Author

Topic: Bitcoin private key missing a character help! (Read 337 times)

newbie
Activity: 3
Merit: 0
January 01, 2018, 07:47:12 AM
#8
I want to try another 3162 combinations is there a way of automatically checking these keys instead of copying and pasting into blockchain?
Isn't it much faster to copy them into Electrum?

A year ago, I got a script from someone on this forum to check up to 5 characters of a private key. Have a look here, and see if it helps you. Source code is available.

Thanks I'll check that out.
newbie
Activity: 3
Merit: 0
Hi all,

I saw an older post and someone had the same problem like mine. Basically I set up a paper wallet and wrote down the private key, now I've missed out a character I used bitaddress.org. Private Key WIF Compressed 52 characters base58, my key starts with a K. Now I thought that I only missed out a character, but I ran a script and got 3162 combinations that gave an extra character inputted them into blockchain and none worked.
So now I am missing a character and somewhere along the line I have made a very small error (that could be accidentally making one of letters caps instead of noncap, looking at my key there could be maximum possibility of 6 characters that could be noncap or cap that is worst case scenario) I'm pretty sure that 90% of this key is correct as I skimmed through it after writing it down also my bitcoin address is correct. If there is a way of working out the key based on my partial private key and my bitcoin address that would be great. I want to try another 3162 combinations is there a way of automatically checking these keys instead of copying and pasting into blockchain? If the key is found a reward will be given. Thanks for the help.

Do you have a QR code printed on your paper wallet or did you write it down manually?
This tool can help finding the typo in the key automatically: https://github.com/hexafraction/wif-repair.

Silly me I don't have a printer, I should have taken a photo of the code on my phone. But I was being too cautious and wanted to write it down and not have it anywhere else.
Thanks for that tool I'll check it out.
legendary
Activity: 3290
Merit: 16489
Thick-Skinned Gang Leader and Golden Feather 2021
I want to try another 3162 combinations is there a way of automatically checking these keys instead of copying and pasting into blockchain?
Isn't it much faster to copy them into Electrum?

A year ago, I got a script from someone on this forum to check up to 5 characters of a private key. Have a look here, and see if it helps you. Source code is available.
full member
Activity: 157
Merit: 113
Hi all,

I saw an older post and someone had the same problem like mine. Basically I set up a paper wallet and wrote down the private key, now I've missed out a character I used bitaddress.org. Private Key WIF Compressed 52 characters base58, my key starts with a K. Now I thought that I only missed out a character, but I ran a script and got 3162 combinations that gave an extra character inputted them into blockchain and none worked.
So now I am missing a character and somewhere along the line I have made a very small error (that could be accidentally making one of letters caps instead of noncap, looking at my key there could be maximum possibility of 6 characters that could be noncap or cap that is worst case scenario) I'm pretty sure that 90% of this key is correct as I skimmed through it after writing it down also my bitcoin address is correct. If there is a way of working out the key based on my partial private key and my bitcoin address that would be great. I want to try another 3162 combinations is there a way of automatically checking these keys instead of copying and pasting into blockchain? If the key is found a reward will be given. Thanks for the help.

Do you have a QR code printed on your paper wallet or did you write it down manually?
This tool can help finding the typo in the key automatically: https://github.com/hexafraction/wif-repair.
HCP
legendary
Activity: 2086
Merit: 4361
December 31, 2017, 09:16:20 PM
#4
A compressed private key starting with K is 52 characters and if you are missing 1 character it is only 58 combination.
It is 58 combinations only if you know the position of the missing character... if you don't know where that character is missing from, then you're going to be at 51 possible positions * 58 possible characters per position which is around 2958 possible combinations.

Throwing in one or more "mixed case" errors... and the possibilities will start to add up... still, it shouldn't be too hard to write up a python script that can at least generate the possible combinations and then generate the appropriate addresses and compare with the known address of the paper wallet.
legendary
Activity: 1042
Merit: 2805
Bitcoin and C♯ Enthusiast
December 31, 2017, 07:09:10 AM
#3
A compressed private key starting with K is 52 characters and if you are missing 1 character it is only 58 combination.

If you have doubts about more, each missing character multiplies the possibilities by 58. If it is only lower/upper case it multiplies it by 2.
You basically have to check each of these combinations to see if they are Base58-encoded or not. If it is then import to see if it gives you the same address.
newbie
Activity: 14
Merit: 0
December 31, 2017, 07:08:31 AM
#2
Then if you want to try every combination, you have to swing the full node bitcoin every time and every time you try a new combination - you need to use a constantly new block. it's better to do it yourself most hardly anyone dare to do this for so long and hard
newbie
Activity: 3
Merit: 0
December 31, 2017, 06:50:03 AM
#1
Hi all,

I saw an older post and someone had the same problem like mine. Basically I set up a paper wallet and wrote down the private key, now I've missed out a character I used bitaddress.org. Private Key WIF Compressed 52 characters base58, my key starts with a K. Now I thought that I only missed out a character, but I ran a script and got 3162 combinations that gave an extra character inputted them into blockchain and none worked.
So now I am missing a character and somewhere along the line I have made a very small error (that could be accidentally making one of letters caps instead of noncap, looking at my key there could be maximum possibility of 6 characters that could be noncap or cap that is worst case scenario) I'm pretty sure that 90% of this key is correct as I skimmed through it after writing it down also my bitcoin address is correct. If there is a way of working out the key based on my partial private key and my bitcoin address that would be great. I want to try another 3162 combinations is there a way of automatically checking these keys instead of copying and pasting into blockchain? If the key is found a reward will be given. Thanks for the help.
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