Why one universal recipe is wrong
WalletType contains two distinct MultiBit software-wallet entries as well as hardware-related types. WalletManager also retains a creation method explicitly marked as not BIP32 compliant. The existence of a familiar-looking derivation path does not remove that historical distinction. Identify the wallet family and version before interpreting a blank result from another application.
Paths recorded in the enum
| Source type | Source comment |
|---|---|
| MBHD_SOFT_WALLET_BIP32 | First receiving key m/0'/0/0 |
| MBHD_SOFT_WALLET | Beta 7; explicitly not BIP32 compliant |
| TREZOR_HARD_WALLET | First receiving key m/44'/0'/0'/0/0; device signs |
| TREZOR_SOFT_WALLET | BIP44 account 0 software keys |
These are source annotations at the pinned revision, not a compatibility promise for every released binary.
How to use a known address
An address recorded before recovery provides an independent comparison target. Keep its provenance: an old invoice, a wallet screenshot or a transaction record is stronger evidence than an address produced by the recovery tool itself. Reproducing the expected address helps test the chosen phrase interpretation and derivation. A balance of zero alone does not tell you whether the phrase, path or account is wrong.
Receiving and change branches
Do not stop an investigation at one newly displayed receiving address. Account discovery involves the relevant branches and an explicit search range. Record what the tool searched and whether it checked change addresses. A finite address limit is a search boundary, not evidence that every possible derived account is empty. Use current tool documentation for the actual settings.
Keep the beta case separate
The older source method and enum exist for a reason. If the wallet dates from a beta era, keep the original files and version information rather than forcing a standard BIP39/BIP32 restoration recipe. This library points to the original implementation so an investigator can trace that case explicitly. We have not executed a beta-wallet migration as part of this publication.
Record the hypothesis
A good recovery note says which wallet type was assumed, which source supports that assumption, what path and range were examined, and which known address was compared. That makes a negative result useful. “The seed does not work” hides all four decisions and is much harder to investigate.