Bitcoin Wallet Finder

A simple .NET console application that scans your computer's drive to find potential old Bitcoin wallets.

Overview

This application searches through the specified drive on your computer to locate files that might be Bitcoin wallets or contain wallet-related information. It looks for specific file types, keywords, and high-entropy files that could indicate encrypted data.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Prerequisites
• Installation and Usage
  • 1. Install .NET SDK
  • 2. Download the Source Code
  • 3. Build the Application
  • 4. Run the Application
  • 5. Review the Results
• Notes
• Troubleshooting
• Disclaimer
• License

Features

• File Scanning: Searches for files with extensions commonly associated with Bitcoin wallets (e.g., .dat, .wallet, .key, etc.).
• Keyword Detection: Scans file contents for wallet-related keywords like "bitcoin", "wallet", "privatekey", etc.
• Entropy Analysis: Identifies files with high entropy, which may indicate encrypted wallet files.
• Compressed Files Support: Scans inside .zip and .rar archives for potential wallet files.
• CSV Reporting: Generates a CSV report of all findings for easy review in Excel or other spreadsheet applications.
• Progress Updates: Displays the number of files processed during the scan.

Prerequisites

• Windows Operating System
• .NET SDK (version 6.0 or later)
  • Download from Microsoft .NET Downloads

Installation and Usage

Follow these steps to install and run the Bitcoin Wallet Finder:

1. Install .NET SDK

If you don't have the .NET SDK installed:

• Visit Microsoft .NET Downloads
• Download and install the appropriate version for your system (usually the latest .NET 8.0 SDK).

2. Download the Source Code

Download the source code of the application:

• Option 1: Clone the repository using Git:

  git clone https://github.com/privjimmie/wscanner.git

• Option 2: Download the ZIP file from the repository and extract it to a folder.

3. Build the Application

Option 1: Using Command Prompt (Recommended for Non-Tech Users)

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator:

   • Click on the Start menu.
   • Type cmd.
   • Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

2. Navigate to the Source Code Directory:

   • Use the cd command to navigate to the folder where you extracted the source code.

     cd path\to\Bitcoin-wallet-finder

3. Restore Dependencies:

   • Run the following command to restore any required packages:

     dotnet restore

4. Build the Application:

   • Build the application in Release mode:

     dotnet build -c Release

   • The executable will be located in the bin\Release\net8.0\ directory.

Option 2: Using Visual Studio (For Users with Visual Studio Installed)

1. Open the Solution File:

   • Double-click the .sln file in the source code directory to open the project in Visual Studio.

2. Restore NuGet Packages:

   • Visual Studio should automatically restore any required NuGet packages.

3. Build the Solution:

   • Click on Build > Build Solution or press Ctrl+Shift+B.

4. Locate the Executable:

   • After a successful build, the executable will be in the bin\Release\Net8.0\ folder.

4. Run the Application

Important: Run as Administrator

To ensure the application can access all files and folders, you must run it as an Administrator.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator:

   • Click on the Start menu.
   • Type cmd.
   • Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

2. Navigate to the Executable Directory:

   • Use the cd command to navigate to the directory containing the built executable:

     cd path\to\Bitcoin-wallet-finder\Bin\Release\Net8.0

3. Run the Application:

   • Execute the application by typing:

     WalletScanner.exe

4. Follow On-Screen Prompts:

   • Enter the drive letter to scan (e.g., C):
     • Type the drive letter you wish to scan (e.g., C) and press Enter.

5. Monitor Progress:

   • The application will display progress updates every 100 files processed.
   • It may take some time to scan large drives.

6. Completion:

   • Once the scan is complete, the application will display the location of the CSV results file.

5. Review the Results

• Locate the CSV File:
  • The results file will be saved in the root of the drive you scanned, with a name like wallet_scan_results.csv.
• Open the CSV File:
  • Use Microsoft Excel or another spreadsheet program to open the CSV file.
• Review Findings:
  • Examine the entries to identify any files that may be old Bitcoin wallets or related data.

Notes

• Administrative Privileges: Running the application as an Administrator is necessary to access all files and folders, including those that are protected or hidden.
• Privacy: The application processes files on your computer locally and does not transmit any data externally.
• Disk Space: Ensure you have enough disk space for temporary files, especially when scanning compressed files.
• Performance: Scanning a large drive can take significant time and system resources. It's recommended to close other applications during the scan.

Troubleshooting

• Access Denied Errors:
  • If you see messages about access being denied to certain paths, it's normal for system-protected areas.
  • The application will skip these areas and continue scanning.
• Application Closes Immediately:
  • If the console window closes right after opening, run the application from the Command Prompt to see any error messages.
• .NET SDK Not Recognized:
  • Ensure that the .NET SDK is properly installed and that the installation path is added to your system's environment variables.
• Cannot Find Executable:
  • Make sure you are in the correct directory where the WalletScanner.exe file is located.
  • Use the dir command to list files in the directory.

Disclaimer

• Use at Your Own Risk: This tool is provided "as is" without any warranties. Use it responsibly and ensure compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.
• Data Sensitivity: Be cautious when handling files that may contain sensitive information, such as private keys or seed phrases.
• No Liability: The developers are not responsible for any loss or damage resulting from the use of this application.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.