<p>You should try to recover the wallet.dat with a different data recovery tool, I have good experiences using <a href="https://www.runtime.org/data-recovery-software.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">GetDataBack</a> and <a href="http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec" rel="nofollow noreferrer">PhotoRec</a>. GetDataBack lets you choose different backups/versions of the file system, try all of them.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-29T09:27:39.010Z
2017-06-29T09:27:39.010Z
Gábor Héja
<p>It might be a file ownership issue. Are you logging in with the same username and passwd as on the previous installation of windows?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-03T05:44:36.277Z
2016-11-03T05:44:36.277Z
alba
<p>I have made a few major mistakes and am making a last ditch effort to recover my bitcoins. I had a wallet.dat file on a previous installation of windows, after reformatting (with no previous back up, I know I know...) I realized my mistake and immediately attempted to recover the wallet.dat file with Recurva. Recurva listed the file as "excellent" condition.</p>

<p>When attempting to open the file in the bitcoin client, I receive the error:</p>

<pre><code>"Wallet corrupted - salvage failed".
</code></pre>

<p>The wallet is encrypted, the password is known.</p>

<p>I have attempted to do a wallet dump using pywallet, however, I always receive the error:</p>

<pre><code>ERROR:root:Couldn't open wallet.dat/main. Try quitting Bitcoin and running this again.
</code></pre>

<p>The command I am running:</p>

<pre><code>python pywallet.py --passphrase=mypassphrasehere --datadir=C:\path\to\recovered\wallet --dumpwallet
</code></pre>

<p>I am unable to find any more resources for getting around this error - I do not have bitcoin running (even after a restart), and I am referencing a wallet that is outside of the bitcoin data directory (and also tried having the default path with bitcoin not running)</p>

<p>Has anyone else run into this issue? Should I assume the wallet file is corrupt and cut my loses? I've exhausted my google fu and can not seem to find any other steps to recover this wallet.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-11-12T12:58:13.503Z
As your wallet is encrypted, the slightest change will make it broken. Your file may say excellent but that does not mean perfect (I presume)
MaxSan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-13T06:00:46.240Z
upvoted: i had a 2012 wallet without encryption backed up cleanly from core 0.3.21 and had the same error "ERROR:root:Couldn't open wallet.dat/main. Try quitting Bitcoin and running this again."
Mariano Montañez Ureta
<wallet-recovery>
Corrupt wallet.dat file - Try quitting bitcoin and running this again
Matt
# Corrupt wallet.dat file - Try quitting bitcoin and running this again

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-11-12)

I have made a few major mistakes and am making a last ditch effort to recover my bitcoins. I had a wallet.dat file on a previous installation of windows, after reformatting (with no previous back up, I know I know...) I realized my mistake and immediately attempted to recover the wallet.dat file with Recurva. Recurva listed the file as "excellent" condition.

When attempting to open the file in the bitcoin client, I receive the error:

```
"Wallet corrupted - salvage failed".

```

The wallet is encrypted, the password is known.

I have attempted to do a wallet dump using pywallet, however, I always receive the error:

```
ERROR:root:Couldn't open wallet.dat/main. Try quitting Bitcoin and running this again.

```

The command I am running:

```
python pywallet.py --passphrase=mypassphrasehere --datadir=C:\path\to\recovered\wallet --dumpwallet

```

I am unable to find any more resources for getting around this error - I do not have bitcoin running (even after a restart), and I am referencing a wallet that is outside of the bitcoin data directory (and also tried having the default path with bitcoin not running)

Has anyone else run into this issue? Should I assume the wallet file is corrupt and cut my loses? I've exhausted my google fu and can not seem to find any other steps to recover this wallet.

**Tags:** wallet-recovery

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: As your wallet is encrypted, the slightest change will make it broken. Your file may say excellent but that does not mean perfect (I presume)  
> **username_2**: upvoted: i had a 2012 wallet without encryption backed up cleanly from core 0.3.21 and had the same error "ERROR:root:Couldn't open wallet.dat/main. Try quitting Bitcoin and running this again."  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-06-29. Score: 1

You should try to recover the wallet.dat with a different data recovery tool, I have good experiences using [GetDataBack](https://www.runtime.org/data-recovery-software.htm) and [PhotoRec](http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec). GetDataBack lets you choose different backups/versions of the file system, try all of them.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2016-11-03. Score: 0

It might be a file ownership issue. Are you logging in with the same username and passwd as on the previous installation of windows?


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