Situations · Reformatting
I reformatted the computer where my wallet was
Before reading anything else: if that computer is still on or you are using it, turn it off. Every minute of use reduces the chance of salvaging what was there. That is, literally, the most valuable action you can take right now.
Why it can sometimes be salvaged
A quick format doesn’t erase data: it marks the space as available. The information physically remains on the disk until something overwrites it. A wallet file is small, so it can survive quite a while in the gaps if the disk isn’t used.
The problem is that a freshly installed operating system writes constantly: updates, temporary files, indexes. Every write can land exactly on top of what you are looking for.
What greatly reduces the chances
| What happened | Chances |
|---|---|
| Quick format and unused since | Reasonable |
| Quick format and you have used it for weeks | Low |
| Full format or secure erase | Practically nil |
| Solid-state drive with automatic trimming | Very low |
| The system was reinstalled on top | Depends how much space it took |
The fourth row deserves an honest explanation: modern solid-state drives genuinely erase freed space as part of how they work internally. On those drives, a format usually is final.
Before paying anyone, check this
- Did you have the wallet installed on another device? A phone, a laptop, a tablet.
- Did you copy anything to a USB stick or the cloud before formatting?
- Do you have the phrase written down on paper? Then none of this matters.
- Is there a copy of your browser profile on an external drive?