Make sure to have the latest version and have UPnP ticked...
You can also "cheat" and just download the chain:
http://bitcoin.bluematt.me/bitcoin-nightly/blockchain-nightly/
It's done by one of the developers so it can be trusted a bit, but if your paranoid or worried about ANY risk, download it normally.
Topic: Previously confirmed transactions now unconfirmed (Read 2754 times)
Should I maybe try installing it on C:\ and then just copying over the wallet from the flash drive?
A flash drive can be very slow, and if I remember correctly there are some people reporting that downloading the complete blockchain can be really slow. If you still have the original datadir you should be able to copy all the files EXCEPT the wallet.dat.
So I've been on vacation for a couple of weeks, but I'm still having the same problem.
124703 blocks, 8 connections. Hours later, no new connections.
124703 blocks, 8 connections. Hours later, no new connections.
Also, why didn't I have any trouble when I first started bitcoining a couple of months ago?
That is a very good question.
Not an expert in P2P but:
At least one of the 2 participants needs to be able to accept incoming connections (NAT forwarding, Firewall exceptions etc).
If most of the nodes don't open their ports then some of those that do would need to connect to a lot more than the current maximum (about 60? I doubt the client tries to connect to more).
The new version might have changed in a way that you connect to max 8 other nodes on your own and wait for additional 52 connections on the incoming port. Just guessing from a technical point of view.
Also, why didn't I have any trouble when I first started bitcoining a couple of months ago?
That is a very good question.
Okay, so how do I address this? (And if the answer is "port forwarding" I'm going to need a total idiot's guide to do it.)
Also, why didn't I have any trouble when I first started bitcoining a couple of months ago?
Also, why didn't I have any trouble when I first started bitcoining a couple of months ago?
I'm using the new client. It's still stuck at 8 connections. 
You're incoming connection requests are being blocked at some point. Most likely by a firewall in a broadband router.
I'm using the new client. It's still stuck at 8 connections.
Also, update to the latest client version (0.3.23), that is supposed to fix some connection problems:
https://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=16553.0
https://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=16553.0
...Halp?
Is it downloading at all? Check blockexplorer.com to see what latest block is. I think it could be going slow because of all the new users.
...Halp?
Okay, it's up to 123758 blocks, and down to 5 connections.
It's taking forever. 114832 blocks now. 
Okay, here's what happened in detail.
I installed Bitcoin on C:/ with a normal installation. I made several transactions to and from the address generated by that original wallet.
Later I decided I wanted to run Bitcoin exclusively from a flash drive for security's sake. I copied the files from the data folder in Windows' Application Data, including the wallet, and pasted it in the Bitcoin folder on the flash drive.
Since then I have been running Bitcoin with the switch -datadir=[folder on flash drive] from a shortcut.
After the trouble started I uninstalled Bitcoin and installed the newer version of the client, saving only my wallet and the shortcut.
Currently, I'm running the program with the switches -datadir and -rescan. It's sitting on 8 connections and 114138 blocks. It's adding blocks VERY slowly, but the connections haven't changed in about an hour.
Ok, wait for the blocks to finish downloading and we'll see if that works. I installed Bitcoin on C:/ with a normal installation. I made several transactions to and from the address generated by that original wallet.
Later I decided I wanted to run Bitcoin exclusively from a flash drive for security's sake. I copied the files from the data folder in Windows' Application Data, including the wallet, and pasted it in the Bitcoin folder on the flash drive.
Since then I have been running Bitcoin with the switch -datadir=[folder on flash drive] from a shortcut.
After the trouble started I uninstalled Bitcoin and installed the newer version of the client, saving only my wallet and the shortcut.
Currently, I'm running the program with the switches -datadir and -rescan. It's sitting on 8 connections and 114138 blocks. It's adding blocks VERY slowly, but the connections haven't changed in about an hour.
Okay, here's what happened in detail.
I installed Bitcoin on C:/ with a normal installation. I made several transactions to and from the address generated by that original wallet.
Later I decided I wanted to run Bitcoin exclusively from a flash drive for security's sake. I copied the files from the data folder in Windows' Application Data, including the wallet, and pasted it in the Bitcoin folder on the flash drive.
Since then I have been running Bitcoin with the switch -datadir=[folder on flash drive] from a shortcut.
After the trouble started I uninstalled Bitcoin and installed the newer version of the client, saving only my wallet and the shortcut.
Currently, I'm running the program with the switches -datadir and -rescan. It's sitting on 8 connections and 114138 blocks. It's adding blocks VERY slowly, but the connections haven't changed in about an hour.
I installed Bitcoin on C:/ with a normal installation. I made several transactions to and from the address generated by that original wallet.
Later I decided I wanted to run Bitcoin exclusively from a flash drive for security's sake. I copied the files from the data folder in Windows' Application Data, including the wallet, and pasted it in the Bitcoin folder on the flash drive.
Since then I have been running Bitcoin with the switch -datadir=[folder on flash drive] from a shortcut.
After the trouble started I uninstalled Bitcoin and installed the newer version of the client, saving only my wallet and the shortcut.
Currently, I'm running the program with the switches -datadir and -rescan. It's sitting on 8 connections and 114138 blocks. It's adding blocks VERY slowly, but the connections haven't changed in about an hour.
I don't think you mentioned copying the backed up wallet.dat into the new wallet directory. I'm assuming you did that. What block number are on for downloading? It should be over 129913.
Same thing, stuck at 5 connections, no confirmations. Oh, and the client isn't picking up my most recent credit of .5 BTC.
Stop the client, let it finish up, then restart it from the command line with the -rescan switch.
You did try "-rescan" right?
No... how do I do that?
You did try "-rescan" right?
It will be fixed by the time you wake up 
Automagically....
Automagically.... It wasn't.
Maybe the downloaded blocks didn't carry with confirmed blocks? It will be fixed by the time you wake up Automagically....
Automagically....
Yes to the first question, no to the second.
I'll have to deal with this tomorrow. Bedtime now.
I'll have to deal with this tomorrow. Bedtime now.
Blah. Using all 8 connect switches and I'm only getting 5 connections.
This echos the results of another user who did the same using the first eight of the published fallback nodes. Is this what you did? This means that three of the eight fallback nodes have been knocked of the Internet.
Are teh connections that you are getting, are they working?
Blah. Using all 8 connect switches and I'm only getting 5 connections.
Doesn't appear to be working. Should I just keep adding more nodes?
Use -noirc and -connect=ipaddress instead. This will connect you to only the ip address of the node you specify and not announce your address to the irc bootstrapping channel. You can use up to 8 -connect= switches.
Doesn't appear to be working. Should I just keep adding more nodes?
Try restarting the client with the -addnode= switch and an IP address of one of the fallback nodes. I suspect there is an attack underway against the p2p network itself, or the IRC bootstrapping method. Your not the first to mention weirdness.
Any clues why this might be?
What has changed since then is that I uninstalled Bitcoin and reinstalled it in a new location (USB drive). But Bitcoin has been running for several minutes since then without a single (re)confirmation, and only 1 connection. What gives?
What has changed since then is that I uninstalled Bitcoin and reinstalled it in a new location (USB drive). But Bitcoin has been running for several minutes since then without a single (re)confirmation, and only 1 connection. What gives?
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