Pre-flight: what you actually need

Before touching buttons, inventory what you have. The path depends on the artifacts in your drawer/drive:

• Digital backup: a .wallet file.
• Paper backup: a printed page with the Root Key (often with a QR).
• SecurePrint code: only if you used Armory’s obfuscation step while printing.
• Fragmented backups: multiple pieces of the root key (e.g., 2-of-3 or 3-of-5).
• Passphrase: used to spend/export; not required just to import a digital backup.
• Bitcoin Core: Armory rides on Core’s blockchain data. If Core isn’t synced, sending won’t work.

The recovery map (tl;dr)

Do you have digital .wallet? ── Yes → Import Digital Backup → Wallet loads → (Spending needs passphrase)
                               └─ No
Do you have paper root key? ─── Yes → Single-Sheet Restore → (enter SecurePrint if used) → New wallet file
                               └─ No
Do you have fragments (M-of-N)? Yes → Fragmented Restore → Provide M pieces → Reconstruct wallet
                               └─ No → See “When you hit the wall”

Option A: Restore from a digital backup (.wallet)

When to use: you have the .wallet file but Armory on this machine is empty or corrupted.

Steps:

1. Open Armory → Import or Restore Wallet.
2. Choose Import Digital Backup.
3. Select your .wallet file → Import Wallet.
4. The wallet appears under Available Wallets.

Important: importing doesn’t require your passphrase. You’ll need the passphrase later to send, change the passphrase, or export private keys.

If the import fails: your file may be corrupted. Try restoring from paper or fragments. If that’s not possible, a professional can attempt file repair or forensic recovery—but don’t expect miracles without additional hints or backups.

Option B: Restore from a paper backup (single-sheet)

When to use: you have the printed root key page (QR + text). Some backups were printed with SecurePrint, which adds a case-sensitive code you must enter to “de-obfuscate” the root key.

Steps:

1. Open Armory → Import or Restore Wallet.
2. Choose Single-Sheet Backup.
3. Select backup type; if you used SecurePrint, enter that code.
4. Enter the Root Key (scan QR if supported).
5. Restore Wallet and optionally verify the Wallet ID matches what you expect.

Tip: if characters are smudged, compare the QR decode against the text; minor OCR mistakes are common (O/0, l/1). A recovery service can often reconstruct a few missing characters with context, but you must be precise about what might be wrong.

Option C: Restore from fragmented backups (M-of-N)

Armory’s fragmented backups split the root key into multiple pieces, requiring M of N to reconstruct. It’s akin to threshold cryptography: more resilient against theft, trickier in a move.

Steps:

1. Open Armory → Import or Restore Wallet.
2. Select Fragmented Backup.
3. Provide the minimum required number of fragments (the M).
4. Restore From Fragments to rebuild the wallet.

If you used SecurePrint on fragments, each piece may have its own code. You’ll need the codes for the fragments you’re using.

“I lost my passphrase” (two scenarios)

• You have the root key (paper or fragments): Restore the wallet from the root key. You can then set a new passphrase because you’re essentially deriving the wallet again from first principles. This is the clean path.
• You do not have the root key, only a .wallet file, and the passphrase is gone: There’s no reset. The file is encrypted with strong crypto. Recovery now means passphrase attack (wordlists + hints + patterns), which is feasible only if you have high-quality clues: likely lengths, separators, substitutions, languages, memorable dates, “I always add ! at the end” type habits. A professional service can set up targeted GPU attacks, but without good hints, brute force is physics-limited.

Missing SecurePrint code or partial data

SecurePrint was designed to keep printers from leaking secrets by splitting the knowledge: the paper plus a code. If you lost the code, but also have another backup path (digital .wallet or non-SecurePrint fragments), use that path. If all roads require SecurePrint and you’re missing a few characters, careful reconstruction might be possible. Keep the original paper intact; take high-resolution photos offline; avoid auto-“enhance” filters that destroy detail.

Lost or corrupt wallet file

If the .wallet file is missing, exhaust the obvious:

• External drives, old laptops, NAS, ZIP archives.
• Email attachments (search for .wallet).
• Cloud backups you forgot about (if you ever used them—risky, but real life happens).

If the file exists but crashes Armory, try:

• Restore from another backup (paper or fragments) to regenerate a fresh wallet file.
• Rebuild Armory’s databases: Help → Rebuild and Rescan Databases. This fixes index issues, not a broken wallet file, but it’s low effort and sometimes resolves “wallet won’t load” symptoms.

For deep corruption, professionals can attempt file repair or data carving—but the cryptography won’t bend. Without key material or a passphrase, there’s no backdoor.

Can’t send? Check your stack

Armory depends on Bitcoin Core for the blockchain. If Core isn’t fully synchronized, Armory can’t reliably build or broadcast transactions.

Checklist:

• Update to compatible versions of Armory and Bitcoin Core.
• Ensure Core is fully synced and has peers.
• In Armory: Help → Rebuild and Rescan Databases.
• If you’re running an offline/online pair, remember the workflow: build unsigned tx on the online watch-only wallet, sign on the offline machine, then broadcast online.

Fee issues and mempool turbulence can also trigger errors; increase the fee if the wallet allows, or export the raw transaction for manual handling.

Exporting private keys (and moving to a modern wallet)

If your endgame is “I just want reliable access,” exporting keys and importing them to a modern client (e.g., Electrum) is a pragmatic move.

Steps (Armory):

1. Open Armory → double-click your wallet in Available Wallets.
2. Backup This Wallet → Export Key Lists → Export Key Lists.
3. Enter wallet passphrase to unlock.
4. Tick Private Key (Plain Base58).
5. Save to File… in a secure offline location.

Then, in your modern wallet, import those private keys. Be aware: exporting plain WIF keys increases your attack surface. Treat that file like plutonium—short exposure, strong containment, then destroy.

When to call a recovery service (and what they actually do)

Bring in help when:

• You’ve lost a passphrase but have solid pattern hints.
• Paper backups are partially damaged, and you need character reconstruction.
• .wallet files are corrupt and you want a professional triage before giving up.
• Fragmented backups exist but you need tooling to decode formats safely.

If you’re stuck today, follow the map above. If you’re designing for tomorrow, build a backup story your future self—and your executor—can follow without decoding your 2017 password puzzles. If you need a hand, that’s what recovery teams are for: practical cryptography, and a clear path back to your coins.

Questions? You can contact us via email at
admin@walletrecoveryservice.com