Topic: help me get this right (Read 790 times)

Yup, part of the reason why I like Blockchain so much. Much safer, plus I have it set to automatically back itself up (encrypted) into my Dropbox.

But only if you still have access to that wallet.dat file.  If the file is gone, so are the bitcoins.

I really like the Blockchain.info online wallets. They're encrypted on the server side so even the Blockchain owners can't get at your wallet, and it's convenient to have it online.

Afaik, you can import your several wallet.dat files into Blockchain and regain your balance. But like others have said, that tiny amount of BTC isn't worth it.

But not in his case.  In his case he appears to have at least 4 different wallet.dat files each with it's own set of private keys that don't appear to overlap with the keys of any of his other wallet.dat files.  In this case, he has multiple "wallets" each with access to its own set of "bitcoins".


wallet.dat number 1

Sounds to me like he didn't copy the contents of the %APPDATA% folder, so most likely at this point the Bitcoin-Qt client created a new wallet.dat file.
wallet.dat number 2

As far as I'm aware, you can't import private keys or wallet.dat files into Instawallet, so this "virtual wallet" would contain wallet.dat number 3

And a fresh install here means another brand new wallet.dat number 4
 

You are understanding correctly the "simplified" version of how Bitcoin works.  But that is because the simplified version hides how things really work under the hood.

So that people can use Bitcoin in a way that it isn't too foreign to them, the term "wallet" is used as we already have wallets and purses, ... you use the wallet in your back pocket to hold money.  There is money stored in it.

But a Bitcoin wallet does not really hold any money.

A Bitcoin wallet simply holds the private information necessary in order to spend the money.

So it doesn't matter how many places this private information is copied to, the money can only be spent one time and only from a device or service that holds a copy of that private information.

The money is actually replicated and "stored" in tens of thousands of nodes around the world.  So you can have a copy of the wallet on two or more computers.  Either of those two computers can be used to spend the money, and both hold the money just as does each of the tens of thousand of other computers that have a Bitcoin blockchain on them.

[But as far as using the same wallet.dat one two different computers, that is a bad idea.  The contents of the wallets change after each transaction and the two will differ over time.  If you're already doing this (spending from two computers), then from one computer you should transfer all the money showing for the balance to a new address obtained from the other.   Then stop using the old one.  The old one might still show a balance, but it will no longer be the only wallet with funds that the other might not.  

If using only one is inconvenient, then consider using a hybrid EWallet like Blockhchain.info/wallet which lets you access a wallet via the web or mobile.]

To be honest, .00000034 BTC isn't much worth the effort. You can find a site like bitcoin faucet and make a small amount like that very easily. You have many wallets, but they do not seem worth the effort. I can create 10,000 wallets in a couple minutes and never use any of them. Just don't use wallets you don't care about.

From what you've described, it sounds like you probably have at least 4 wallets at this point.

• On roomates desktop PC
• On your USB drive
• At least one Instalwallet
• On your Laptop

It isn't clear how many online wallets you tried out, so you may have additional wallets.


Only if you can get the wallet.dat file off it.  If he (or you) have already deleted that file, then you can probably consider those bitcoins permanently lost.

The wallet of the standard client is in appdata/roaming/bitcoin folder, name is wallet.dat

ok, last may i got my 1st btc and downloaded the wallet from bitcoin.org. i was using my roomates desktop pc at the time. not wanting to piss him off putting stuff on his pc, i saved the client onto one of those usd drives(i found it on the bus). I formatted it 1st obv. it took a very long time to catch up (186,000 blocks) i was 100% confused then.

after 3 or 4 months playing around that way. i started trying out online wallets like instawallet. (these suck imo) then i figured out how to fix my 2007 windows vista laptop. I forgot i even had it. it was sweet having my own shit again. so without plugging the usb drive into my freshly restored vista machine i went back to bitcoin.org and installed the client. feeling i had a pretty good idea of  what i was doing....now im not really sure

 
Q.  does this mean i have 3 wallets? or what?

when i stopped using my roomies pc i sent all but a very small (.00000034ish) amount to my laptop wallet.

Q. He wont ever use that pc again cuz he got a new one. is that coinage lost can i get it off there?

i have a few other questions. i will save til later (when i remember them)

thanks.