<p>Access to wallets can be recovered by means of a recovery phrase, private key (string or QR code) or backup file (in this case a copy of wallet.dat).</p>

<p>If you have none of these you will not be able to prove ownership of the wallet and will not have access to the funds.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-29T05:45:20.853Z
Thank you Jorijnsmit. How can I tell the difference between a public and private key?
Patrick Edward Ashodian Moore
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-29T12:15:07.437Z
a public key is derived from the private key, but you cannot go vice versa. This is due to the ECDSA logic. A private key is 32Bytes, whereas a public key in the bitcoin world is 65 Bytes long, beginning with hex "04", or as compressed keys beginning with hex "02" or "03", being 33 Bytes long.
pebwindkraft
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-29T16:22:38.050Z
Thank you Pebwindkraft. I have 34 characters in the Key I have here. Here are the first 10 character: “15maqpfwprkmf”. Is this a private key?
Patrick Edward Ashodian Moore
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-25T05:22:05.523Z
@PatrickEdwardAshodianMoore no that's an address. private keys look like this: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Private_key#Base58_Wallet_Import_format
Abdussamad
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-29T02:08:12.390Z
2017-12-29T02:08:12.390Z
gosuto
<p>You will have to use your recovery phrase ,when you open your bitcoin wallet they gave you a recovery phrase set , that is as low as 12 phrases that you should have stored on some place in order to recover your wallet in case something happens ,if you did not back up your wallet it will be difficult to recover it.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-28T05:46:05.340Z
thanks Luis.  Unfortunately I didn't back up my wallet.
Patrick Edward Ashodian Moore
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-25T05:21:13.950Z
core doesn't provide a seed mnemonic
Abdussamad
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-28T05:21:38.033Z
2017-12-28T19:46:14.590Z
2017-12-28T19:46:14.590Z
Luis Melchor
<p>My name is Patrick and I need assistance recovering my account.  My brother sent me some bitcoin to my bitcoin core wallet.  I am unable to access this due to my laptop becoming infected with a virus and needing to be restored.  I have my wallet ID where the transaction took place, but I do not know how to access my bitcoin core wallet.  (My original laptop hard drive was fully corrupt and replaced.) I would be extremely grateful for any assistance in recovering my bitcoin core wallet. </p>

<p>Sincerely,
Patrick Moore</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-28T07:39:34.433Z
you have no backup? You don't have the wallet.dat file? What do you mean by wallet ID? the address? or the transaction number?
pebwindkraft
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-28T20:19:10.700Z
Correct, no backup.  The wallet.dat file was thrown away with my old harddrive.  All I have is the “string” (what I  believe is my address).  This is shown on blockchain.info.  I see my brother’s number sending it to my number.   Is there any possible way to recover it?  Thank you.
Patrick Edward Ashodian Moore
<wallet-recovery>
Recovering My BitCoin Core Account/Wallet
Patrick Edward Ashodian Moore
# Recovering My BitCoin Core Account/Wallet

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-12-28)

My name is Patrick and I need assistance recovering my account. My brother sent me some bitcoin to my bitcoin core wallet. I am unable to access this due to my laptop becoming infected with a virus and needing to be restored. I have my wallet ID where the transaction took place, but I do not know how to access my bitcoin core wallet. (My original laptop hard drive was fully corrupt and replaced.) I would be extremely grateful for any assistance in recovering my bitcoin core wallet.

Sincerely,
Patrick Moore

**Tags:** wallet-recovery

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: you have no backup? You don't have the wallet.dat file? What do you mean by wallet ID? the address? or the transaction number?  
> **username_0**: Correct, no backup.  The wallet.dat file was thrown away with my old harddrive.  All I have is the “string” (what I  believe is my address).  This is shown on blockchain.info.  I see my brother’s number sending it to my number.   Is there any possible way to recover it?  Thank you.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-12-29. Score: 1

Access to wallets can be recovered by means of a recovery phrase, private key (string or QR code) or backup file (in this case a copy of wallet.dat).

If you have none of these you will not be able to prove ownership of the wallet and will not have access to the funds.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you Jorijnsmit. How can I tell the difference between a public and private key?  
> **username_1**: a public key is derived from the private key, but you cannot go vice versa. This is due to the ECDSA logic. A private key is 32Bytes, whereas a public key in the bitcoin world is 65 Bytes long, beginning with hex "04", or as compressed keys beginning with hex "02" or "03", being 33 Bytes long.  
> **username_0**: Thank you Pebwindkraft. I have 34 characters in the Key I have here. Here are the first 10 character: “15maqpfwprkmf”. Is this a private key?  
> **username_3**: @PatrickEdwardAshodianMoore no that's an address. private keys look like this: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Private_key#Base58_Wallet_Import_format  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2017-12-28. Score: -1

You will have to use your recovery phrase ,when you open your bitcoin wallet they gave you a recovery phrase set , that is as low as 12 phrases that you should have stored on some place in order to recover your wallet in case something happens ,if you did not back up your wallet it will be difficult to recover it.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: thanks Luis.  Unfortunately I didn't back up my wallet.  
> **username_3**: core doesn't provide a seed mnemonic  

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