MultiBit Classic wallet not opening? Here’s how to recover your BTC from old .wallet / .key files

backup files of multibit wallet on the screen of the laptop

Step 1 — Identify what you have

Start by confirming which MultiBit you’re dealing with and what you possess.

Try to look for these

  • Classic files: wallet-name.wallet and/or key backups like something.key.
  • HD seed: a 12- or 18-word phrase (sometimes revealed after decrypting the .wallet).
  • Password hints: likely length, separators, favorite words, years, languages, keyboard quirks.

Default file locations

  • Windows: %APPDATA%\MultiBit
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/MultiBit
  • Linux: ~/.multibit

These folders often include wallet-backup/ and key-backup/.

Tip: If your file contents begin with U2FsdGVkX1... (i.e., “Salted__” after Base64 decode), it’s an OpenSSL-encrypted export. That’s common for MultiBit Classic key backups.

Step 2 — Classic wallet: export or decrypt

A) If MultiBit Classic still runs (old machine/VM)

  1. Open Tools → Export Private Keys.
  2. Save the export (WIF keys start with 5, K, or L).
  3. Sweep those keys into a modern wallet (e.g., Electrum) to move funds to fresh addresses.

Why “sweep” instead of “import”? Sweeping creates a new transaction to your new wallet, avoids lingering exposure of old keys, and simplifies future fork claims.

B) If the app won’t run: decrypt backups with OpenSSL

Many Classic backups (and some .wallet files) use OpenSSL AES-256-CBC with an MD5 KDF. If you know the password, try:

# Decrypt a .key or .wallet created by MultiBit Classic
openssl enc -d -aes-256-cbc -a -md md5 \
  -in encrypted.key \
  -out decrypted.txt \
  -pass pass:YOUR_PASSWORD

Open decrypted.txt in a text editor. You should see one or more WIF private keys (printable ASCII). Sweep them in Electrum or import into Bitcoin Core.

Common decrypt errors

“bad decrypt” / “Provided AES key is wrong”: wrong password, wrong file, or corrupted/truncated Base64. Re-check the source file and realistic password variants.

Security: handle keys offline. Don’t paste seeds/keys into websites.

Step 3 — MultiBit HD: restore from seed (or reveal it)

Best case — you have the 12/18-word seed

  1. In Electrum: Create new → I already have a seed.
  2. Click Options → BIP39 (required for MultiBit HD seeds).
  3. Enter the seed → choose Detect Existing Accounts to load the correct derivation and history.

No seed, only a .wallet file?

Decrypt the .wallet with the same OpenSSL method above. MultiBit HD stores the seed/keys inside; once revealed, restore or sweep.

Step 4 — Move coins to a modern wallet

Electrum (quick)

  • Classic: Wallet → Private Keys → Sweep → paste WIFs → send to a new address.
  • HD: after restore, simply spend to a fresh wallet.

Bitcoin Core (robust)

importprivkey YOUR_WIF
# Wait for rescan, then spend onward.

Note: Electrum uses public servers—use a legitimate installer.

looking for multibit classic backup files furing recovery process

Password recovery — reality check

  • Classic OpenSSL exports (.key/.wallet): attacks target AES-256-CBC (MD5 KDF). Tools like hashcat, John the Ripper, or btcrecover can test candidates fast if you have solid hints (patterns, separators, favorite words/years, languages). Truly random, high-entropy passwords are generally impractical.
  • HD seeds: if you have the words, there’s no password to crack; otherwise decrypt the .wallet to reveal them.

If you prefer not to run GPU attacks yourself, a professional can structure targeted candidates and handle air-gapped hygiene. No guarantees—just probabilities.

Common errors and straight fixes

“The wallet password is incorrect / Could not decrypt bytes / Provided AES key is wrong”

Meaning: password/file mismatch or wrong KDF.

Fix: use OpenSSL with -md md5; verify the file isn’t truncated; try realistic variants.

“Wallet file not found”

Meaning: wrong directory or user profile.

Fix: check the default paths above; search for *.wallet and *.key; inspect wallet-backup/ and key-backup/.

Decrypted file looks like garbage

Meaning: not an OpenSSL export or Base64 is damaged.

Fix: re-copy the source; WIF keys should be readable ASCII starting with 5, K, or L. If it’s a raw Classic data file, try importing into a throwaway VM and exporting keys cleanly.

Empty balance after Electrum restore

Meaning: restored without BIP39 or account not detected (gap issue).

Fix: restore with BIP39 checked and choose Detect Existing Accounts; generate several receive addresses; confirm you’re on a healthy server.

Step-by-step quick recipes

Classic: decrypt a .key, then sweep to Electrum

  1. Copy your.key to an offline machine.
  2. Run:
    openssl enc -d -aes-256-cbc -a -md md5 \
  -in your.key -out your-decrypted.txt -pass pass:YOUR_PASSWORD
  3. Open your-decrypted.txt, copy each WIF key.
  4. Electrum → Wallet → Private Keys → Sweep → paste → send to your new address set.

Classic: no .key, only .wallet

  1. Try the same OpenSSL decrypt on the .wallet.
  2. If you get readable WIF/data, sweep as above.
  3. If not, use a throwaway VM to run MultiBit Classic, import the .wallet, then export keys (treat the VM as untrusted).

HD: have seed words

  1. Electrum → Create new → I already have a seed → Options → BIP39.
  2. Enter seed → Detect Existing Accounts → set a password → spend to a modern wallet.

Safety & integrity checklist

  • Use a clean, offline machine until funds are moved; verify tool downloads and signatures.
  • Prefer sweeping to fresh keys over importing.
  • After moving BTC, claim forks (BCH/BSV/BTG) in a separate session.
  • Archive old files (encrypted) and log what moved, where, and when.

Other Multibit Tutorials

  • For other tutorials and help check our articles here blog