Keep distinct concepts distinct
The application password unlocks protected local data. Wallet words are recovery material used to reconstruct wallet information. A modern tool may also ask about a seed passphrase; do not assume that this field should contain the old MultiBit application password. The reviewed software-wallet creation methods pass an empty seed passphrase, but historical and hardware-related cases still need separate identification.
A complete phrase
Preserve its written order and any associated date information. Record the number of words and the wallet version without copying the words into general notes, email or a shared document. Before importing anywhere, identify the software source, work environment and wallet family. A valid checksum does not establish that the phrase belongs to the particular wallet you are trying to recover.
A damaged or incomplete phrase
Describe the uncertainty precisely: a missing position, an illegible word, swapped words, or a possible spelling mistake are different search problems. Keep an unchanged image or transcription of the original record and maintain separate candidate interpretations. Avoid silently “correcting” the only copy. A tool can search a defined set of possibilities; it cannot infer unbounded missing information.
Use independent evidence
A previously known receiving address or an appropriate wallet identifier can provide a comparison target when supported by the selected method. Record where that evidence came from. A newly generated address cannot independently prove that the recovered phrase is the intended one. The wallet-types guide explains why derivation settings must be part of the verification record.
What the wallet date means
Historical restoration also asks about time information to help synchronization. An approximate date is operational context, not a substitute for recovery words. Preserve it together with the backup’s provenance. Do not conclude that a phrase is wrong merely because a scan using incomplete settings has not displayed the expected activity.
After an apparent match
Keep the original words and files unchanged until the recovered wallet has been independently checked. Plan migration separately using current wallet documentation and a verified destination. This guide does not execute a recovery or recommend broadcasting a transaction from a discontinued application.