to see what happens.

At least one of his test addresses has one Satoshi on it. Sharing the private key would be an interesting approach so we can see what the problem is.
Just the risk is that maybe OP - as confused as he is - gives the key of an address with funds by mistake. Hence I would rather do this privately for start.

Yes I think it might be a good idea. I am willing to share one of the keys with one Satoshi in it with you guys to see if I do something wrong. Don't stress I might be confused with what is happening with our imports but I wont share keys with coins in it with anyone. I will be careful. What I don't know (OP is a newbie) is how to share it privately. If you advise I will send it to you.

Thanks once again

[Bennas]

Yes I am busy with it. On the other computer now it is the first time the orb remains blue arrows while its syncing. Previously went to green quickly but not fully synced. You might have a good point here.

Whether or not it syncs is irrelevant for the purposes of checking the address. Create a new wallet, import a private key, go to the addresses tab and see if the correct address shows up. You don't even need an internet connection to do this.

But, the wallet is watch-only?

Which obviously means OP has imported an address rather than a private key, but he insists he is importing private keys only and not addresses, and he also insists he is not getting confused and opening different wallets files. Either he is mistaken, or there is a never seen before bug in which his Electrum is converting an imported private key wallet in to a watch only wallet.


Are any of the old addresses which you cannot recover with these private keys empty? If there is a private key with no funds on it, it might be worth sharing it with someone you trust and asking them to recover it to see what happens.

[/b]

I will share it with you sir. How do I do it privately?

[NeuroticFish]

I will be careful. What I don't know (OP is a newbie) is how to share it privately. If you advise I will send it to you.

On the left area of each post you can find the user name of the poster.
Click that username, you'll see the user profile.
On the bottom area you'll find a link: Send this member a personal message. Click it and you'll be in an e-mail like form. You will see that the "to" area contains the correct target username.
Write the message and click "send private message".

[Bennas]

I will be careful. What I don't know (OP is a newbie) is how to share it privately. If you advise I will send it to you.

On the left area of each post you can find the user name of the poster.
Click that username, you'll see the user profile.
On the bottom area you'll find a link: Send this member a personal message. Click it and you'll be in an e-mail like form. You will see that the "to" area contains the correct target username.
Write the message and click "send private message".

Thank you I will send it now.

[BlackHatCoiner]

Write the message and click "send private message".

It also warns you to not send sensitive messages and there's a reason for that. Besides o_e_l_e_o and Bennas the content may be readable from administrators and email providers. Why have we reached the point where the OP transfers private keys?


This has abruptly started to sound very weird. I have a sneaking suspicion that there's something rather malicious with this case. I repeat: If you imported a private key IT CANNOT HAVE RETURNED YOU A WATCH-ONLY WALLET.

Would you mind if I sent you a private key and recorded the procedure?

[Bennas]

Write the message and click "send private message".

It also warns you to not send sensitive messages and there's a reason for that. Besides o_e_l_e_o and Bennas the content may be readable from administrators and email providers. Why have we reached the point where the OP transfers private keys?


This has abruptly started to sound very weird. I have a sneaking suspicion that there's something rather malicious with this case. I repeat: If you imported a private key IT CANNOT HAVE RETURNED YOU A WATCH-ONLY WALLET.

Would you mind if I sent you a private key and recorded the procedure?

I get where you are coming from. I am just at a point with this case where it feels like a dead end. You for instance keep on telling me "IT CANNOT HAVE RETURNED YOU A WATCH-ONLY WALLET and I am telling you it does. Many times and many versions. Only one Satoshi in that wallet sir. I made sure. Nothing malicious from my side.

Would you mind if I sent you a private key and recorded the procedure?

Why do you want to send me a private key? I don't have the knowledge to help you.

But thank you for the help so far. Much appreciated.

[BlackHatCoiner]

You for instance keep on telling me "IT CANNOT HAVE RETURNED YOU A WATCH-ONLY WALLET and I am telling you it does.

If you had downloaded a popular open-source calculator, stated that you verified the binaries and got 3 when you added 1 to 1, then what's more likely? For you to have misunderstood the problem or for the developers to have left a backdoor? I'm just telling you what's much more likely.

Why do you want to send me a private key? I don't have the knowledge to help you.

I'll send you a private key (with no funds) and you will record me a video where you import that key and get a watch-only wallet.

[NeuroticFish]

OK, so I've received in PM a private key.

OP wrote:

Original Address - 1AgV6A1vaRQ16G8sRR1VUW4r8EDnmdEBpy
It has the correct 3 transactions and 0.00000001 BTC in it up to now
When I import the key in Exodus, Blockchain or an offline compression tool it gives me the following unknown address with nothing in it.
Unknown address - 14YjouC6ba7MR6WJWE7Wjsa6FdDYwjkX2p

My Electrum also returns 14YjouC6ba7MR6WJWE7Wjsa6FdDYwjkX2p for that private key, hence the key is not the correct one for 1AgV6A1vaRQ16G8sRR1VUW4r8EDnmdEBpy

The first thing that I have to say is that unfortunately it seems that OP has probably noted down the wrong private keys and he should get them again, carefully, from his Bitcoin Core wallet. As long as Bitcoin core is in the state it can run, no internet is necessary for this.

The second thing to discuss is how did this private key could ever give a watch-only wallet with another address (i.e. the elusive 1AgV6A1vaRQ16G8sRR1VUW4r8EDnmdEBpy).

[Bennas]

The second thing to discuss is how did this private key could ever give a watch-only wallet with another address (i.e. the elusive 1AgV6A1vaRQ16G8sRR1VUW4r8EDnmdEBpy).


I just want to mention that Electrum did it with more than 1 version, all 8 keys imported at different instances and different laptops. All the addresses correspond and were correct. Coincidence? I don't think so. All watching only.

I am not sure if yours gave a watching only.

[NeuroticFish]

I am not sure if yours gave a watching only.

No, it didn't give watch only. It gave normal imported wallet. Just the corresponding address is 14YjouC6ba7MR6WJWE7Wjsa6FdDYwjkX2p, hence no 1 satoshi balance, no transactions.

I just want to mention that Electrum did it with more than 1 version, all 8 keys imported at different instances and different laptops. All watching only.

I would assume that something is awfully wrong with your computer - whether that's a malicious Electrum, whether it's an antivirus, or some odd recovery/shielding setup, or plain malware, or user rights that doesn't allow writing onto that folder or something else I cannot tell.

[Bennas]

I am not sure if yours gave a watching only.

No, it didn't give watch only. It gave normal imported wallet. Just the corresponding address is 14YjouC6ba7MR6WJWE7Wjsa6FdDYwjkX2p, hence no 1 satoshi balance, no transactions.

I just want to mention that Electrum did it with more than 1 version, all 8 keys imported at different instances and different laptops. All watching only.

I would assume that something is awfully wrong with your computer - whether that's a malicious Electrum, whether it's an antivirus, or some odd recovery/shielding setup, or plain malware, or user rights that doesn't allow writing onto that folder or something else I cannot tell.

I'm dumbstruck. I am not sure the way forward.

[BlackHatCoiner]

Have you tried importing the same private key in another computer?

[Bennas]

Have you tried importing the same private key in another computer?

Busy with it as we speak sir. Fresh computer and fresh install

Also now trying Linux on yet another computer

Then back to Bitcoin Core older version.

I don't think me and my son will find any other keys.

Comes back to the same old story. Why did Electrum collect my correct addresses? And maybe if you leave the wallet on for maybe 24 hours it might also change to watching only with the other address. What do you think worth a try?

[BlackHatCoiner]

OP also sent me a PM and of course, I got what NeuroticFish got too. The same 14Yjou address with no money. @Bennas, the fact that you've written a valid private key (in Wallet Import Format) shows me that you've written it down correctly. However, this doesn't prove that it corresponds to the address you used those days. Maybe you noted down the private key of an address that was in your wallet, but not used. There's also a very small chance you miswrote a character and it was considered valid, which I don't want to believe it's the case.

You need to find the wallet file from the computer you had Bitcoin Core installed. The fault is on you regardless of how properly you think you handled it.

[o_e_l_e_o]

OP has now also sent me what I presume is the same PM NeuroticFish and BlackHatCoiner have received above. OP, you really shouldn't send your private key(s) to random internet strangers, and especially not over unencrypted forum PMs.

However, I agree with the two posters above that this private key is empty. I have recovered every type of address I can, I've check all the uncompressed addresses, I've used the private key as an input in to a brain wallet with various hash rounds, I've checked a dozen private keys on either side, and various other weird and wonderful ideas, and all associated addresses are empty.

Now what we did next yesterday. We went to the city for a quicker internet line. We did a fresh download from Electrum.org website the oldest version available namely v1.8. We took one key (not address - Starts with an L ;)) and did like you did in your previous reply. Exactly like that.

It started importing and next to the Green receiving line gives a totally unknown address. The orb in the bottom righthand corner remains with the blue arrows syncing for 15 hours. Following moment orb goes green. Imported on top of the app change to watching only and the old original address appears next to the green receiving line and unknown address is gone.

So Electrum versions as old as 1.8 will never sync, since they are prevented from doing so to protect against a vulnerability in old versions. If the orb changed to green (which means connected, which is impossible in version 1.8), then it sounds like the version of Electrum with the imported wallet with the wrong address crashed, and Electrum defaulted to opening your default wallet which is a completely unrelated watch only wallet, which is why you are mistakenly believing the wallet is converting itself from one to the other.

As I've suspected from the start, you have the wrong private keys written down. Do you still have access to your Bitcoin Core wallet files? They are now your only hope to recover these coins.

[Pmalek]

On 29 January I suggested that you try the recovery process on a different computer, a few other members have done the same, but I see you still haven't done that.
3 users you PMed have now recovered the same legacy address with no funds in it. The wallet type didn't change from imported to watch-only, which means the problem is local-yours.

Dump all your private keys from Bitcoin Core again and import them on a fresh Electrum install on a different and clean device. Post the exact download link for the Electrum software that you will install.

When you import a private key and click on Wallet > Private Keys > Export in Electrum, what does it show you? Does it show you the private key of the address? Have you tried to import a private key of an address that is not connected to any of your wallets or addresses to see how your Electrum acts? Try importing 5HpHagT65TZzG1PH3CSu63k8DbpvD8s5ip4nEB3kEsreAnchuDf. It's a leaked private key that is publicly available. Import it and see if you can sync, and then do the steps above to find that same private key.