I forgot my bitcoin wallet passphrase, can I use the bitcoin wallet key?

[HITTI2]

To unlock my wallet?

[DireWolfM14]

You haven't provided enough information.  Do you have a seed phrase wallet with an additional word, i.e. Bip39 passphrase?  Or do you mean you forgot the password to your wallet file?  What software are you using?  The more detail you can provide the better we can help.  

You've been around long enough that I probably don't have to tell you to not post any private keys, seed phrases, or passwords, and don't trust anyone offering help in PM.

[HITTI2]

You haven't provided enough information.  Do you have a seed phrase wallet with an additional word, i.e. Bip39 passphrase?  Or do you mean you forgot the password to your wallet file?  What software are you using?  The more detail you can provide the better we can help.  

You've been around long enough that I probably don't have to tell you to not post any private keys, seed phrases, or passwords, and don't trust anyone offering help in PM.

I forgot the passphrase to open the wallet to send funds or change passphrase to the locked wallet, but I do have the key for the wallet.

I believe the passphrase is with letters and numbers if seed phrase you mean.

[Solodoski]

By wallet key do you mean private key, that is in this format "5HueCGU8rMjxEXxiPuD5BDuUet89Z5c4vGbGJ2PR63QBsxEmZ6G" OR  you mean the 4 digit - 6 digit access key of the wallet.

Having the wallet key (password) won’t help you bypass the wallet encryption. The function of the key is to protect the wallet in general, without it the you can’t extract your private key or passphrase just like others have warned on the forums.

If you neither have your private key or your passphrase, then you are in a tough position because you can access your wallet unless you backed up your wallet using wallet.dat from Bitcoin core., or maybe you save the key in a cloud storage, or have exported it in a paper form and forget about it. Aside from this, you have no option than to require the help of wallet recovery platforms but I do not trust most of them.

[HITTI2]

By wallet key do you mean private key, that is in this format "5HueCGU8rMjxEXxiPuD5BDuUet89Z5c4vGbGJ2PR63QBsxEmZ6G" OR  you mean the 4 digit - 6 digit access key of the wallet.

Having the wallet key (password) won’t help you bypass the wallet encryption. The function of the key is to protect the wallet in general, without it the you can’t extract your private key or passphrase just like others have warned on the forums.

If you neither have your private key or your passphrase, then you are in a tough position because you can access your wallet unless you backed up your wallet using wallet.dat from Bitcoin core., or maybe you save the key in a cloud storage, or have exported it in a paper form and forget about it. Aside from this, you have no option than to require the help of wallet recovery platforms but I do not trust most of them.

It's like this one  "5HueCGU8rMjxEXxiPuD5BDuUet89Z5c4vGbGJ2PR63QBsxEmZ6G"

I believe when I made the passphrase it said to back  this up.

[DireWolfM14]

I forgot the passphrase to open the wallet to send funds or change passphrase to the locked wallet, but I do have the key for the wallet.

It sounds like you might be using Bitcoin Core, but I'm still not sure so I'll make some assumptions.  If so, then yes, you can recover your wallet with the private key.  I'm also assuming you have a single private key you'll want to import into a new wallet.  Depending on the version of Bitcoin Core you're using (21 and later, IIRC,) it may not allow you to do so without jumping through some hoops.  I recently posted the method for doing so here:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5545286.msg65435592#msg65435592

[HITTI2]

I forgot the passphrase to open the wallet to send funds or change passphrase to the locked wallet, but I do have the key for the wallet.

It sounds like you might be using Bitcoin Core, but I'm still not sure so I'll make some assumptions.  If so, then yes, you can recover your wallet with the private key.  I'm also assuming you have a single private key you'll want to import into a new wallet.  Depending on the version of Bitcoin Core you're using (21 and later, IIRC,) it may not allow you to do so without jumping through some hoops.  I recently posted the method for doing so here:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5545286.msg65435592#msg65435592

Oh, sorry, yea, bitcoin core 28.1.0

I recently posted the method for doing so here:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5545286.msg65435592#msg65435592

I don't understand this, guide.

[Solodoski]

I recently posted the method for doing so here:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5545286.msg65435592#msg65435592

I don't understand this, guide.

These times you make use of the search engine at least you have a hint on where to start.

Meanwhile - watch how to import your private key wallet on Bitcoin core - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ev33XGCH8M

In other words-

Access the console in your Bitcoin core. Use Ctrl T then type the code below.

Code:

importprivkey "your_private_key" "label" rescan

Replace "your_private_key" with your private key, and then replace "label" wit any unique name, optional though, set rescan to false. Click enter. It will return with a response.

Use "getaddressinfo" to verify if the import was successful or not.

[HITTI2]

Bitcoin core says it is in fact encrypted.

[HITTI2]

Ok so,

I added this to

Code:

deprecatedrpc=create_bdb

to bitcoin.conf

Start bitcoin core.

I chose this option, 3.

Code:

3. blank                   (boolean, optional, default=false) Create a blank wallet. A blank wallet has no keys or HD seed. One can be set using sethdseed.

I enter in the cmd line

Code:

08:24:10

Executing command using "" wallet

08:24:10

boolean, optional, default=false

08:24:10

Method not found (code -32601)

08:24:25

(boolean, optional, default=false)

08:24:25

Method not found (code -32601)

I tried both


boolean, optional, default=false


&


(boolean, optional, default=false)


I receive

Method not found (code -32601)


I am stuck at step 2.


Edit.

Is this for a Blank wallet example?

Code:

createwallet "testing123" false true "testing321" true false false false

[HITTI2]

I did this

Step 1:
Shutdown Bitcoin Core (or QT,) open your bitcoin.conf file and add the following line, then restart:
Code:

deprecatedrpc=create_bdb

when I run

Code:

createwallet "Main2" false true "Main2" true false false false

I receive an error.

Code:

08:44:26

BDB wallet creation is deprecated and will be removed in a future release. In this release it can be re-enabled temporarily with the -deprecatedrpc=create_bdb setting. (code -4)

08:46:04

-deprecatedrpc=create_bdb

08:46:04

Method not found (code -32601)

08:49:28

deprecatedrpc=create_bdb

08:49:28

Method not found (code -32601)

I added deprecatedrpc=create_bdb to bitcoin config file started it.

createwallet "Main2" false true "Main2" true false false false

does not work as above.

I tried cmd line

-deprecatedrpc=create_bdb

&

deprecatedrpc=create_bdb

Code:

BDB wallet creation is deprecated and will be removed in a future release. In this release it can be re-enabled temporarily with the -deprecatedrpc=create_bdb setting. (code -4)

08:46:04
-deprecatedrpc=create_bdb

08:46:04
Method not found (code -32601)

08:49:28
deprecatedrpc=create_bdb

08:49:28
Method not found (code -32601)

[HITTI2]

LoL.

Finally popped in my head, I put

Code:

-deprecatedrpc=create_bdb

in the bitcoin shortcut.

facepalm.

[HITTI2]

Guys, I never had a

importprivkey "L1dybNT1HRMRcj39t3cAbEccbVvexUTFaHudGWBzUTvrR2MA2Sf2" "somethingsomethingdarkside" false


wordword passphrase like this for my private key.

example

"somethingsomethingdarkside"

[HITTI2]

I just did the import cmd key with my private key and in fact it is saying rescanning.


So, sounds like atm its working?

1% atm.


Edit


It's working.

6%.

Gonna take 3 hours and 20min with a Seagate IronWolf 22TB HDD Reading@74MB/s read @ 72% active time.

I imported like
example without the seedphrase because there isn't one.

importprivkey "L1dybNT1HRMRcj39t3cAbEccbVvexUTFaHudGWBzUTvrR2MA2Sf2"

[HITTI2]

To unlock my wallet?

If you forget your wallet passphrase. However, it matters how the wallet is structured to access it using key:

1. Private Key: If you have the private key associated with the wallet, you can access the funds directly using the key, bypassing the need for the use of passphrase. This can only be possible if your wallet allows the import of private key

2. Seed Phrase: If the wallet was created with a seed phrase (mnemonic), the seed can sometimes also be used to recover the wallet. Depending on the application, the seed phrase may or may not be encrypted with the passphrase.

3. Encryption: If the wallet is encrypted with a passphrase, you would still need that passphrase to decrypt it, even if you have the wallet's private key.

If you only have the private key and the wallet is not encrypted, you should be able to access your Bitcoin. But if the  wallet is encrypted with a passphrase and you don't remember the passphrase, recovering the wallet becomes much more difficult without it, even if you remember the wallet key.

I hope this is not the case .

I should have never password protected it/encrypted it. Big bad mistake. I'll find out once done importing.

[HITTI2]

I looked at the wallet file creation date on the RW disc I have the wallet on, 2013.

12 years ago of a forgotten PW.

[Forsyth Jones]

If you imported the correct private key, as soon as it scan the block in which the transaction was inserted, the balance (if available) and the entire transaction history for the address will appear.

If you want to do this faster, you should import the private key with the false parameter after the command so that the wallet does not scan directly after the import:

Code:

importprivkey "privkey" false

After that, you should use the command: rescanblockchain previous_block_number later_block_number, e.g.:

Code:

rescanblockchain 555555 555570

This way, if there's a transaction included between these two block numbers, Bitcoin Core will detect the transaction and show it in the balance if it still has some value.

Now you should send the funds to a secure wallet, as from what I understand you created a blank wallet in Bitcoin Core, I recommend you create a new wallet, backup the wallet by writing down the 12 word seed phrase (e.g. electrum wallet), add a password to protect your keys from unauthorized access and transfer the remaining funds to the new wallet.

Learn how to use descriptors: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5498210

[HITTI2]

Imported the private key to a new blank wallet, it is password protected and encrypted.

Also, this private key is for my main BTC address not the address's that received the remaining balance that sits in the wallet.

Only thing is to keep and trying to recall the PW from 2014.

[Forsyth Jones]

Imported the private key to a new blank wallet, it is password protected and encrypted.

Also, this private key is for my main BTC address not the address's that received the remaining balance that sits in the wallet.

Only thing is to keep and trying to recall the PW from 2014.

Did you create a new wallet in bitcoin core or other wallets like Electrum?

In bitcoin core you just need to protect the wallet with a passphrase and export the wallet.dat file, this file will be protected with your password used to encrypt the wallet.

Wait, do you still have funds in this wallet from 2014? I got confused here because I thought you had restored everything using the private key.

I noticed that you edited the post because initially you asked a question about fees, you can manually edit the wallet's fee using mempool.space as a reference, currently, between 1 - 2 sat/vB is enough to have your transaction approved in the next blocks.

Note: Since Bitcoin Core's fee customization is per btc/kb (Kilobyte), just take your chosen sat/vbyte (e.g 2 sat/vB) and divide it by 100,000 (one hundred thousand bytes) for example: 2 / 100000 = 0.0002 btc/kb this is your fee (2 sat/B).

Therefore, it's important to observe the customization option provided by the wallet, most use the Sat/vB standard, where you only need to provide the fee in sat/vB... But I recommend that you create a topic about it.

[Solodoski]

Imported the private key to a new blank wallet, it is password protected and encrypted.

Also, this private key is for my main BTC address not the address's that received the remaining balance that sits in the wallet.

Only thing is to keep and trying to recall the PW from 2014.

I had a busy day which made me did not follow up the discussion. Have you figured it out? Did you successfully install the wallet? So, yeah I see the progress now.

Sadly from what is going on you just need to recover the password which is very difficult in this case. You have to manually guess the PW if you can get it correctly luckily. If truly, you have some Bitcoin there since 2014, it will be very painful to lose them.