Old encrypted wallet + bitcoin core

Question

I got desperate, I tried all the instructions I could find on the Internet - nothing helps. What I have:

• wallet.dat from bitcoin-core encrypted from 2015 (in four different places)
• the password I used to encrypt it (I remember that I had to click on the lock inside the application and enter the password)
• the same computer I did it on with windows os
• inside the file the hex editor shows different data (NOT FFFF)
• when trying to restore via pywallet with passphrase - ERROR:root:Couldn't open wallet.dat/main. Try quitting Bitcoin and running this again.
• when trying to download with loadwallet CLI command in Bitcoin Core - Data is not in recognized format. (code -18)
• downloaded the old version of Bitcoin Core (12) - wallet.dat corrupt, salvage failed
• last transaction was at 2018

I need advice - what other options do I have, how can I try to decrypt this file and access it?

Thank you, Best regards, Roman

Answer 1

You can try with bitcoin core wallet -0.18.1. First, Download and Install the Bitcoin Core wallet -0.18.1 https://bitcoincore.org/bin/bitcoin-core-0.18.1/

Second, Remove the wallet.dat in Bitcoin directory and move your wallet.dat file in bitcoin directory. The installed wallet.dat should be replaced with your wallet.dat that needs to be recovered.

Third, Watch the video to see how to dumpprivkey of your address without walletpassphrase or password to view the private key - https://youtu.be/C_yNMPnnqS0?si=P-5Uk5QCXtZbtmy0

Once you get the private key of your encrypted wallet.dat file, then install electrum in your PC. https://electrum.org/#download

Open your electrum wallet -> Create new -> Import private key(last option) -> Paste your private key and click ok to get your wallet view and spendable.

Hope its helped you.