[Guide]How to restore an old or backed up wallet
Wallet Recovery
Long-time users of cryptocurrency sometimes find old wallet files on USB drives or cloud storage that they have forgotten about. Others may have a backup, but can’t remember the software they used to create it, or have forgotten the password. Other users may have an old version of GoByte Core that no longer works because the network has upgraded. This documentation is intended to help these users restore access to their funds.
Determining the backup format
The first step is to determine the format of your backup. In most cases, this will either be a file, probably named wallet.dat, or a phrase of words. In some cases, you may have stored the private key for a GoByte address directly. The following list shows the possibilities and methods to restore your wallet in order of probability.
- Backup is a file
If file name is similar to wallet.dat, try to restore using GoByte Core
If file name is similar to gobyte-wallet-backup or includes the word ‘mobile’, try to restore using GoByte Wallet for Android
- Backup is a phrase of words
If 12 words long, try to restore using GoByte Electrum wallet or GoByte wallet for Android or iOS, depending what you used to create the backup
If 13 words long, try to restore using GoByte Electrum wallet
If 12, 18 or 24 or 25 words long, try to restore with the hardware wallet you used to create the recovery phrase
- Backup is a long string of random characters or a QR code
If 34 characters long and starting with G, this is a public address and cannot be used to restore access to lost funds. You need the private key.
If 52 characters long and starting with W, this is a private key in WIF, import using GoByte Core
If 51 characters long and starting with 7, this is a BIP38 encrypted private key, decrypt using paper wallet then import using GoByte Core
File Backups
GoByte Core
One of the most common wallet backup formats is a wallet.dat file from GoByte Core wallet. Before you begin, make absolutely sure that you have a copy of this file stored somewhere safe in case the restore process accidentally corrupts your wallet file! In most cases, wallet.dat backups will also be protected by a password, which you will need to know to regain access to your GoByte funds. If you already have GoByte Core installed, first ensure it has been updated to the latest version by clicking Help > About GoByte Core. Compare this with the latest available version of GoByte Core on the website as follows:
Update GoByte Core to the latest version according to the installation instructions. If you have only a wallet file and no existing installation of GoByte Core, simply install GoByte Core according to the installation instructions and start it once to create the GoByteCore folder. Then close GoByte Core and copy the wallet.dat file you want to restore to the GoByteCore folder in the location specified below, replacing or renaming the existing file.
Linux: Go to your home folder and press Ctrl+H to show hidden files, then open .gobytecore
macOS: Press Shift + Control + G, type ~/Library/Application Support, then open GoByteCore
Windows: Press Windows Key + R and type %APPDATA%, then open GoByteCore
To repair a broken installation, navigate to the GoByteCore folder and delete all .log and .dat files except wallet.dat. The following files can be safely deleted:
- banlist.dat
- budget.dat
- db.log
- debug.log
- fee_estimates.dat
- governance.dat
- mncache.dat
- mnpayments.dat
- netfulfilled.dat
- peers.dat
Leave .conf files and the folders (such as backups, blocks, chainstate, etc.) intact, since they will help you get started faster by providing a copy of the blockchain and your settings.
Now open GoByte Core and wait for blockchain synchronization to complete. Your wallet will be restored/upgraded and all balances should be displayed. You should ensure you have the correct password by trying to unlock your wallet from Settings > Unlock Wallet to make sure you can actually create transactions using your balances. If you have any problems with your balance not appearing, try to force a rescan of the blockchain by going to Tools > Wallet Repair and selecting Rescan blockchain files. Rebuild index may also help. GoByte Core will restart and perform a full scan of the blockchain.
At this stage, recovery is complete and you should make another backup using File > Backup Wallet If you have any further problems, try asking on the forum, Reddit or the #help channel at GoByte Network Discord.
Recovery Phrases
Private Keys
Most wallets offer a function to import an address from a private key, see the documentation for your wallet for specific instructions. While private keys can be stored in many ways, in this example we will work through the process of restoring a private key from a paper wallet using GoByte Core. If you only have a QR code and not the key, use a barcode scanning app (Android or iOS) to read the code first.
First, start GoByte Core and unlock your wallet by selecting Settings > Unlock Wallet. Enter your password, then open the debug console by selecting Tools > Debug Console. In the console, type the following, replacing the example private key with your key:
importprivkey WL7tahrtwKnsDczjJGVfwDBSANFQZDPUDMg8qEP8FUb2kjpwKetX
GoByte Core will rescan the blockchain for transactions involving the public address of this key and enter the transactions and balance in your wallet.
The private key must be in wallet import format (WIF). If your key is encrypted using BIP38 (key begins with 6P instead of 7), you must first decrypt it to view the key in WIF. To do so, go to https://paper.gobyte.network/ and click Wallet Details. Enter the encrypted private key in the field and click View Details. You will be prompted for the password, and your keys will be decrypted. Find the key named Private Key WIF and import this into your wallet.
Forgotten Passwords
In most cases, if you selected a strong password and have forgotten or lost it, there is practically no hope of recovery. The encryption used by the GoByte wallets is extremely strong by design, and a well-chosen password should defeat most brute force cracking attempts. If you can recall some details of the password, particularly its length or sequences of characters that may be included, then brute force password cracking techniques may be worth attempting. Several services exist to do this, or you can attempt it yourself. Because GoByte Core is based on Dash Core, most approaches to apply brute force to crack a Dash wallet will also work for GoByte wallets.
