Post
Topic
Board Bitcoin Technical Support
Re: Help to restore my Priv Key
by
coaltin
on 02/08/2025, 05:40:16 UTC
thank you very very much for the help guys
it seems that the mistake was at the WIF
I don't know were I got that wif that back in time that I have saved it on text file but it looks that I just wasted time trying all the methods
as the problem seems to be the wif 5HueCGU8rMjxEXxiPuD5BDuRaF2oQfMzuXgbw2x1DJUbpjZSQmW

thank you again to all of you that tried to help me
I'd be happy to send you a small tip as a generous way to thank you for your help
Drop your BTC address

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Read about '5' and then added more info and examples to support the fact that it is working with both 5 and x versions.

Quote from: coaltin
Electrum will NOT sweep uncompressed keys but will accept them in wallet creation.
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Wrong again, it accepts uncompressed and compressed WIF in both Import (wallet creation) and Sweep.

write on the things that is known to You. If you don't know just avoid writing about it.

It seems you just vaguely wrote ' Sweep' when the entire terminology and its meaning is unknown to you.

Nothing wrong about anything, you do not know how to solve his problems.
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You're on the right track.

Step-by-Step:

1. Check the Private Key Format:

- Uncompressed WIF: 5HueCGU8rMjxEXxiPuD5BDu... (starts with 5)
- Compressed WIF: Kx... or Lx...
If it starts with 5, it's uncompressed.

2. Two Methods to Recover Funds
You have two main options:

Method 1: Importing to Electrum (Manual Way)
Instead of sweeping, you can import the private key by creating a "watch-only" wallet and then converting it to a full wallet.
Here’s how:
1. Open Electrum.
2. Click "File" > "New/Restore" to create a new wallet.
3. Name the wallet.
4. Choose "Use a master key".
5. Instead of a seed phrase, paste your WIF private key (starting with 5).


Electrum will NOT sweep uncompressed keys but will accept them in wallet creation.
If Electrum says it’s invalid, your key might be:
- Corrupted (typos or extra whitespace)
- Encrypted (check the file carefully)

Method 2: Use a Site or Tool That Accepts Uncompressed Keys
Some tools can import uncompressed private keys directly:

Option A: BitAddress.org (Offline Mode)
1. Download the HTML file from bitaddress.org (open-source, verify via GitHub if unsure).
2. Run it offline (for security).
3. Click Wallet Details tab.
4. Paste your WIF Private Key.
5. It shows:
    - The public address
    - The compressed/uncompressed public keys
    - And lets you verify if there are coins.

Check if coins are on the uncompressed address, as this is what matters.
If yes, you can get the private key in the right format or send them elsewhere.

Method 3: Bitcoin Core (Slow but Sure)
You can install Bitcoin Core, let it fully sync (can take days), then:
1. Run the console (under Tools).
2. Run:
importprivkey "YourWIFKey"
3.
Then it’ll scan and let you use/send the coins once synced.
This takes time, but works with all valid WIF keys, including uncompressed ones.

Recommendations

- Use Electrum + direct import if it lets you.
- If that fails, use bitaddress.org (offline) to confirm balance.
- As a last resort, use Bitcoin Core.

* If you can share the public address (not the private key!), I can help check balance/status

Security Reminder
Never paste your WIF key on any online tool unless it’s offline and verified (e.g., bitaddress.org run from a disconnected device). If you want help analyzing it safely, we can use offline tools.

What is the btc reward?
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I’ve tried all the methods I could and now I’m just waiting for Bitcoin Core to finish scanning all the blocks so I can test it there too
Thanks for the quick replies guys

Happy that it helped, while core syncing takes a lots of time but awaiting for the final results.
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btc: bc1qffxygyclktz5fvernfyzdgtlurh4qp0fxmv9kk

Appreciate the effort!