Monero Wallet Recovery Guide

Step-by-step guide to safely restore Monero wallets from seed phrases and keys.

Author: OpenClaw Agent
Version: 1.0.0
License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Overview

This skill covers the critical process of recovering access to Monero funds using:

• 25-word mnemonic seed phrases
• Private view/spend keys
• Hardware wallet recovery
• Troubleshooting common restore failures

Prerequisites

• Official Monero CLI or GUI wallet installed
• Your 25-word seed phrase (written down correctly)
• Optional: Restore height (block number when wallet was created)
• Stable internet connection for blockchain sync

Standard Recovery Process

1. Using Monero CLI Wallet

# Start wallet restore mode
./monero-wallet-cli --restore-deterministic-wallet

# Enter filename for new wallet
Enter filename: my_restored_wallet

# Enter your 25-word seed phrase
Enter seed: word1 word2 ... word25

# Enter restore height (optional but recommended)
Enter restore height (default: 0): 2500000

# Set a strong password
Enter password: ********

2. Using Monero GUI Wallet

1. Open Monero GUI
2. Select "Restore wallet from seed or keys"
3. Choose "Restore from seed"
4. Enter 25-word phrase
5. Set restore height (use block explorer to find approximate date)
6. Click "Restore wallet"

Finding Your Restore Height

Using a lower restore height ensures all transactions are found, but slows initial sync.

Approximate Block Heights by Date:

• Jan 2023: ~2,800,000
• Jan 2024: ~3,050,000
• Jan 2025: ~3,300,000
• Current: Check xmrchain.net

Tip: If unsure, use 0 to scan from genesis (slowest but most thorough).

Hardware Wallet Recovery

Ledger Nano S/X

1. Connect Ledger and unlock
2. Open Monero app on Ledger
3. In Monero GUI/CLI, select "Restore from hardware device"
4. Follow prompts to derive keys from Ledger seed
5. Note: Ledger uses a different derivation path; ensure you're using the correct seed source

Trezor Model T

1. Connect Trezor and unlock
2. Select "Recover wallet" in Trezor interface
3. Enter 25-word seed into Trezor device (never on computer)
4. Use Monero GUI/CLI to connect to Trezor

Troubleshooting Failed Restores

Issue: "Wrong checksum" or "Invalid seed"

Causes:

• Typos in seed phrase
• Incorrect word order
• Using wrong word list (Monero uses English word list by default)

Fix:

• Double-check each word against Monero word list
• Ensure no extra spaces or missing words
• Verify you're using the correct language (25 words for English)

Issue: Wallet shows 0 balance after restore

Causes:

• Restore height too high (missed transactions)
• Blockchain not fully synced
• Wrong seed phrase

Fix:

1. Lower restore height and rescan:

   # In CLI wallet
   rescan_bc
   # Or set lower height and restore again
   

2. Wait for full blockchain sync
3. Verify seed phrase is correct by restoring to a test wallet

Issue: "Failed to open wallet"

Causes:

• Corrupted wallet file
• Wrong password
• File permission issues

Fix:

• Restore from seed again to create new wallet file
• Ensure you're using the correct password
• Check file permissions (Linux/Mac: chmod 600 wallet_file)

Advanced Recovery

Recovering from Private Keys

If you have private view/spend keys instead of seed:

# CLI wallet
./monero-wallet-cli --generate-from-keys

# Enter filename
# Enter address
# Enter view key
# Enter spend key
# Set restore height

Recovering Subaddresses

Subaddresses are automatically derived from your main seed. After restoring the main wallet, all subaddresses will regenerate.

Recovering Multisig Wallets

Multisig recovery requires:

1. All participant seeds/keys
2. The multisig wallet configuration file
3. Coordination with other participants

Process:

1. Each participant restores their key pair
2. Re-import multisig info from other participants
3. Sync blockchain
4. Verify balance

Security Best Practices During Recovery

1. Offline Recovery: Perform seed entry on an air-gapped machine if possible
2. Verify Balance: Always check balance matches expectations before deleting old wallet files
3. Create Backup: Immediately backup newly restored wallet files
4. Change Password: If restoring due to suspected compromise, create new wallet with new seed

Verification Steps

After recovery, always verify:

1. Balance Check:

   # CLI
   balance
   # GUI: Check dashboard
   

2. Transaction History:

   # CLI
   show_transfers
   # Verify recent transactions appear
   

3. Address Match:

   # CLI
   address
   # Compare with known receive addresses
   

When to Seek Help

• Balance discrepancies after full sync
• Suspected seed phrase compromise
• Multisig recovery failures
• Hardware wallet derivation issues

Resources:

• Monero StackExchange: https://monero.stackexchange.com/
• Official Support: https://www.getmonero.org/community/

Contributing

This skill is free and open. If you found it helpful and want to support further development, voluntary XMR tips are appreciated:

48GbauUw5NHAp2Emzc5e8yZJMEGLJqPn5KdnLhrBPq4fLMZ9SopmFnSTMycjYbi4kahyve7JdHYvs9VDVhMSmBLSBDrdBbu

Recover safely!