Got access to my bitcoins. Thanks! | Bitcointalksearch.org

HCP

legendary

Activity: 2086

Merit: 4314

Quote from: KailyKail on April 16, 2021, 03:20:35 AM

Which file should contain the private keys? The wallet.dat file, or the wallet.key file? I tried taking the addresses found in the wallet.dat file, and they didn't seem to work. There's two lines of code in the wallet.key file that looks like "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx+xxxxxxxxxxxxxx+xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

If your wallet.key file looks like that, with the +'s and /'s etc and starts with the text "U2F"... then it is an encrypted .key file.

Encrypted .key files are either generated by the user when they explicitly export their private keys from Multibit using the "Tools -> Export Private keys" option and set a password on the export file in the last section of the export window:

or

they are created automatically by Multitbit when you set/change the wallet password (it creates an automatic .key backup encrypted with the wallet password).

My advice would be to install MultiBit and try and open the .wallet file... hopefully there is no password set on the .wallet file and you'll be able to create a new "key export" but using the "Do not password protect export file" option... you'll likely have to wait for MultiBit to finish syncing, which could take quite a while (upwards of an hour)... but once you do that, you should end up with a "plaintext" .key file that you can open in a text editor and it will look something like this:

Code:

# KEEP YOUR PRIVATE KEYS SAFE !
# Anyone who can read this file can spend your bitcoin.
#
# Format:
# [[]]
#
# The Base58 encoded private keys are the same format as
# produced by the Satoshi client/ sipa dumpprivkey utility.
#
# Key createdAt is in UTC format as specified by ISO 8601
# e.g: 2011-12-31T16:42:00Z . The century, 'T' and 'Z' are mandatory
#
L4eBXv6aaE75ysQNMGfdWVWsoSikz8M1FcxeZa3Jx3P1Gyxy2MuX 2019-04-21T13:35:56Z
L52mJcSfHEA8qvYM2hGBR834zL65QD7Q6YYHviDUXSi989c7wBqJ 2019-04-21T13:35:56Z
# End of private keys

KailyKail

newbie

Activity: 11

Merit: 14

Which file should contain the private keys? The wallet.dat file, or the wallet.key file? I tried taking the addresses found in the wallet.dat file, and they didn't seem to work. There's two lines of code in the wallet.key file that looks like "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx+xxxxxxxxxxxxxx+xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

I'm not sure if any of that is my private key.

KailyKail

newbie

Activity: 11

Merit: 14

Quote from: ranochigo on April 16, 2021, 02:00:39 AM

Bitcoin Core does not use .wallet or key files. Those are from MultiBit and preferably, you'll want to download MultiBit to restore it. Since MultiBit is not encrypted, just open it with any text editor and you should see the private keys in it. You can import it into Bitcoin Core after synchronizing. Check if there is a lock at the bottom right corner to check if it is encrypted.

Replacing the wallet.dat should do the job all right. Since you said you used it till around 2014, you should start seeing transactions once you synchronize to that point.

I opened it with a text editor and I found a bunch of keys when searching "name," but only one (my public wallet address) worked when searching Blockchain.com. Are these other keys my private keys?

ranochigo

legendary

Activity: 2954

Merit: 4158

Bitcoin Core does not use .wallet or key files. Those are from MultiBit and preferably, you'll want to download MultiBit to restore it. Since MultiBit is not encrypted, just open it with any text editor and you should see the private keys in it. You can import it into Bitcoin Core after synchronizing. Check if there is a lock at the bottom right corner to check if it is encrypted.

Replacing the wallet.dat should do the job all right. Since you said you used it till around 2014, you should start seeing transactions once you synchronize to that point.

KailyKail

newbie

Activity: 11

Merit: 14

Back in 2012-2014, I downloaded Bitcoin Core, and was provided a wallet address. I took this address and went around to different faucets to collect bitcoin. I downloaded Multibit at some point, and loaded the wallet there. I NEVER SET A PASSWORD. I am 1,000,000,000% sure I did not set a password. This was also before seeds of course.

Later on I bought a new computer, and copied the wallet files over, thinking if/when I got back into Bitcoin, I could just restore the wallet and carry on. Boy was I wrong. Everything is asking for a password now, and nothing will load without one.

This is what I have:

FILES:

wallet.dat
multibit-xxxxxxxxxxxxx.wallet
multibit-xxxxxxxxxxxxx.info
multibit.wallet
multibit.key
multibit.info

Plus all the install files. About the only thing I don't have from 2014 are the blocks, which I'm downloading from the servers now.

I have tried following the steps to move the wallet into Electrum, but nothing seems to work.

I've tried installing Bitcoin Core again, but there's no option to open a wallet file from inside the GUI. I went into the directory and replaced the wallet.dat file with mine and restarted Bitcoin Core, but nothing changed. There are no .wallet or .key files to replace.

I'm suuuuper confused as to what I should do? Can anyone explain to me how to fix this? Preferably like I'm five?

Finally got access to my bitcoin wallet. Thanks everyone for the help!

Here's the accompanying thread where the bulk of my discoveries were made, for any future Google searchers.
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/got-access-to-my-bitcoins-thanks-5330885

Topic: Got access to my bitcoins. Thanks! (Read 443 times)