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DIY · Tools
Open tools to try it yourself (and their risks)
I have no interest in hiding from you that you can try it yourself. The tools used in this work are public, free and open source. What a professional adds isn’t access to a secret program, it is judgement and time.
What exists, by case type
- For wallet passwords there are free tools that test candidates against your file, generating variants from what you tell them you remember. The best known is called btcrecover; I explain it without jargon in btcrecover for non-programmers.
- For incomplete phrases there are tools that generate every valid combination from what you have, applying the phrase’s internal check, and test which one holds a balance.
- For exploring addresses there are public block explorers, free and with no sign-up.
- For recovering deleted files there are data-recovery utilities, which aren’t wallet-specific.
The four precautions you can’t skip
- Download only from the project’s official repository. Tampered copies of all these tools circulate, and their only purpose is to keep whatever you give them. Type the address by hand; don’t arrive via a forum link.
- Always work on copies of your file, never the original.
- Disconnect from the internet while handling sensitive material, if the tool allows. The good ones work offline.
- Don’t use «graphical interface» versions from unknown sources. It is the most common disguise for the program that robs you.
The first point is the real risk in this article, which is why it comes first. The legitimate tools are safe; the fake copies that appear when you search for them are not. If you download a modified version and feed it your file and your clues, you have just handed everything to someone.
What you can reasonably expect
| Your case | Can you do it yourself? |
|---|---|
| A phrase with one missing word and you know the wallet | Yes, with patience |
| A password with two or three clear candidates | Yes |
| A password with a defined pattern | Yes, if you are comfortable with written instructions |
| A password with hazy memory | Hard: judgement matters here |
| An old wallet in an unusual format | Complicated without experience |
| A case from the impossible list | No, and nor can anyone |
If your case is in the first two rows, my honest advice is to try it yourself. You save the fee and you learn something. If you get stuck, I’m still here; and if you don’t, better for you.