How to recover a lost wallet

[J1MmY9]

How to recover a lost wallet after a crash windows. I only have the address on which are ETH. and I'm one of the directories exactly ethereum \ Mist

[hiddentao]

What OS and version are you using? Do you still have the keystore folder?

[J1MmY9]

win7, wallet 0.4.0. not managed to recover keystore. I only have a folder MIST.

[hiddentao]

As long as you remember your account password this might not be a problem.

Your wallet and keystore data will be stored in %APPDATA%/Ethereum. Type that into a command-line shell to see the full path. I recommend making a backup copy of the keystore folder in there (as explained in https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/wiki/Backup-&-restore).

After doing that you could try deleting %APPDATA%/Ethereum and then running the latest Mist (0.5.2) to recreate the folder with fresh data. You could then copy your keystore backup into the new %APPDATA%/Ethereum and restart Mist to see if it picks up your account.

[J1MmY9]

The problem is that he has installed new win7. I managed to get a program to recover data from hard disk, recover only the folder ROAMING / MIST. No data folder ROAMING / ETHEREUN not managed to odzyskac.Mam only address book and was in a folder ROAMING / MIST remember the password to the wallet.

[hiddentao]

Not sure I fully understand, but it sounds like you've lost your keystore file. In which case you won't be able to recover your account unless you'd already backed it up somewhere.

[J1MmY9]

just I do not have KeyStore

[frozeman]

The keystore folder contains your keys private keys, which are encrypted using your password. If you don't have your keystore folder, youre out of luck. If you still have your presale file and you had your ether still there, you can re-import it.

[J1MmY9]

With kad you can get the presale file ??

[frozeman]

If you had one.... If you don't then you don't. The presale have people who participated in the presale

[J1MmY9]

So if i do not have a keystore file and do not have Presale my ETH went to the sand.

[frozeman]

Yes. you need to backup the keystore. We should probably point that out more directly, not just in the main menu as "Backup".

[hiddentao]

Perhaps we can prompt the user with a popup to that effect.

[frozeman]

This is actually part of the wallet, though the wallet itself is not build around any node, nor mist. Though we should add a popup, i agree.

[J1MmY9]

Thanks for the help. I installed a new wallet and start from a new adventure with ETH. Any copies've done a few times :)

It seems to me that should be in the wallet when making backup infused e-mail was to be mailed a key or something like that

Thanks again

[bulibasa]

this is really frustrating, my computer crashed, I reinstalled the OS thinking if I have the password and the address I will be fine, I am not a computer geek, does this mean I lost my ethereum, all?

I invested a lot of money in this technology and now I am told that I lost it all.

I have my password which I thought it will be enough to "log in" back if I reinstall the wallet, I never knew this is a completely different technology which is not based on logins and I have never been prompted by any popup RED BIG saying: please save your wallet etc.!!!

so, the questions is, what now? I just lost a few thousands ethereum??

[bulibasa]

I am still waiting for a reply to my post, it must be a way to recover our wallet access, the fact that the developers didn't take in account the pop-up warning knowing that, if the wallet is not backed-up the user will loose the wallet access, you must help us to recover our money, it is not fair! we invested money in this platform, we are investors not high IT level experts, you should help us somehow to recover our loss. It is not my fault that I was not warned that I need to backup a wallet. This is a very new technology which works very different from what we knew before (log in using a password and username) and we had no clue how this new system works.

I spoke to many people who have wallets and they confirmed that they didn't have a clue about backup!!

PLEASE HELP!

[tactical-drone]

All I am trying to do is move one account from one mist on one computer to another mist on another computer that contains other accounts. Cannot be done. Wallets vs accounts??????? Accounts vs Application data????? And multiple backup locations and and bizarre locations inside windows. Where is the button that says: "Export account" and the button that says "Import account". How hard can it be to make something like this? How stupid must you be to not make buttons like these? It simply boggles the mind. Nobody give a shit about keys or json files or wallets or private keys or public keys or sha256 or assembly languages or object orientation or any of that shit. All we care about are two buttons. Export, and import. How lazy can you be? Seriously?

I have M.Sc Computer science and I am appalled and completely confused by the UX of the mist wallet. These people should be ashamed of themselves. I have never seen a lazier UI than that backup menu option.

@bulibasa Your funds are gone. These mist UX people made sure of that.

[bulibasa]

pompomJuice - I completely agree!!!!

THIS IS REALLY SAD! IT MUST BE A WAY TO RECOVER MY MONEY!

frozeman - what do you have to say here?

[bobbiz]

its shit have same situation wallet stops to sync i closed it run geth by hands it show that some block has wrong crc i have delete that block restart wallet it say me about some node missing i deleted all etherum dir and now, i wondered that my wallet address and password is nothing JUST FUCKING NOTHING

[bobbiz]

WHY WALLET KEEPS WALLET (KEYS) OUTSIDE THE WALLET???? blockchaine agree, other data agree, but keystore, what the wallet itself dont uderstand

[bobbiz]

// TODO // KEEP KEYSTORE IN WALLET FOLDER

[confirmationbias]

frozeman said: "Yes. you need to backup the keystore. We should probably point that out more directly, not just in the main menu as "Backup"."

I say: "Uhhh, ya you think?"

I'm really surprised Ethereum is this poorly designed at this stage! Lost $150 (about 12 ETH). Nothing I'm going to lose sleep over, and at this rate I probably never will. But seriously, this is the most un-user-friendly software I have ever ever encountered. Of course you should point out that the keystore needs to be backed up! I was never able to even download the entire blockchain to use it before I would get prompts that a new Ethereum client was available. At one point to try to get it to work, I think I deleted the whole folder, while writing down my password. I presumed the long complex password I created was all I needed! I guess none of you have jobs with actual human beings?

[confirmationbias]

Storing the important keystore information in some obscure place like %appdate%keystore is meaningless to ordinary people. Burying the "backup" command deep in some menus in the software is useless.

It's not like you guys haven't seen bitcoin wallets that prompt people to back up their seed! You're not reinventing the wheel here. You're just trying to make it round and not square.

[confirmationbias]

@pompomJuice

I totally agree. This is amateur hour. ETH is a joke.

[pelebel]

Same herr, tought I was safe backing up my public key and password, had to format Windows, no recovery method worked to get the folder back. I understand this is a way to create scarcity, witch artificially increases ETH value. Moving to a better coin.

[greaterninja]

Hello, if any of you need assistance undeleting, restoring, recovering, or locating your wallet file please message me on reddit or gitter. I may or may not be able to help if you formatted or repartitioned your disk. Username is greaterninja Thank you.

[terencechow]

Sigh, what a joke. When I used geth in February 2016, there was no mention that the software would put a private key in some random folder on my computer, while also downloading the entire ethereum blockchain. Well no duh I decided to delete a 10gig + folder on my hard drive when I needed space and was not an ethereum miner. All it said was to guard the password with my life. No mention to guard the private key with your life. No mention of putting super important files in a completely random directory.

When people like myself or others are trying to promote Ethereum, we lose all our eth due to terrible documentation from ethereum. What happens to the founders and their friends when something goes against them (i.e DAO)? Well they hard fork and keep all their money. How fair is that? @vbuterin where is my hard fork that saves me from this lack of documentation?

I lost 169 eth that was going to use to buy my partner a special gift. Feel free to destroy that eth because it is never coming back.

I am so thoroughly annoyed that there was no mention of a keystore / private key when I used geth and even today, when using Ethereum Wallet there is no mention how important the keystore file is. I don't think I deserve to lose any ETH cause I followed the instructions exactly. How could such an important thing be left out???

Here's my new address @vbuterin . Send me 169 eth for the simple fact that I supported this project and followed instructions. Just like the DAO investors followed instructions with good intentions, why do I deserve to lose my eth?

0x988254c49e761386cafefc31dAA96FA85f788a5f

[bulibasa]

I completely agree with @terencechow !!! Very well said! I did exactly the same following the instructions, precisely but I lost all my money while I guarded the password with my life, still have it but I didn't know and I was not made aware about that file which I lost. And I want my money back! @vbuterin

[greaterninja]

@terencechow @bulibasa @pelebel @confirmationbias @J1MmY9 @pompomJuice @bobbiz message me on reddit or send me an email to greaterninja@gmail.com I can try my best to recover your wallet. This means I can potentially recover your geth/mist wallet, presale wallet even after you have deleted it or even reinstalled windows..provided you still have the original disk drive. Additionally, I can also help those who lost money on the DAO to recover more ETH and ETC. Fee would be 20% of the account balance recovered...I've had some success with certain people.

[kobst]

What if you do have the keystore files? I've downloaded the chain using parity but now Mist will not read my account even though my keystore files are in the same place. How do you restore that account if the Mist wallet is not syncing or reading that account?

[tactical-drone]

@kobst You cant move around accounts. Only Wallets that contain accounts! Pretty nifty won't you say? Keystore files are you private keys.

[frozeman]

@kobst you can check your account on etherscan.io and see when you created wallet contracts. Take those wallet contract addresses and import them using Dashboard => Add wallet => import wallet

[Terrambo]

ok, totally confused dumb guy here. A year ago I started mining Eth, hard drive died and finally got the system working again with a new drive. Have no idea where my wallet was. Still have my account info and can see that I have 25 Eth mined a year ago at ehterscan.io. Am I just looking at something I could have had if I still remembered where my wallet was, perhaps even remember my password or is there something I can do to retrieve the 25 Eth I have sitting there? Any help would be appreciated.

[pelebel]

@Terrambo looks like we're in the same situation. I would advise to start mining with another payout adress. I personally decided to use an online wallet to make sure it never happens again. Lost 20 ETH.

[WireGhost]

Same here. Lost 15 ether. No keyfile for one address as that PC crashed. and just synced my wallet today via other keyfile backup that had 5 (actually showing 9.9) etc, now has .019, so basically done with the local store block downloading wallets. . Sticking to BTC & LTC. If had to do it all over again, would do it with an online wallet. I can see the contract in the blockchain that it created, and it just seems stuck, for nearly a year. The etherscan.io doesn't show anything other than it's stuck on a contract. 0xe16171A65715841DF329a582A5DfFA17f900aC8d

[mfaraj8588]

Same problem here! created a wallet on ethereumwallet.com. I am the average internet user and i had no idea that my URL is the key to everything. i thought i could go to my wallet with simple normal log in. Now i have the password and the transfer address. i have 200 ethers which are equal to 36,000 USD today. This is extremely unfair. i tried everything possible to get the address back with no luck. I just don't get how i can see them, but i cannot access them. This makes no sense to me at all

[cameron6584]

So you all invested real money into a product that you clearly don't understand? Most of you claim to be unable to understand "computers" at an above average level. Maybe emerging technologies are not for you. Do your due diligence before you decide to jump into any investment sector, and that includes keeping your investment safe and secure.

[bulibasa]

https://github.com/cameron6584 people who invest money are not all computer developers, it was the developers' obligation to make sure people understand the new technology, the wallet was not constructed properly, it should have warned people that there is a file somewhere hidden which us paramount to accessing the wallet, other than the password, it's simple, other wallets are safe and offer this feature!

[supere989]

If you are in a situation where you have deleted the ethereum directory on your pc, It is sometimes possible to recover the data. Here are the conditions:

1. All you did was delete the folder "Ethereum"
2. You havn't tried to reinstall ethereum thinking you just fix it
3. You are using a magnetic hard drive and not an ssd
4. You stopped using the computer immediately, or shortly thereafter
5. You didn't run a "defrag" on your pc.

If you think you meet these conditions, then I may be able to help you out. However, in most cases, your hard drive, or your whole computer may need to be sent to me in order to recover it.

If you have a desktop computer, then just sending the harddrive will suffice. If you have a laptop or a macbook, you may need to send the whole device to avoid damaging your device.

Recovering a Password is the most difficult/impossible with current technology. However in the future the computing power may become available to brute force your password. So don't just give up hope.

Besides, like all investments, they are typically worth more over time.

In the meantime, if you know your password, but broke Ethereum, drop me a line and I will work with you to repair your damage.

-Raymond

[prdaric]

i'm kinda stuck as well. i still have..

• wallet adress
• backup private key
• encrypted private key

any chance to recover a wallet with those? thank you in advance.

[supere989]

Possibly if you remember your password to your encrypted private key

[bulibasa]

Wow!! Really? That's crazy!! https://github.com/pompomJuice

[tactical-drone]

Yea but luckily I know rocket science so I backed up those keys.... which had 0 balances on them.

This wallet is just a unjustifiable bad piece of software.

Still no export button, because of "security concerns". Pay no attention to this, they want you to loose your coins so that theirs gain value. That's all that is going on here.

[tactical-drone]

The argument being that if you can just willy nilly export your keys to say.... the attackers laptop, you should not be able to export it with a button. You have to navigate to the folder and somehow this prevents you from copying these keys to the attacker's laptop. Pure genius.

[prdaric]

@ethdev & @supere989 - can't really say i'm 100% sure knowing the password.. but if i could get somehow to a place where i can enter it to try it out!? sorry if this sounds like a 12yo sittin' in front of a computer, but this ether universe sometimes makes me feel like this.

so what am i supposed to to with the pieces of information i still have?!

[greaterninja]

I recover keys/balances/ether and even crack passwords. I have huge, positive feedback on bitcointalk if you need someone who you can trust. In either case, I would make sure whoever you interact with about keys, passwords, and wallets has a good track record. You can message me on bitcointalk, email me, or pm me on reddit.

[mfaraj8588]

@greaterninja I did send you an email a while back but still got no reply from you. Any chance you could reply?

[bulibasa]

https://github.com/greaterninja how do I contact you? Can't see any send message or contact

[supere989]

You can reach me on Wire UserID @RaymondJohnson or email supere989@gmail.com

Thank You!

Raymond Johnson 509-521-8751 supere989@gmail.com

On Tue, Jun 13, 2017 at 2:24 PM, bulibasa notifications@github.com wrote:

https://github.com/greaterninja how do I contact you? Can't see any send message or contact

— You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/ethereum/mist/issues/396#issuecomment-308253105, or mute the thread https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AF4_MuD8dy5s4Pune67PYt6CYSCtzRaHks5sDv4MgaJpZM4H0nV8 .

[bulibasa]

done supere989