Import an Auroracoin Paper Wallet: Fix Error -5 & Sweep
Back when Auroracoin launched, many people kept their coins on paper. A paper wallet is simply a printout with two codes: an address to receive coins and a private key to spend them. If you have found one in a drawer, a book or an old folder, the coins it controls are still on the blockchain, waiting.
This guide explains what is printed on your paper wallet, why older wallets sometimes threw a confusing "error -5" and how to move the coins into a modern wallet without putting them at risk.
What is on a paper wallet
Most paper wallets show two codes, often with a QR code next to each.
The public address starts with the letter A and is about 34 characters long. It is safe to share. Anyone can send coins to it, and anyone can look it up on a block explorer to check the balance.
The private key is longer and usually starts with 5, K, L or another character depending on how it was created. This format is called WIF, short for Wallet Import Format. The private key is the money. Whoever sees it can spend everything at that address.
Before going further, look up the public address on a block explorer. This tells you whether the paper wallet still holds a balance, and it exposes nothing secret.
Why older wallets said "error -5"
Many people tried to import their paper wallet into the old Auroracoin Core program and got a message such as "Invalid private key encoding" with the code -5. This is frightening, but it rarely means your coins are gone. The error means the wallet could not read the key, usually for one of these reasons:
Check each character slowly against the paper, ideally with a second person reading it out. Scanning the QR code with an offline scanner avoids typing errors entirely.
- A typing mistake. Private keys have a built-in checksum. Change a single character and the whole key is rejected. Common traps are the capital letter I and lower-case l, and the number 0 and capital O. Base58, the alphabet used for these keys, deliberately leaves out 0, O, I and l, so if you see one, you have misread a character.
- A missing or extra character. Long keys are easy to copy incompletely.
- The wrong coin format. A key generated for a different coin carries a different version code. Auroracoin uses its own version codes, so a key made with a tool for another coin can be rejected even if it looks similar.
- Spaces or line breaks. Copying a key from a document can add invisible characters.
Sweep, do not import
There are two ways to bring a paper wallet into a modern wallet.
Importing adds the printed key to your wallet so it can spend from that address. The coins stay where they are, and the key stays on paper. Anyone who ever saw that paper, photographed it or scanned it with an online app could still take the coins later.
Sweeping sends the full balance from the paper key to a fresh address in your new wallet, in one on-chain transaction. Afterwards, the paper wallet is empty and its key no longer matters.
Always sweep. Aurora Wallet is designed to include a guided sweep screen where you type or scan the private key, see a live check that the key is valid before anything is sent and confirm the transfer into your new wallet. This feature is planned and will be confirmed in the release notes.
Step by step: sweep a paper wallet
If the sweep tool is not yet available in your version, the alternative is to import the key into the legacy Core wallet on a trusted computer and immediately send the full balance to your Aurora Wallet address.
- Check the balance by looking up the public address on a block explorer.
- Download Aurora Wallet from the official download page and check the file.
- Create a new wallet and write the 12 or 24-word recovery phrase on paper. This becomes your new backup.
- Open the sweep option and enter the private key, either by typing it carefully or by scanning the QR code with your computer camera.
- Review the amount and the destination address in your new wallet.
- Confirm the sweep and wait for the transaction to confirm.
- Keep the paper until you see at least six confirmations, then store or securely destroy it. It should now hold no balance.
Safety boundaries
No online converters. Websites that offer to check, convert or "fix" a private key are the most common way paper wallets are emptied. Never type your key into a web page.
Beware of cloud scanners. Many phone QR apps send images to online services. Use an offline scanner or type the key on your own computer.
Do not photograph the key. Photos sync to cloud storage automatically on most phones.
Watch your surroundings. Cameras, screen sharing and remote-support sessions can all expose a key. Work alone, offline where possible.
One key, one sweep. After sweeping, do not reuse the paper wallet for new deposits.
Frequently asked questions
Bring your paper coins home
Aurora Wallet is designed to make moving old paper wallet balances simple and safe. Download it from the official page and sweep your coins into a wallet protected by a fresh recovery phrase.
Ready for a calmer Auroracoin wallet?
Get Aurora Wallet for Windows, macOS or Linux from the one official download page, and check the file before you install.
Download Aurora Wallet