I'VE LOST MY WALLET

[randuser132]

Hello, I've formatted my linux to another linux but when transferring my files I didn't find my bitcoin core wallet backup, I've already tried photorec and testdisk but nothing, any tips?

thank you

[gunhell16]

If you're using Linux, OP, it's likely that your system denied access to the Bitcoin Core wallet backup. Why, OP, are you unaware that Linux has highly strict permissions? How are you going to be able to tell if your file has the right authorization? This command should be tried: chmod 600 ~/.bitcoin/wallet.dat or Your-user:your-user ~/.bitcoin/wallets/wallet.dat can be chowned using sudo.

Aside from this, it's also possible that the file was already corrupted on the old Linux system you're using before you even transferred it to another Linux system. The file size should match the original based on what I know, OP, but try waiting for responses from other people who might read this regarding your concern issue.  Please correct me as well if there's anything wrong with what I've said to other members who will read this.

[Stalker22]

Hello, I've formatted my linux to another linux but when transferring my files I didn't find my bitcoin core wallet backup, I've already tried photorec and testdisk but nothing, any tips?

thank you

Do you have the seed phrase?

If you do, you can just forget about those old files.  Just download the wallet software again and use that backup phrase to get all your Bitcoin back, no matter what happened to your hard drive.  If you didnt write down the seed phrase, and you cant recover the files, then those coins are pretty much gone.


edit:
Ah, yeah, I see you were asking about the Bitcoin Core wallet.  So, unfortunately, it doesnt use those 12 or 24-word seed phrases for backups like you find in most wallets these days.  Thats kinda bad news since the wallet.dat file is the only way to get your wallet back. That is, unless you backed up your private keys some other way.

[coinlary]

~

There was no access denial, and from the little  information OP gave, no one can possibly tell if the file was corrupted or not.
All OP mentioned was that he was unable to find his wallet backup from likely the entire previous Linux storage backup, which was done before flashing the new distro onto whatever drive was used.

Now, the problem is that before you can use a new OS, you have to create new bootable media, and that involves full formatting before flashing. That process might overwrite part of what might need to be recovered already.

[OcTradism]

Hello, I've formatted my linux to another linux but when transferring my files I didn't find my bitcoin core wallet backup, I've already tried photorec and testdisk but nothing, any tips

You must think about it before format your OS.

Now you did it, that is a big mistake, but you can try to do disk data recovery and see how it works. Risk of failed data recovery for getting your wallet back is not too small.

You must avoid big mistake like this, make sure you always do your wallet backups, know how to recover a wallet, and always check whether you have wallet backups before doing anything with reinstallation, format of your devices.

How to back up a seed phrase?
Principles for wallet backups are the same, even you use Bitcoin Core.

More helpful advice
Security and Privacy Encylopedia.

[sheenshane]

Sorry to say this, but I'm afraid it's going to be difficult for you to recover it.
Think about it, if the file was fragmented or the metadata wiped, but the drive is intact, recovery is possible, but it requires advanced forensic reconstruction.  You need an expert for this.

If you immediately image the disk and the wallet file blocks haven’t been overwritten, there might be a good chance.

Sorry for this costly mistake on you.

[Outhue]

Hello, I've formatted my linux to another linux but when transferring my files I didn't find my bitcoin core wallet backup, I've already tried photorec and testdisk but nothing, any tips?

thank you

Are you saying you left your private key or recovery seed on the Linux OS? You have make way to lose your key from the start, you are to write the recovery seed away from the computer, ssds can die at any time, you can even on your PC the next day and it will fail to boot up, you took a stupid risk and you are paying for it now.

This is going to be tough one to recover, because I am not sure that Linux spares data on a HDD or SSD when you want to install a new OS, that OS is aggressive when it comes to wiping and rewriting new data, the old one will be gone for good, there are recovery tools out there that are premium but I can't guarantee you anything, I doubt you will ever get this back. Next time don't store Bitcoin or crypto assets on a wallet that you haven't back up offline.

[nc50lc]

I've already tried photorec and testdisk but nothing, any tips?

Searched the whole disk?
Then there's nothing else you can do by yourself.
The best advice that I can give you is to stop using the disk immediately to increase your odds of recovering any deleted file.

Since those usually reliable tools didn't work, you can only rely on a professional data recovery service, even not crypto-specific, one that has good track record and trustworthy (DYOR).
But I'll note that if you've done any "zero-fill" (not "quick format") or "random-fill" to your disk before installing the new OS, your chance may be close to zero.

[CryptSafe]

Hello, I've formatted my linux to another linux but when transferring my files I didn't find my bitcoin core wallet backup, I've already tried photorec and testdisk but nothing, any tips?

thank you

OP, I see you are new here, and I will say that you are in the right platform to learn more about Bitcoin. With regards to your complaints,  there are good technical experts and people good at helping to recover wallets here on this platform. Their services are well known here, and amongst them is  Babo.

You can reach out to him for help. I believe he would guide you through on what to do and how to go about it.

Do not respond to PMs from newbie accounts with respect to your case. If anyone sends you a message, tell them to come to this thread to make known their intentions so that the community can see it and know who they are, and also advise you on what to do. Be careful and stay alert because scammers will definitely come to your inbox as a result of this topic.

[Patikno]

Hello, I've formatted my linux to another linux but when transferring my files I didn't find my bitcoin core wallet backup, I've already tried photorec and testdisk but nothing, any tips?

Are you installing Linux on a solid-state drive or hard disk drive? If so, you can try using a file recovery application like Recuva, and various other applications are also available. Personally, I often use Recuva to recover deleted files, but it all depends on the state of the deleted file. You should try it immediately before it is overwritten. You probably need a Windows operating system to try it, as I know Recuva only works on Windows. You can use hardware to set up your storage as an external drive and then plug it into a Windows computer. Other similar applications I have used include Acronis and EaseUS. I hope you can recover your files soon before they're completely overwritten.

Well, cases like this actually often happen from year to year, I even saw a similar case in this forum in 2013. So, I think we need to learn from this experience, or this cases, by backing up data, especially our important data on special storage for backup, and take care of it as best as possible.

[Cricktor]

It's not my intention to rub salt into open wounds, but seriously, why don't you have backups on other storage media of important and valuable files? I don't get it why some people don't have backups.

Modern Bitcoin Core wallets are usually of the HD type. You only need one working backup to recover your whole wallet by resyncing an old restored backup.

Descriptor (Core) wallets can be backed up with wallet file backups OR also by backing up all descriptors. The latter is a manual process which requires a safe, secure and best offline environment. It's not recommended for noobs as you need to know what you're doing and steps aren't quite straightforward in my opinion.

A Bitcoin Core wallet on a single computer without external redundant backups is a single point of failure. No backups? No recovery if something bad happens to that single computer or you foolishly delete your valuable files yourself.

Is it wise to gamble with such a loss risk? I don't think so and you shouldn't, too.


Based on the little details that OP provided, I'd say, chances are very slim to recover your wallet, if at all.

Data on harddrives is more likely to be recoverable, but the more you use the harddrive the worse your chances become. Data on SSDs is often less likely to be recoverable and highly dependent on how the SSD device handles data in storage blocks that have been marked as deleted by TRIM commands the OS commonly sends to the SSD to facilitate proper wear leveling and garbage collection.

Self-encrypting storage devices are another big obstacle for data recovery. A wipe/erase command simply discards the current encryption/decryption key of the storage device which renders the whole data on the device into unrecoverable data garbage.

[lornadane]

Bitcoin Core doesn’t use a seed phrase by default like modern wallets. Everything is inside wallet.dat. If that file is gone and the disk blocks were overwritten during the OS install, the coins are effectively lost. If you still have the old disk untouched, mount it read-only and scan again. If it was the same disk and overwritten, sadly there’s nothing software can do. 

[aysha9853]

If wallet.dat is gone and there’s no backup, the coins are effectively lost no tool can recreate private keys from the blockchain.