can't access electrum wallet

[atrocious hindwind]

Had not been in my electrum wallet for over a year. When I went in balance showed "0". Made a small purchase to see if it would show up. No luck. Did wallet new/restore using seed phrase. No luck. Went to BITREF to find all transactions I made were listed with the correct amounts and dates including the most recent on 3/18/23. No other activity. Was advised on another forum I need to open a different wallet in order to "bridge" the two wallets and transfer funds from electrum to new wallet. Is this a legitimate procedure or are they trying to set me up to steal the coins? The BITREF site and Blockchain.com shows the coins are still in the wallet address I own. Is there any possible way to access them since the electrum wallet doesn't seem to be functioning?

[1714606354]

1714606354

[1714606354]

1714606354

[OmegaStarScream]

Which version are you using? also, is the circled button red or green? If it's red, then it means your wallet is not connected to electrum servers, so it's normal that you can't see the funds.

[bitmover]

Had not been in my electrum wallet for over a year. When I went in balance showed "0". Made a small purchase to see if it would show up. No luck. Did wallet new/restore using seed phrase. No luck.

I would update the wallet.

Download the new version here

https://electrum.org/#download

Did you generate the address for this transaction just before sending it? Are you sure you are in the correct wallet? Derivation path and seed?

[atrocious hindwind]

Which version are you using? also, is the circled button red or green? If it's red, then it means your wallet is not connected to electrum servers, so it's normal that you can't see the funds.

I updated to the newest version. The circle is green.

[OmegaStarScream]

I updated to the newest version. The circle is green.

In this case, are you sure that the address you're checking on blockchain.com belongs to the wallet you're currently using? See the "addresses" tab or run the following command in the console:

Code:

ismine('address_here')

The command must return true.

[atrocious hindwind]

I updated to the newest version. The circle is green.

In this case, are you sure that the address you're checking on blockchain.com belongs to the wallet you're currently using? See the "addresses" tab or run the following command in the console:

Code:

ismine('address_here')

The command must return true.

Nothing in addresses. Command returned "Traceback"

[hosseinimr93]

Nothing in addresses. Command returned "Traceback"

You probably didn't enter the command correctly. With using the command mentioned by OmegaStarScream above, you should get either True or False. True means that the address is yours and False means that it's not yours.
To check if an address belongs to your wallet, you can also go to "Addresses" tab and see if the address is there. (If you don't see "Addresses" tab, click on "View" at top of the window and select and "Show addresses".)

[atrocious hindwind]

I updated to the newest version. The circle is green.

In this case, are you sure that the address you're checking on blockchain.com belongs to the wallet you're currently using? See the "addresses" tab or run the following command in the console:

Code:

ismine('address_here')

The command must return true.

Nothing in addresses. Command returned "Traceback"

Sorry, list of receiving addresses and change addresses


Sorry Omega, I'm not versed in this stuff. I thought I entered the command correctly but I didn't get the response expected. I think I'm wasting everyone's time here since I don't understand the instructions I'm being given. I don't know what I'm looking at and don't know what's supposed to happen. I'm worried I'll do something that will make the wallet permanently inaccessible.


Mod note: consecutive posts merged

[paid2]

Sorry Omega, I'm not versed in this stuff. I thought I entered the command correctly but I didn't get the response expected. I think I'm wasting everyone's time here since I don't understand the instructions I'm being given. I don't know what I'm looking at and don't know what's supposed to happen. I'm worried I'll do something that will make the wallet permanently inaccessible.

Just don’t panic.

1. Secure your seed offline and in a safe place : with the seed backed up, nothing can happen to your BTC even if you delete Electrum from your computer.
If you don’t know how to do it, click on the lock at the bottom right in your Electrum (see screenshot under my message). Write your 12 words and hide the paper as much as possible. This seed, as you probably already know, is the key of your BTC wallet.



2. Download Electrum from their official website (if you want you can verify the signature of the file to be sure it is an original one, but if you don’t know how do it, you could skip this step)

3. Open your new Electrum freshly downloaded

4. Create a new wallet > Standard wallet > I already own a seed and you write your seed previously backed up there (this step must be done offline preferably)

[o_e_l_e_o]

Was advised on another forum I need to open a different wallet in order to "bridge" the two wallets and transfer funds from electrum to new wallet.

Do not do this! There is absolutely no need to send your coins to somewhere else. And how would they expect you to make that transfer if you cannot access your coins in the first place?

The BITREF site and Blockchain.com shows the coins are still in the wallet address I own.

So in that case your coins are perfectly safe and you haven't been hacked, there is just some local problem with your Electrum software which we need to fix.

When you open the original wallet or the wallet file you restored from your seed phrase, click on the "Addresses" tab. (Click View -> Show Addresses in the toolbar if you don't see the addresses tab). Do you see the addresses you expect to see, the ones you were looking up on blockchain.com? You've already said that the circle is green - try clicking on the green circle and then right clicking on a new server and selecting "Use as server" to rule out a problem with the server you are connecting to.

[atrocious hindwind]

Was advised on another forum I need to open a different wallet in order to "bridge" the two wallets and transfer funds from electrum to new wallet.

Do not do this! There is absolutely no need to send your coins to somewhere else. And how would they expect you to make that transfer if you cannot access your coins in the first place?

The BITREF site and Blockchain.com shows the coins are still in the wallet address I own.

So in that case your coins are perfectly safe and you haven't been hacked, there is just some local problem with your Electrum software which we need to fix.

When you open the original wallet or the wallet file you restored from your seed phrase, click on the "Addresses" tab. (Click View -> Show Addresses in the toolbar if you don't see the addresses tab). Do you see the addresses you expect to see, the ones you were looking up on blockchain.com? You've already said that the circle is green - try clicking on the green circle and then right clicking on a new server and selecting "Use as server" to rule out a problem with the server you are connecting to.

I do not see my wallet address in the addresses list. (that's what I'm looking for, right?) There are 20 of them labeled "receiving" and 10 labeled "change".  I have gone through the 10 server nodes listed, all circles come up green and nothing changes.

[hosseinimr93]

I do not see my wallet address in the addresses list. (that's what I'm looking for, right?) There are 20 of them labeled "receiving" and 10 labeled "change".  I have gone through the 10 server nodes listed, all circles come up green and nothing changes.

If you don't see that address, it means that it doesn't belong to this wallet.
Are you sure that's the only wallet you generated on electrum? Didn't you generate multiple wallets?
Click on "File" at top of the window and check if you have any other wallet.

[atrocious hindwind]

I do not see my wallet address in the addresses list. (that's what I'm looking for, right?) There are 20 of them labeled "receiving" and 10 labeled "change".  I have gone through the 10 server nodes listed, all circles come up green and nothing changes.

If you don't see that address, it means that it doesn't belong to this wallet.
Are you sure that's the only wallet you generated on electrum? Didn't you generate multiple wallets?
Click on "File" at top of the window and check if you have any other wallet.

I opened 2 subsequent wallets from the original after all this started  (electrum wallet 1 and electrum wallet 2 from the main wallet) but haven't been able to do anything with them either. I've done all the suggestions on those wallets and get the same results. They show all the same info as the main wallet.

[vv181]

Nothing in addresses. Command returned "Traceback"

Make sure you did not remove the single quote (' ').

Code:

ismine('xx')

Change only the xx to the address you have checked on Bitref or blockchain.com.



If you did not found the Console window, you can open it up with, on Electrum application, click View on the toolbar, then click "Show Console"

[nc50lc]

Nothing in addresses. Command returned "Traceback"

ismine() command isn't necessary if you've checked the addresses tab thoroughly.
Because it'll only check the current keypool which is as much as the addresses listed in your addresses tab.

If you want, you can generate more to check it you somehow used an address at a higher index. (it's highly-unlikely though)
To generate more, enter the command:

Code:

[wallet.create_new_address(False) for i in range(500)]

Then use ismine() command.
Note: You can replace "500" with the amount of address that you want to generate; re-enter the command but with "True" to generate change addresses.

-snip- Did wallet new/restore using seed phrase. No luck.

Have you extended your seed phrase by ticking "Extend this seed with custom words" when you created the wallet?
Because if so, you'll have to enter the exact same seed phrase extension (a.k.a Passphrase) to restore the correct wallet.

[o_e_l_e_o]

I opened 2 subsequent wallets from the original after all this started  (electrum wallet 1 and electrum wallet 2 from the main wallet) but haven't been able to do anything with them either. I've done all the suggestions on those wallets and get the same results. They show all the same info as the main wallet.

The options are you have the right wallet but you need to extend the gap limit as per nc50lc's instructions, you have the right seed phrase but are recovering the wrong wallet either via the wrong derivation path or a missing passphrase, you have the wrong seed phrase altogether, or your coins have been moved/stolen. Can you try to answer each of the following questions to help us narrow this down:

So am I correct in saying that your original wallet file, and the wallet file you recovered from your seed phrase, are identical, containing the same addresses? Do you have any other wallet files or seed phrases? Do you remember ever setting an additional passphrase or extending your seed phrase with custom words? Does your wallet show any transaction history - i.e. coins have come in and gone out, or is it just completely blank?

And what about the addresses which currently hold your coins? You are absolutely certain that your coins haven't been moved? You say these addresses which hold your coins came from an Electrum wallet - are you sure it was this wallet? And you are sure you saw them show up in your Electrum wallet whenever you initially received them? What character to these addresses start with?

When you restored your wallet from the seed phrase, on the screen where you type in you seed phrase but before you click next it should have said something like "Seed Type: XXX" or "BIP39". What does yours say?

[atrocious hindwind]

I opened 2 subsequent wallets from the original after all this started  (electrum wallet 1 and electrum wallet 2 from the main wallet) but haven't been able to do anything with them either. I've done all the suggestions on those wallets and get the same results. They show all the same info as the main wallet.

The options are you have the right wallet but you need to extend the gap limit as per nc50lc's instructions, you have the right seed phrase but are recovering the wrong wallet either via the wrong derivation path or a missing passphrase, you have the wrong seed phrase altogether, or your coins have been moved/stolen. Can you try to answer each of the following questions to help us narrow this down:

So am I correct in saying that your original wallet file, and the wallet file you recovered from your seed phrase, are identical, containing the same addresses? Do you have any other wallet files or seed phrases? Do you remember ever setting an additional passphrase or extending your seed phrase with custom words? Does your wallet show any transaction history - i.e. coins have come in and gone out, or is it just completely blank?

And what about the addresses which currently hold your coins? You are absolutely certain that your coins haven't been moved? You say these addresses which hold your coins came from an Electrum wallet - are you sure it was this wallet? And you are sure you saw them show up in your Electrum wallet whenever you initially received them? What character to these addresses start with?

When you restored your wallet from the seed phrase, on the screen where you type in you seed phrase but before you click next it should have said something like "Seed Type: XXX" or "BIP39". What does yours say?

1. Both wallets, original and restored, showing all the same addresses. I have a Trust wallet and a Blockchain wallet I opened at the advice of others on another forum. I have done no transactions on either wallet. I did not modify in any way the seed provided in the electrum wallet. There is no transaction history. The page is blank.

2. Since I opened the electrum wallet I have not conducted any transactions other than purchase coin. I don't know where these addresses came from. They appear when I click the "addresses" tab on the wallet. Honestly, it's been so long since I was in this wallet I don't remember if I ever saw a balance of more than "0". I think, early on, a balance did show but I'm not absolutely sure. I found it easier to check the blockchain site. All the addresses begin with bc1q.

3. When I did the restore the box said the seed type was "Electrum". I did not change it.

I just looked at my account history on the site where I bought all my coin. I've made 8 total transactions. The last was on 3/18/23 and the site had a note on this transaction saying the wallet needed verifying but the coins were delivered to my electrum address even though I did not verify the wallet. (This transaction is reflected on the blockchain site and Bitref as delivered to my Electrum address.) I will check with them to see if anything more needs to be done. Before that all my transactions were done between 4/21 and 8/21 and are checked off as completed.

[nc50lc]

3. When I did the restore the box said the seed type was "Electrum". I did not change it.

Electrum will never show "Electrum" after pasting an electrum seed.
It's either "segwit", "standard", "2fa-segwit", "2fa" or "old" if BIP39 checkbox isn't ticked, otherwise, it'll be "BIP39: (checksum: failed)".

2. -snip- Honestly, it's been so long since I was in this wallet I don't remember if I ever saw a balance of more than "0". I think, early on, a balance did show but I'm not absolutely sure. I found it easier to check the blockchain site. All the addresses begin with bc1q.

It's hard to call that it's caused by a malware/hacker since you've mentioned that the funds are still there and it's more than a year.
There's a possibility that you've been unintentionally using a different wallet file during those times.

You can try to search your drive for any "wallets" or "electrum_data" folder
and see if there are files inside without any extension but with the wallet name that you've used or "default_wallet" / "wallet_1" if you didn't named it.
Since there are only 8 transactions, the size should be only around 20KB±, and will show base64 characters if your open it with a text editor or readable text if it's not encrypted.

[litecoin_messiah]

I opened 2 subsequent wallets from the original after all this started  (electrum wallet 1 and electrum wallet 2 from the main wallet) but haven't been able to do anything with them either. I've done all the suggestions on those wallets and get the same results. They show all the same info as the main wallet.

The options are you have the right wallet but you need to extend the gap limit as per nc50lc's instructions, you have the right seed phrase but are recovering the wrong wallet either via the wrong derivation path or a missing passphrase, you have the wrong seed phrase altogether, or your coins have been moved/stolen. Can you try to answer each of the following questions to help us narrow this down:

So am I correct in saying that your original wallet file, and the wallet file you recovered from your seed phrase, are identical, containing the same addresses? Do you have any other wallet files or seed phrases? Do you remember ever setting an additional passphrase or extending your seed phrase with custom words? Does your wallet show any transaction history - i.e. coins have come in and gone out, or is it just completely blank?

And what about the addresses which currently hold your coins? You are absolutely certain that your coins haven't been moved? You say these addresses which hold your coins came from an Electrum wallet - are you sure it was this wallet? And you are sure you saw them show up in your Electrum wallet whenever you initially received them? What character to these addresses start with?

When you restored your wallet from the seed phrase, on the screen where you type in you seed phrase but before you click next it should have said something like "Seed Type: XXX" or "BIP39". What does yours say?

1. Both wallets, original and restored, showing all the same addresses. I have a Trust wallet and a Blockchain wallet I opened at the advice of others on another forum. I have done no transactions on either wallet. I did not modify in any way the seed provided in the electrum wallet. There is no transaction history. The page is blank.

2. Since I opened the electrum wallet I have not conducted any transactions other than purchase coin. I don't know where these addresses came from. They appear when I click the "addresses" tab on the wallet. Honestly, it's been so long since I was in this wallet I don't remember if I ever saw a balance of more than "0". I think, early on, a balance did show but I'm not absolutely sure. I found it easier to check the blockchain site. All the addresses begin with bc1q.

3. When I did the restore the box said the seed type was "Electrum". I did not change it.

I just looked at my account history on the site where I bought all my coin. I've made 8 total transactions. The last was on 3/18/23 and the site had a note on this transaction saying the wallet needed verifying but the coins were delivered to my electrum address even though I did not verify the wallet. (This transaction is reflected on the blockchain site and Bitref as delivered to my Electrum address.) I will check with them to see if anything more needs to be done. Before that all my transactions were done between 4/21 and 8/21 and are checked off as completed.

Get the extended pubkey from "wallet" --> "information"

Make sure it starts with xpub/ypub/zpub

go to https://btc1.trezor.io/

enter the extended pubkey and it should show your transaction history there, if there are any.


Also click on "file", and then "open" and see if there are more than 1 files in the folder, if so, go up one directory and select all the files and make a archive of it and keep it safe.


In the folder where "wallets" folder is located, there should be a file named "config"

it will have something like this in it:

Code:

{
    "advanced_preview": true,
    "amt_precision_post_satoshi": 3,
    "auto_connect": true,
    "backup_dir": "/home/satoshi/electrum/electrum/wallets",
    "blockchain_preferred_block": {
        "hash": "000000000019d6689c085ae165831e934ff763ae46a2a6c172b3f1b60a8ce26f",
        "height": 0
    },
    "check_updates": false,
    "config_version": 3,
    "decimal_point": 8,
    "gui_last_wallet": "/Users/work/.electrum/wallets/default_wallet",
    "is_maximized": false,
    "num_zeros": 8,
    "oneserver": false,
    "recently_open": [
        "/home/satoshi/electrum/wallets/default_wallet",
        "/home/satoshi/electrum/wallets/wallet_2.backup",
        "/home/satoshi/electrum/wallets/wallet_2",
        "/home/satoshi/electrum/wallets/wallet_1"
    ],
    "rpcpassword": "dGhpcyBpc24ndCBteSBwYXNzd29yZA==",
    "rpcuser": "user",
    "server": "s.someelectrum.server:19492:s",
    "show_addresses_tab": true,
    "show_channels_tab": true,
    "show_console_tab": true,
    "show_contacts_tab": true,
    "show_utxo_tab": true
}

Does the "recently_open" have more than one path?

the recently open in the above example config is:

Code:

    "recently_open": [
        "/home/satoshi/electrum/wallets/default_wallet",
        "/home/satoshi/electrum/wallets/wallet_2.backup",
        "/home/satoshi/electrum/wallets/wallet_2",
        "/home/satoshi/electrum/wallets/wallet_1"
    ],

so if your one has more than one path look at these paths.


Also, this might help, if you are using windows download recuva (or another file recovery software, on linux i had good success with photorec)

Scan for text files under 100kb (or however large your wallet file would possibly be), and recover from the whole disk, search the text files for "xpub" "xprv" "stored_height" or any other keywords you can find, it might be harder to locate encrypted wallets But you can still do so, This method found older versions of my wallet files, like at different states.

I hope this helps.


edit: Also don't ever load electrum seeds on other wallets, your going to lead to all sorts of issues, the other wallets have different derivation paths usually and you will have change outputs moving to paths that electrum probably or might not notice if you use the wallet to spend coins on another client.

[nc50lc]

In the folder where "wallets" folder is located, there should be a file named "config"

Does the "recently_open" have more than one path?

The "recently_open" paths in the config file is the same as the list in the GUI's menu: "File->Recently open".
Both lists has a limit of 5 paths to a wallet file.

In my opinion, using the menu will be much more simpler.