MultiBit HD recovery starts with identifying the material you still have: wallet words, the encrypted primary wallet, rolling snapshots or an encrypted ZIP backup. Keep the complete original directory and work on copies.
Identify the backup before choosing a recovery method
mbhd.wallet.aes: the primary encrypted HD wallet.rolling-backup/*.wallet.aes: timestamped encrypted wallet snapshots.zip-backup/*.zip.aes: encrypted directory archives that can preserve additional application data.
For the documented software-wallet backup process, the primary wallet and rolling snapshots use password-based encryption; ZIP archives use a backup key derived from wallet words. An application password and wallet words are different recovery inputs. A file extension is a clue, not proof of its contents. A generic wallet.aes.json recipe is not a description of the MultiBit HD primary wallet format.
Wallet words, password and restoration
Preserve the original words in their written order and record the original version if known. Do not identify a wallet solely by word count or assume that every HD wallet has a 13- or 18-word phrase. Keep any wallet date record: it helps choose a synchronization start point, but is not a replacement for the words.
The application password protects local wallet data. It should not automatically be entered into a modern recovery tool’s seed-passphrase field. The reviewed software-wallet creation methods use an empty seed passphrase; hardware-related and historical cases require separate identification.
The source distinguishes a BIP32 software wallet, an older beta implementation and hardware-related types. For the BIP32 software type, the source records the first receiving address at m/0'/0/0; this is not a universal recipe for every version. Verify a previously known address, receiving and change branches, and the search range before treating a zero balance as a failed recovery.
Can I open the file in another wallet?
A modern wallet does not necessarily accept an encrypted MultiBit HD file directly. Use a format-aware recovery method or reconstruct the correct wallet from its words. The decrypted primary wallet is not a generic JSON list of private keys, and a standard OpenSSL command does not by itself implement the HD format.
What should I preserve?
Keep the whole MultiBitHD data folder, all dated backups and any external or cloud copies. Search the old installation and backups for mbhd.wallet.aes and the backup directories rather than relying on one assumed operating-system path. Custom data directories and historical versions can differ. Preserve notes and file dates before opening discontinued software, which may rotate backups.
Importing versus sweeping
Importing retains existing keys in a wallet; sweeping transfers available funds to a new wallet in a transaction. Neither is a substitute for verifying the correct addresses. Account for change addresses and all recovered keys, preserve the original material, and plan any migration using current wallet documentation.
Documentation and further reading
- HD primary wallet, rolling backups and ZIP backups
- Wallet words and verification
- Wallet types, paths and the beta exception
- Original MultiBit HD source at the reviewed revision
Need help with recovery?
Email mail@keychainx.io with the wallet type, approximate date, backup extensions and error message. Describe the problem first; do not send passwords, wallet words, private keys or wallet files in an initial message. KeychainX can assess a wallet you own or are legally authorized to recover. Recovery is not guaranteed.
Technical review: 7 October 2026. Recovery depends on the surviving material and the original wallet version.