Topic: reformatted computer now btc are lost - page 2. (Read 4836 times)
Even if you've formatted your drive, if you are running Windows, PC Inspected File Recovery (http://www.pcinspector.de/default.htm?language=1) will often be able to recover files... it's a bit buggy, but it generally does the job.
Try using this:
http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=25091.0
http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=25091.0
I just wondered if you ever got your wallet back? I did the same thing, stupidly reformatting a few nights ago all over a windows setup I was sick of, got debian on there, and then remembered my btc wallet. Had about 47 btc in it, which I'd got when they were around 17 bucks a piece...by my figuring, means I paid around 750 dollars for this linux OS. Anyway, I"m making a clone, but I"ve no hope...looks pretty paved over to me...and I knew better, all that, and just wasn't paying attention, thought I'd made a backup of wallet.dat. I think grandma used to say, 'act in haste, repent at leisure' or something like that...
I just had an idea, make the bitcoin client create a backup snapshot of the wallet, regularly, and put it somewhere else, other than it's normal data directory. People aren't all as computer literate as the geeks like me. Backups are important, this must be stressed very loudly. If the bitcoin app won't do backups, at least have it pop up a reminder when it runs that you should backup your wallet, and have a link to the help file for how to do it. Just a splash screen, with the bitcoin logo, and a reminder to backup your wallet, and secure it.
Sorry dude, if you never backed up your wallet, and your computer is toast, it's as if you lost your Cash in a fire that burned your house down. There is no getting it back. Hey, maybe someone should provide a Bitcoin Insurance service, wow, what an idea! You pay them, say, 1 BTC every month or something, and they guarantee your losses, should they occur. Unfortunately this would open up an opportunity for fraud, hmmmm.... I dunno how to deal with that. I sure wish someone would send me 40 bitcents to counteract the hung transactions on my client that absolutely will not be processed. I'd pay into a Hung Transaction Insurance program, ha!
Sorry dude, if you never backed up your wallet, and your computer is toast, it's as if you lost your Cash in a fire that burned your house down. There is no getting it back. Hey, maybe someone should provide a Bitcoin Insurance service, wow, what an idea! You pay them, say, 1 BTC every month or something, and they guarantee your losses, should they occur. Unfortunately this would open up an opportunity for fraud, hmmmm.... I dunno how to deal with that. I sure wish someone would send me 40 bitcents to counteract the hung transactions on my client that absolutely will not be processed. I'd pay into a Hung Transaction Insurance program, ha!
GRC's Spin Rite might help in getting the drive operational again. I'd slave it on another system.
That is if you don't want to recover files...
Incorrect. Spinrite will recover the data.
"SpinRite now brings its legendary data recovery and drive maintenance magic to the latest file systems, operating systems, and hard drives."
Check it out!
http://www.grc.com/spinrite.htm
How many BTC did you lose? You should offer the drive for sale to someone willing to scavenge for the coins.
If you formatted the drive but didn't do it the "long" way, the coins are likely recoverable.
If you formatted the drive but didn't do it the "long" way, the coins are likely recoverable.
1: turn computer off.
2: don't touch computer at all until you have your bitcoins back.
3: write down exact problem.
4: find smartest person you know with a portable computer to help you.
5: **tell smartest person with computer, your exact problem and everything you did trying to fix it.**
6: have smartest person you know with computer come over to help you.
7: if he says anything about doing another format, while at your computer, refer back to step 4 immediately, if not proceed.
8: give smartest person you know with computer, plenty of space, don't hover.
9: if that doesn't work, refer back to step 4.
your odds are great following these steps.
2: don't touch computer at all until you have your bitcoins back.
3: write down exact problem.
4: find smartest person you know with a portable computer to help you.
5: **tell smartest person with computer, your exact problem and everything you did trying to fix it.**
6: have smartest person you know with computer come over to help you.
7: if he says anything about doing another format, while at your computer, refer back to step 4 immediately, if not proceed.
8: give smartest person you know with computer, plenty of space, don't hover.
9: if that doesn't work, refer back to step 4.
your odds are great following these steps.
Or do this
GRC's Spin Rite might help in getting the drive operational again. I'd slave it on another system.
That is if you don't want to recover files...
The only right advice is:
- don't use the drive anymore
- recover it by using another PC (or fresh installation on another harddisk) where it is installed as a slave drive
If you can't do it yourself or you don't feel safe, ask a professional.
1: turn computer off.
2: don't touch computer at all until you have your bitcoins back.
3: write down exact problem.
4: find smartest person you know with a portable computer to help you.
5: **tell smartest person with computer, your exact problem and everything you did trying to fix it.**
6: have smartest person you know with computer come over to help you.
7: if he says anything about doing another format, while at your computer, refer back to step 4 immediately, if not proceed.
8: give smartest person you know with computer, plenty of space, don't hover.
9: if that doesn't work, refer back to step 4.
your odds are great following these steps.
2: don't touch computer at all until you have your bitcoins back.
3: write down exact problem.
4: find smartest person you know with a portable computer to help you.
5: **tell smartest person with computer, your exact problem and everything you did trying to fix it.**
6: have smartest person you know with computer come over to help you.
7: if he says anything about doing another format, while at your computer, refer back to step 4 immediately, if not proceed.
8: give smartest person you know with computer, plenty of space, don't hover.
9: if that doesn't work, refer back to step 4.
your odds are great following these steps.
Wouldn't buying a usb stock and putting a linux on it, and running it do the same thing. Save yourself a hard drive purchase.
if it works feel free to tip 
remove the hard drive containing the bitcoin wallet
buy a new hard drive and install it
install os
install the original hard drive as a secondary hard drive
boot computer from new install and look for wallet on old hard drive
you might have to reclaim ownership privilages if you get access denied errors.
if that doesnt work try some of the free open source data recovery utilities around
buy a new hard drive and install it
install os
install the original hard drive as a secondary hard drive
boot computer from new install and look for wallet on old hard drive
you might have to reclaim ownership privilages if you get access denied errors.
if that doesnt work try some of the free open source data recovery utilities around
Yep just make sure when install the os that your old HD is unhooked so you don't accidentally format over it
This IS the answer that your looking for. Do it, It works, If the HDD isnt failing and you've been owned by a virus(wich im 95% sure is the case) then just plug the HDD into another comp and pull off your bitcoin folder
Depending on the amount of BTC you had on that drive you may consider to get some professional data recovery company to have a look at it.
If the drive is just inaccessible the wallet might still be there. If you formatted it all, then you could be out of luck unfortunately.
If the drive is just inaccessible the wallet might still be there. If you formatted it all, then you could be out of luck unfortunately.
GRC's Spin Rite might help in getting the drive operational again. I'd slave it on another system.
The first step in data recovery is to stop trying to recover it.
Grab a drive of larger size and clone the farked drive to it. Then do all of your recovery efforts on that drive.
You stated you reformatted. Did you actually reformat or did you get a windows error and try to do a recovery using the install DVD?
Either way, stop trying to recover on that drive, clone it, and put your efforts to recovering the clone. If you continue to work on the original drive the possibility of recovering decreases greatly with each write operation. Even something as simple as rebooting can overwrite the area the file was on with a log or paging file.
Grab a drive of larger size and clone the farked drive to it. Then do all of your recovery efforts on that drive.
You stated you reformatted. Did you actually reformat or did you get a windows error and try to do a recovery using the install DVD?
Either way, stop trying to recover on that drive, clone it, and put your efforts to recovering the clone. If you continue to work on the original drive the possibility of recovering decreases greatly with each write operation. Even something as simple as rebooting can overwrite the area the file was on with a log or paging file.
remove the hard drive containing the bitcoin wallet
buy a new hard drive and install it
install os
install the original hard drive as a secondary hard drive
boot computer from new install and look for wallet on old hard drive
you might have to reclaim ownership privilages if you get access denied errors.
if that doesnt work try some of the free open source data recovery utilities around
buy a new hard drive and install it
install os
install the original hard drive as a secondary hard drive
boot computer from new install and look for wallet on old hard drive
you might have to reclaim ownership privilages if you get access denied errors.
if that doesnt work try some of the free open source data recovery utilities around
Yep just make sure when install the os that your old HD is unhooked so you don't accidentally format over it
remove the hard drive containing the bitcoin wallet
buy a new hard drive and install it
install os
install the original hard drive as a secondary hard drive
boot computer from new install and look for wallet on old hard drive
you might have to reclaim ownership privilages if you get access denied errors.
if that doesnt work try some of the free open source data recovery utilities around
buy a new hard drive and install it
install os
install the original hard drive as a secondary hard drive
boot computer from new install and look for wallet on old hard drive
you might have to reclaim ownership privilages if you get access denied errors.
if that doesnt work try some of the free open source data recovery utilities around
what should i do. my computer is fucked and wont even complete a restore to get mywallet back
What Waltibaba said. If you're particularly desperate you can try searching your disk for the BerkleyDB magic bytes or paying someone else to... though I'm not sure how well that would work. 
Sadly that's the case. It is extremely important to backup your wallet.dat to an external source. Even if you don't need it for a year, you can still plug in the old copy of the wallet to a new installation of bitcoin and once it catches up with the blockchain your coins will be right where you left them.
If you had a substantial amount of coins in your wallet, it might be worthwhile either looking into a data recovery software or paying a professional to see what they can recover from the disk.
If you had a substantial amount of coins in your wallet, it might be worthwhile either looking into a data recovery software or paying a professional to see what they can recover from the disk.
try a recovery application like recuva. also make sure to install or save as little new stuff on the drive as possible. the more you write onto it, the higher the chance of your wallet being overwritten.
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