![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmWavwewhJr5BFJQV58dZ94UaPdVVTt7Fxi9TQrDxfdv7w/image.png)

# Can you change your recovery account?
Yes

# Is it easy?
Depends

# So how do I do it?
* Install CLI Wallet
* Connect to CLI Wallet
* Set Wallet Password
* Unlock Wallet
* Get private owner key
* Import Key
* Issue change_recovery_account command
* Wait for 30 days

# Step By Step Instructions
You will need to use Linux for these instructions, there are no up to date binaries for Windows and I did not want to go through the pain of making one (if it is even possible still).  

Unless you are a witness and already have cli_wallet installed I would recommend just pulling the docker image.  You should be able to do this with Windows docker as well but Docker is pretty wonky on Windows.

### Install CLI Wallet
You have to have Steem cli_wallet installed.  The easiest way to install cli_wallet is to use the Docker image provided by Steemit Inc.

`docker pull steemit/steem`

If you don't know how to use docker or don't want to, you can build from source.  You can find instructions on how to do that [here](https://github.com/steemit/steem/blob/master/doc/building.md).

### Connect to CLI Wallet
To connect to the CLI Wallet you will need a node that supports web sockets as https://api.steemit.com does not and https://steemd.steemit.com has been retired.

You can do this easily with the following command:

`./cli_wallet -s wss://rpc.buildteam.io`

### Set Wallet Password
If you have not set up a password already for your local encrypted wallet, you will need to issue this command prior to going further.  If you have a witness node you likely already have cli_wallet already setup.

To create a password for your local encrypted wallet you will need to issue `set_password` command and enter a password twice.  

You can later delete the wallet.json file if you want to remove all traces of the wallet from your machine.   The keys stored in it are encrypted though.


### Unlock wallet
Once in your wallet, you can unlock it with the unlock command.

`unlock wallet password`

### Get private owner key
You will need the private **owner key** for your account.  You cannot get this from Steemit.com UI, and if you are using a password you will need to query for the private owner key.

You can do this from the cli_wallet with the following command

`get_private_key_from_password [STEEMUSERNAME NO @] owner [PASSWORD]`

For example:

`get_private_key_from_password themarkymark owner mysecurepassword`

This will return you the private owner key.  You will need this to broadcast the change recovery account transaction.

### Import Key
Before you can issue a change recovery account command, you need to import your private owner key to your encrypted wallet.

To do this, you just need to issue the following command

`import_key 5xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx`

### Issue change_recovery_account command
Now for the moment, you have been waiting for, how to change your recovery account.

You will need to issue the following command

`change_recovery_account [account] [new recovery account] true`

**Account** is the account you want to change the recovery account for, and the **new recovery account** is the account you want to act as the recovery agent in the case of a lost password, true just tells it to broadcast the transaction.

For example:

`change_recovery_account buildawhale themarkymark true`

If everything is successful, you should be able to go to steemd.com/@username and see the transaction on the chain.  You will notice your recovery account has not been changed though.  You will need to complete the hardest step next.

# Wait 30 days
This is by far the hardest step, and there is no way around this one.

In the meantime, I would recommend a few things to pass the time.

* Watch me [absolutely wreck](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDHJr_ZhZEU) with Hanzo while playing with @discordiant
* Get better with Markdown with my [Markdown 101 Tutorial](https://steemit.com/steemit/@themarkymark/markdown-101-how-to-make-kick-ass-posts-on-steemit)
* Learn about what a [hardware wallet](https://steemit.com/bitcoin/@themarkymark/wtf-is-a-hardware-wallet-and-why-should-you-have-one) is and why you should get one.
* Learn what every [invester should understand](https://steemit.com/cryptocurrency/@themarkymark/what-every-investor-should-understand)
* Setup [Ginabot](https://steemit.com/ginabot/@themarkymark/ginabot-the-secret-to-your-sanity-on-steemit) one of the most useful third-party tools on the Steem blockchain.
* Watch my son and I play [Starbound - Fracking Universe Mod](https://steemit.com/gaming/@themarkymark/live-stream-some-more-starbound-fracking-universe-mod-with-my-son)
* Buy Steem and Powerup
* Play some poker with @tuck-fheman and the Steem Poker League
* Learn about my [White wall](https://steemit.com/life/@themarkymark/how-to-fall-asleep-when-you-can-t-fall-asleep) technique that has changed my life
* Try a [big boys SSH Client](https://steemit.com/linux/@themarkymark/use-ssh-all-the-time-time-for-a-big-boy-ssh-client) and ditch Putty.
* Understand what the [Bitcoin Lightning Network](https://steemit.com/bitcoin/@themarkymark/bitcoin-lightning-network-explained-simply) is and why it may not be as good as it sounds.
* Find the answer to the question a new user asked [How to make money on here](https://steemit.com/steemit/@themarkymark/how-do-people-make-money-on-here)
* Learn about the section of the ocean twice the size of Texas filled with plastic called the [Great Garbage Patch](https://steemit.com/life/@themarkymark/there-is-a-section-of-the-ocean-filled-with-plastic-almost-twice-the-size-of-texas) or just recycle some plastic!
* Read an issue of our daily [Curation Digest](https://steemit.com/curation/@buildawhale/buildawhale-curation-digest-02-06-18) and check out some of the authors presented.
* Check out my [Portable Game Console](https://steemit.com/raspberrypi/@themarkymark/building-a-portable-game-console) I made.
* Find out why [You are not entitled to an audience, you need to earn it!](https://steemit.com/steemit/@themarkymark/you-are-not-entitled-to-an-audience-you-need-to-earn-it)
* Find out why you should [vote for me as witness](https://steemit.com/witness-category/@themarkymark/why-you-should-vote-for-themarkymark-as-witness)
* and follow me so you can find more

![themarkymark.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVpwMxWTYDVum2dXcVRBLwHqHZh2Sr6DDHAFwDeeTG2YK/themarkymark.png)

</br>
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