Electrum to recover data from original Bitcoin Core wallet - not synchronizing

[CarlAylen@TalentChaser.co]

I'm trying to use and Electrum my mnemonic seed phrase to recover my bitcoins from my original Bitcoin Core wallet. Since my mnemonic seed phrase is 12 words long, I selected the BIP39 option. The wallet is installed and IK can access it but it isn't synchronizing. Any help would be appreciated.

[BitMaxz]

I don't know if I understand it well you mean you tried to import a Mnemonic seed phrase from the Bitcoin core wallet to the Electrum wallet in the BIP39 option?

Are you sure it was from the Bitcoin core wallet because Bitcoin core won't generate a 12-word mnemonic seed and are you sure that you are using an authentic Electrum wallet?

Can you explain how or where you got the 12-word seed phrase?

[Catenaccio]

You can import Bitcoin Core private key to Electrum, must choose BIP39.

You can not import Bitcoin Core mnemonic seed to Electrum because Bitcoin Core wallet does not give us any wallet mnemonic seed at all.

Importing your private keys into Electrum
[overview] Recover Bitcoin from any old storage format

[FatFork]

I'm trying to use and Electrum my mnemonic seed phrase to recover my bitcoins from my original Bitcoin Core wallet.
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There might be a misunderstanding here.  Bitcoin Core itself doesn't use seed phrases for recovery. Are you thinking of a different wallet software perhaps?  Many popular wallets do use seed phrases for backup, so it's easy to get confused.

[Saint-loup]

I'm trying to use and Electrum my mnemonic seed phrase to recover my bitcoins from my original Bitcoin Core wallet. Since my mnemonic seed phrase is 12 words long, I selected the BIP39 option. The wallet is installed and IK can access it but it isn't synchronizing. Any help would be appreciated.

Unfortunately Hierarchical Deterministic seeds of Bitcoin Core wallets are not in the BIP39 format, only in the BIP32 one, they are not "mnemonic" and don't use any words. They are just in a WIF format like a common Bitcoin private or public key. And you can't import them into Electrum in any way afaik. You must use a vanilla Bitcoin Core wallet in order to recover your funds if you have this type of seed. So I think you've created it with another wallet. Electrum accepts BIP39 seeds, so it should work if your HD seed respects this format or is an Electrum seed ofc.

[Zaguru12]

Just as others have said bitcoin core doesn’t generate a seed phrase so anything related to that is fake. Also if the seed phrase was generated from electrum (maybe that’s what you mean) it is still not a BIP39 seed phrase but rather an electrum custom seed phrase.

The synchronization of the wallet though might be associated with your network because even if the seed phrase we from somewhere then electrum will have recovered it or say it’s invalid.

[CarlAylen@TalentChaser.co]

About 6 years ago, I went to the Bitcoin.org website and downloaded their wallet onto my old computer. As part of the installation process, I had to enter a 12-word phrase. Then, last year my old computer suddenly stopped working and although I got technical help, it has proved impossible to retrieve the wallet.dat file from that computer. I understand however, that it is possible to download an Electrum wallet (which I have done) and use the 12-word phrase when during the installation process (which I have also done). But, I have not been able to get the new wallet to synchronize. I'm told this is a common problem> I'm need some guidance as to how to troubleshoot this problem.

[FatFork]

About 6 years ago, I went to the Bitcoin.org website and downloaded their wallet onto my old computer. As part of the installation process, I had to enter a 12-word phrase.
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Whatever you downloaded probably wasn't a Bitcoin Core wallet.  Bitcoin Core doesn't use 12-word seed phrases for recovery.

There's a chance it could be some other popular wallet software.  Do you remember anything about the software you downloaded from Bitcoin.org?  The name, logo, interface layout, anything?

[NeuroticFish]

About 6 years ago, I went to the Bitcoin.org website and downloaded their wallet onto my old computer.

For many years bitcoin.org has a page to choose a wallet. I tend to believe that this is what you've done and you've downloaded a wallet different from Bitcoin Core.
If it's 6 years ago it may be Electrum. If it's maybe 8 years ago, it may be Multibit HD. Of course, in the last years other wallets were built, but not as popular as Electrum.
It is important to find out what kind of wallet (name, year!!) you've used because the 12 words of very old wallets don't work just like that in new wallets, especially if different software.

use the 12-word phrase when during the installation process (which I have also done). But, I have not been able to get the new wallet to synchronize.

This is interesting! So you mean the recovery of wallet from the 12 words went on perfectly until the end with no error window/message?
If so, what you mean by not synchronizing? Just not showing the funds/transactions? Or is it showing a red dot at bottom right?
If, on the other hand, the 12 words were not accepted, please say so, since that's another discussion.

[Cricktor]

About 6 years ago, I went to the Bitcoin.org website and downloaded their wallet onto my old computer.

Bitcoin.org offers you different wallets based on user's preferences. This site doesn't have "his" wallet, it showcases different but more or less reputable wallets.

As part of the installation process, I had to enter a 12-word phrase.

OK, fine, so you chose a HD wallet which uses mnemonic recovery words as wallet backup.

... although I got technical help, it has proved impossible to retrieve the wallet.dat file from that computer. I understand however, that it is possible to download an Electrum wallet (which I have done) and use the 12-word phrase when during the installation process (which I have also done).

If you downloaded Electrum, then there is no wallet.dat file to be found. Your wallet file has a different name, you can look up its location based on the OS you used (you didn't say about that so far, if I remember correctly). I use Electrum with Linux and wallet files are saved normally in ~/.electrum/wallets directory.

But, I have not been able to get the new wallet to synchronize. I'm told this is a common problem> I'm need some guidance as to how to troubleshoot this problem.

Which version of Electrum do you use?

There is a colored circle in the lower right corner: which color does it show?

Click on the colored circle in the lower right corner and post a screenshot of what you seen in the Network Overview tab.
(You can upload your screenshot to https://talkimg.com/ and insert the [img]link-to-picture[/img] enclosed in [img]-tags.)

If you want to download the most recent version of Electrum, do this only from the official Electrum size which is https://www.electrum.org/ and never forget to verify your downloaded wallet package is genuine (the site provides instructions how to do it properly).