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Corrupted or deleted file

Recovering a corrupted or deleted wallet file depends on what is left on the disk.

Is this your case

Situations we assess

01

The wallet program (Bitcoin Core, Electrum, Armory, MultiBit, Exodus and others) reports a corrupted file or will not open the backup.

02

You deleted the file or formatted the computer and only later realised the wallet was there.

03

The HDD, SSD or USB stick that held the wallet is not recognised, makes noise or appears empty.

04

An Ethereum keystore JSON (UTC--... file) or a Blockchain.com backup is truncated or was saved halfway.

05

The file was restored by generic recovery software but came back with a strange name and will not open.

Materials

What we need to assess the case

Nothing is sent through the form. Physical media, when needed, is delivered through the procedure agreed in the contract, with costs disclosed beforehand.

  • The disk, USB stick, phone or computer where the file was, with no new writes since the loss, if possible.
  • Copies, even corrupted or partial, of the wallet file and old backups.
  • The name of the software that created the wallet and the approximate period of use.
  • Addresses or transactions from the wallet, to confirm that the keys found are the right ones.
  • If the file was password protected, what you remember about the password.
  • Proof of identity and ownership, verified before any technical work.

Process

How we handle a corrupted file case

Beyond the standard steps, cases with physical media include creating a forensic image of the disk before any analysis, so the original is never altered.

  1. Step 01

    Tell us what happened

    Complete a short form with the wallet type, the problem and what you still have. Do not submit any secret.

  2. Step 02

    Speak with a specialist

    Have a free technical assessment lasting 30 minutes in English or Portuguese.

  3. Step 03

    Receive an initial assessment

    Understand preliminary viability, which materials may be required and the next steps.

  4. Step 04

    Authorize the work

    After ownership verification and service formalization, we request only what is strictly necessary.

  5. Step 05

    Pay only after a recovery

    When successful, you move the assets to a new wallet during an assisted session and pay the agreed success fee.

Viability

What determines viability

The central question is whether the bytes holding the keys still exist somewhere. File format, media type and disk usage after the loss are the factors that weigh most.

File format
wallet.dat (Berkeley DB or SQLite), keystore JSON, Electrum files, MultiBit .wallet files and Blockchain.com backups have recognisable signatures. Private keys also follow patterns that allow direct disk scanning.
Media type and TRIM
On HDDs, deleted files persist until overwritten. On SSDs with TRIM enabled, the system may clear the blocks within minutes, which greatly reduces the odds of recovering deleted files.
Usage after the loss
Every write to the disk after the loss may overwrite the data. Stopping use of the media immediately is the measure that best preserves viability.
Physical damage
Drives with mechanical or electronic failure may require laboratory work, with operational costs separate from the fee and disclosed beforehand. Not every damaged drive can be read.

Service limits

What we cannot do

  • We cannot recover files whose sectors were overwritten or cleared by TRIM. In those cases, the data no longer exists.
  • We cannot rebuild keys from the public address. If no copy of the file exists on any media, there is no path.
  • We do not guarantee reading media with severe physical damage; laboratory work is assessed case by case and may generate costs even without recovery.

Security and confidentiality

Your data is treated as the most sensitive asset in the process.

We minimize data collection for every case. Recovery attempts are performed offline on equipment controlled by Vault, with access restricted to the specialists responsible.

Never send a seed phrase, private key or password to someone who contacts you without your request. Always verify Vault Recovery's official channels.

01

No secrets are requested in the initial form.

02

Work begins only after identity, ownership or legal authority is verified.

03

We request only the material required for the specific case.

04

Recovery attempts take place in a controlled offline environment.

05

You participate in moving the assets to a new wallet under your control.

06

Sensitive files and data are permanently deleted after the case is concluded.

Commercial model

A fee on the value recovered, laboratory costs separate

The assessment is free and the success fee follows the brackets below. Cases with damaged physical media may require parts, clean room work or shipping, with operational costs disclosed before the work and charged separately from the fee.

Assess my case

No recovery commission if recovery fails

Recovered value
Up to USD 100,000
Success fee
20%
Recovered value
Over USD 100,000 up to USD 200,000
Success fee
17.5%
Recovered value
Over USD 200,000
Success fee
15%

Laboratory and logistics costs may exist even when the recovery is not successful. They are always agreed in writing before any procedure.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about this case.

The same questions and answers visible here feed the structured data of the page.

Free assessment

Corrupted file or damaged drive? Stop using the media and talk to us.

Book a free 30 minute call. A specialist reviews the file format, the media type and what happened since the loss, and explains viability and possible costs before any work.

Free assessment · English or Portuguese · No secret is requested at this stage

Step 1 of 3

Initial case assessment

Share only what is necessary so we can direct the conversation to the right specialist.

Never enter a seed phrase, password, passphrase, private key, or sensitive file in this form.
What happened to your wallet access?