Topic: Multibit won't open/uninstall/install (Read 2778 times)

Can you confirm you are running windows? I assume you are as you said hidden folders and files is switched on. What was the original version of multibit you had installed that lost your coins? The wallet file format changed at about version 0.4.0.

Have you used your computer much since you lost your coins? If you haven't there might be a chance the wallet files got deleted, but their private keys might still be on your hard drive. Don't boot from that hard drive anymore if you think the wallet files might have been deleted. The more times you boot from it the more chance there is that windows might overwrite your Bitcoin's private keys.

If you think the wallet files might have been deleted put your computer's hard drive in an external hard drive enclosure, plug that into another computer, and use the other computer to search it.

If you are running windows and didn't delete your wallet files try downloading and running this search tool.

http://www.softpedia.com/get/PORTABLE-SOFTWARE/System/File-management/Portable-Everything.shtml

Run it, wait for it to index all the files on your drive, then individually search for each of the items in this list.

.key
.wallet
.info
.cipher
key-backup
rolling-backup
wallet-backup
wallet-unenc-backup

If it shows any file or folder with a name including an item from that list then there might be a chance of recovering your coins.

Did your multibit wallet have a password? If it didn't then there might be other ways to recover your coins. Try installing a hex editor capable of doing a full search of your drive and use it to search for 08011220, which is a sequence of bytes that occurs in an unencrypted multibit wallet file 32 bytes before a private key in hex format.

These instructions explain how to search for those bytes in a corrupted wallet file, but you can also adapt and use them to search an entire hard drive, although that will be time consuming. If you deleted your wallet files, but haven't used your drive much there might be a chance that technique could recover your coins.

Well an update years later, seems my 1.5 bitcoins have been lost completely.

Thanks Multibit!

I have the same problem, it won't open, tried installing latest version, still won't open.

What freaking use is this?

Worse, I cannot find any sign of any file ending in ".wallet". Does the backup have a different file extension or should I be able to find it with a wildcard search for *wallet?

Hidden folders and files IS switched on.

I know I have a paper backup for 0.5 of a BTC (though I've entirely forgotten how to use it) but I should have 1.5 BTC in my main wallet, wherever the heck it is.

*sigh*

Good that you recovered your bitcoin ok.

If you could mail me ([email protected]) the log file from your original machine that would be useful.
I'll look through it to see if there is anything unusual in it.
The file is called 'multibit.log' in the log directory in your user data directory.

There aren't any private keys in the log but it does have transaction ids and amounts (just in case those are are sensitive to you).

Thank you so much for your help. Since Multibit doesn't start I couldn't find the user data directory by looking at 'Messages" but I found the directories easily enough by searching for *.wallet files. I have recovered my bitcoins by moving the copied files to my Windows 7 machine as you suggested which is a big relief. Unfortunately I still have no way of using Multibit on my Windows 8 machine. Oviously I don't have any tech expertise but I don't think there's anything out of the ordinary on that machine. If something changes in the future I will try to figure out what it was and report back in case that helps out anybody with a similar problem. Thanks again.

The folder structure for the wallets is identical across all operating systems.

The data where (by default) the wallets are stored - called the user data directory - varies idosyncratically across versions of windows. If you look in the 'Messages' window when MultiBit starts up it tells you where this directory is so that you can find it.

Thanks, I will definetly do that. One dumb question though before I try since I'm now totally paranoid: I don't have another windows 8 machine, is the folder structure the same for windows 7?

Hi Manic1138,

If you have your wallet file I think it is worth copying it onto a USB and installing MultiBit on _another_ computer and opening it there.
Something is obviously wrong with the install environment of your Windows 8 machine.

If you go to your user directory directory try copying everything off and using File | Open on another machine to open it.
Then I'd move your bitcoin out the wallet and put it somewhere else convenient

Multibit 0.5.18 / Windows 8 / Log available
I have tried finding a fix everywhere I can think of with no luck. I exited Multibit without saving or backing up my wallet and didn't go back to the program for about a month. In the interim I did a system restore but not to a point previous to my last interaction with Multibit. I can no longer open/uninstall/install Multibit. I have tried opening from shortcut, installation directory, command (+elevated) prompt with no luck. I downloaded both .18 & .17 installers and get User Account Dialog but then nothing for .18 and compatability mode for .17 which goes through to 'test program' and then nothing. Uninstall from 'Programs and Features', Contol Panel, or .jar shortcut does nothing. Program not listed on All Apps screen of Windows 8. Log file is available. On a tangent, all files in AppData chain seem to be present and I have copied all of these. Is there any way to recover my bitcoin knowing that I did not save/backup after last session? Any help would be greatly appreciated.