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Bitcoin: btcrecover does not support the latest Bitcoin Core wallet format?

Published by Terlumun Aondover on February 5th, 2025.

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Bitcoin: btcrecover does not support the latest Bitcoin Core wallet format

Over the past few days, users of the popular cryptocurrency Bitcoin have encountered an issue when trying to use the btcrecover tool against their encrypted Bitcoin Core (BTC) wallet files. Specifically, those using the latest version of Bitcoin Core, 27.0, are encountering a frustrating error message while trying to recover their wallet from a corrupted file.

The Issue:

The btcrecover command is designed to analyze and potentially recover a corrupted or encrypted Bitcoin wallet. In this case, however, it appears that Bitcoin Core 27.0 has introduced changes to its wallet format that make the btcrecover tool incompatible.

The Error Message:

When attempting to use btcrecover against a corrupted wallet file stored in the .wallet.dat format encrypted with a short passphrase, users are encountering an error message stating “unrecognized wallet format”. This error occurs even if the original Bitcoin Core 27.0 wallet file is still intact and contains only invalid or incomplete data.

The Problem:

The problem lies in the fact that Bitcoin Core 27.0 has changed the way it stores and structures its wallet files. Specifically, the new version includes a new format for storing encrypted wallet files that is not compatible with the older btcrecover tool.

Solutions:

To overcome this issue, users can try the following solutions:

Try an earlier version of Bitcoin Core:

Users may need to roll back their system to an earlier version of Bitcoin Core (e.g. 25.x) that does not use the new wallet format.

Use a different btcrecover command: If a user is unable to restore their wallet using the default btcrecover command, they can try using a custom recovery tool specifically designed for older versions of Bitcoin Core (e.g. bc-rcc).

Restore from a backup file: In some cases, users may be able to restore their wallet from a previous backup file that contains the original Bitcoin Core 27.0 wallet data.

Conclusion:

The btcrecover issue not supporting the latest Bitcoin Core wallet format is a bug in the newer version of Bitcoin Core. Users who encounter this error should explore alternative solutions, such as using an older version of Bitcoin Core or a custom recovery tool specifically designed for their specific situation.

Additional Resources:

Bitcoin Core GitHub repository: [

Bitcoin Core documentation: [

Note: This article is intended to provide general information and may not be comprehensive or up-to-date. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, users should consult the official Bitcoin Core documentation and contact the Bitcoin community for assistance.