Topic: Recovering BTC Funds with only Seed Phrase (Read 211 times)

You can also go to this website:

https://iancoleman.io/bip39/

and (very important) download the website HTML from your browser (do not run it online!), transport it to an offline computer, and play around with the different derivation paths to see if you and up with any addresses containing balances. It's not going to be easy, since you don't have any address to use as a reference.

This website explains how derivations work.
You should not (bold: should not) enter your seed phrase in any online website!
I suggest that you read this website to understand what derivation paths are.
Most of the time, users don't change the derivation path and this is why electrum suggests "If you don't know what that is, just leave it as it is".
The default derivation path is most probably the path that you need.

I 'll ask you again, did you try to click on the "detect existing accounts" button in Electrum? It's in bitmover's screenshot above.

Unfortunately I dont have any addresses, this has been dormant a while... which I am sure you hear of pretty often, esp during a bull market.

I have literally no clue what wallet... i dabbled in a lot in the past... all I remember is the wallet did have a landscape and portrait view where I remember back then in portrait view some numbers would get cut off so I had to keep flipping the screen, and I think it was like a bluish color at the top, maybe the background banner or something, very hazy in my mind.

So what is the best systematic way to go through the derivations?
Is this the site given above that I should use?
https://learnmeabitcoin.com/technical/keys/hd-wallets/derivation-paths/

Then again the site tells u not to submit any phrases and yet in the site it asks u to type in the phrase to get the derivation, so......... I am so confused.

It probably means you are using the wrong derivation path.

If you remember one of the addresses you've sent bitcoins from or received coins to, then it will make the searching process a lot easier. Maybe it's in an invoice in one of your emails or something, or in a deposit/withdraw history somewhere.


There's way more than 3 possible derivation paths. But for all intents and purposes, there are only a few standard ones.

If you suspect that you created the wallet on Electurm, you should know that it doesn't create BIP39 wallets by default, but uses it's own paths. "m" (meaning "root" i.e. no derivation done yet) for legacy addresses and "m/0'" for segwit.

So it seems it can be a last resort but will these tools find it where electrum and other wallets cannot?

I just dont know enough about how finding this works to know what processes can absolutely be necessary or just "nice to try" if you know what I mean...

I do have a laptop that is not critical so I could wipe that afterwards, thanks for that info, at least I know that now.

___________________________________


Only the BIP39 works, no choice bec other one doesnt activate the NEXT button


So basically I have to try 10 different derivation paths (0-9 for the last numerical digit) for each address type? So I have to basically import 30 different wallets and check them all...


Yes it says it cant detect anything.

Offline (air gapped) means no matter what the software does, it can't leak your seed phrase online. That also means you should never go online again with that computer without wiping the drives. I prefer to use a spare laptop for this, running Linux.

Even offline how I can trust my seed phrase with these tools?

Did you try both electrum seed and BIP39 seed?


What 3 derivations are you referring to? If you mean Legacy (P2PKH), P2SH and PWPKH, then these are address types, not derivation paths.

The derivation paths are perfectly explained here: https://learnmeabitcoin.com/technical/keys/hd-wallets/derivation-paths/.

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Did you try pressing the key "detect existing accounts"?

 
MY BAD, I DID USE ELECTRUM, NOT EXODUS, I GOT THE 2 CONFUSED!!!
 



1. What is the probability that

I have funds in there
and
Electrum doesnt show any funds no matter what derivation I select

Meaning is Electrum for all intensive purposes, the comprehensive wallet here, or are there others that need to be checked for sure that will LNOT show up on Electrum?



2. If the balances are show still show zero, will checking on the blockchain websites show something Electrum wont? Is there a point in doing that, because that can be painful but if it has to be done..... It shows ZERO for ALL 3 derivations


3. How paranoid should I be, using a laptop that I rarely use but has Anti-virus on it, that my seed/wallet/etc can be hacked using the Electrum wallet I just installed from the website while I am inputting the the seed and/or waiting for the balance to populate.... I am OCD with this stuff, I have the laptop connected to my phone hotspot for added security so... not sure if I can relax a bit. Of course I will not be leaving this laptop online a second longer than need be with Electrum open.


4. Can I safely post the windows that show the 0 balances on here? It will show the addresses and the 0 balances, I dont think that is a security risk right, so u can see what I got to deal with.

Some steps.

Create/ Restore wallet
Standard wallet
Enter seed
Options.

With options, you can tick on Electrum/ BIP39 seed/ SLIP39 seed.
If this is not a mnemonic seed created by Electrum wallet, when you tick on Electrum, click on Ok, you will see the Next button is hidden with grey color. It's signal from Electrum wallet software that it is not a mnemonic seed created by Electrum wallet software and you will have to try with Options, and choose BIP39 seed or SLIP39 seed.

I am quoting your image as well, because I 'd also advise OP to click on the "detect existing accounts" button, since this will check multiple accounts.

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Apart from that, I 'd suggest the obvious thing, which is to import the words in Electrum, in case the seed phrase was produced by Electrum and it's not a BIP39 seed phrase.
This is unlikely though, because trying to import it in a BIP39 wallet software, it would most probably lead to an invalid checksum, but you never know.
Having said that, when importing the seed phrase, like bitmover suggests, there is a kind of radio-button dropdown, where electrum asks if the seed phrase is (a) an electrum seed, or (b) a BIP39 seed. Just try both!

You probably need to go through a different derivation path

Download Electrum from electrum.org.

After entering your seed, try Legacy (addresses 1....) or p2sh-segwit (addresses 3...)

Like this image



Your funds should show up.

[overview] Recover Bitcoin from any old storage format

You can try with some tools
iancoleman's Mnemonic Code Converter.
The FinderOuter, a bitcoin recovery tool.

Use these tools offline!

I would imagine the wallets has lots of transactions if it taking that long? Cause it shouldn't.

You can try to restore on Electrum wallet by following this guide:

https://bitcoinelectrum.com/restoring-your-standard-wallet-from-seed/

If you're sure it's not Electrum you used, just click on options and then check BIP39 as the guide states.

Also make sure to choose the correct address type (probably legacy since you seem confused by the bc1 addresses)

Ok so in a bit of a pickle here... This is what I have and know:

1. I have a 12 word seed phrase, I am 99.99% sure it is correct
2. I do not remember what wallet I had it in years ago
3. I just tried using Exodus and Mycelium... no results with Myc, Exodus came up with a bunch of addresses (bc1) but they didnt come up with any balance... I have started checking each individual address on the chain  but it is confirmed thet have zero balance thus far
4. Trying to reload the phrase in a Nano S but it takes forever to try to create a new account, it just spins for a while... can that take more than 20 minutes? I have a fast connection and just downloaded the Ledge Live pc app
5. Unfortunately we have no other clues on what we used before to store the BTC

Whats the best course of action from here... I am guessing I should wait a lot for the Nano S to maybe connect, like an hour?
But besides this?