So how do I sent my bitcoin-qt wallet to USB and delete it on my PC?

DoctorOozy

newbie

Activity: 21

Merit: 0

Quote from: M3t on April 05, 2013, 03:42:56 PM

Quote from: M3t on April 05, 2013, 03:32:59 PM

Important question

In bitcoin-qt, when you FILE >> BACKUP WALLET, that's the same as copying your wallet.dat file, correct?

bump ^

Yes. But.. please heed the warnings above. A USB stick is not the best place to store your wallent long term. Make a paper wallet, I wont give you a full guide here because there are plenty around but basically to be supersure;

1) Make an ubuntu boot USB stick
2) get a second stick, goto www.bitaddress.org and save the page on it
3) disconnect your internet
4) boot pc with USB stick
5) use the www.bitaddress.org page to generate an address and print out the wallet details tab - make a note of the BTC address and put this in your safe/deposit box whatever..

Send BTC from your wallet to the address you generated offline, just dont loose your bit of paper or it is lost forever.

Getting them back is a matter of importing the private key on your paper into a fresh BTC wallet.

M3t

newbie

Activity: 42

Merit: 0

Quote from: M3t on April 05, 2013, 03:32:59 PM

Important question

In bitcoin-qt, when you FILE >> BACKUP WALLET, that's the same as copying your wallet.dat file, correct?

bump ^

M3t

newbie

Activity: 42

Merit: 0

Important question

In bitcoin-qt, when you FILE >> BACKUP WALLET, that's the same as copying your wallet.dat file, correct?

M3t

newbie

Activity: 42

Merit: 0

Quote from: cly on April 05, 2013, 09:39:51 AM

Be sure to save your wallet anywhere else than only on one USB stick.

You might handle your Stick with dry air, wearing some nike shoes and getting a 2kV shock on your stick...

aaaand it's gone.

There is a option to print out your wallet or to create a paper wallet which might be the safest way.

Also ensure not to delete your file, but write many zeroes or random into it before deleting.

Deleting on File system does not mean your data is deleted - it is only no more addressed in your fs and might be recovered using forensic tools.

Nobody's going to spend $10,000-$20,000 using forensic tools to recover my wallet -_-

M3t

newbie

Activity: 42

Merit: 0

Quote from: simplydt on April 05, 2013, 03:48:50 AM

Oh God, are you not scared of keeping your wallet in an USB? Have you never lost a USB stick? I have many, I'd crap myself if I had any meaningful amount on it! Cheesy

I'm putting it in a safe deposit box. I feel like 007.

niko

hero member

Activity: 756

Merit: 501

There is more to Bitcoin than bitcoins.

Quote from: deadweasel on April 05, 2013, 09:41:37 AM

but please do backup! also put wallet in an encrypted partition.

Wallet itself is presumably encrypted by the user in the bitcoin-qt client. No need to use encrypted partition.

Colaxais

newbie

Activity: 50

Merit: 0

Make an extra copy or 10 of your wallet file - sod's law pretty much guarantees you'll lose the USB or something if you don't.

deadweasel

sr. member

Activity: 364

Merit: 250

but please do backup! also put wallet in an encrypted partition.

cly

newbie

Activity: 26

Merit: 0

Be sure to save your wallet anywhere else than only on one USB stick.

You might handle your Stick with dry air, wearing some nike shoes and getting a 2kV shock on your stick...

aaaand it's gone.

There is a option to print out your wallet or to create a paper wallet which might be the safest way.

Also ensure not to delete your file, but write many zeroes or random into it before deleting.

Deleting on File system does not mean your data is deleted - it is only no more addressed in your fs and might be recovered using forensic tools.

niko

hero member

Activity: 756

Merit: 501

There is more to Bitcoin than bitcoins.

Also, this is a good place to remind everyone to never use same wallet.dat on multiple machines. Move, don't copy (unless the copy is just for backup purposes).

simplydt

full member

Activity: 126

Merit: 100

Oh God, are you not scared of keeping your wallet in an USB? Have you never lost a USB stick? I have many, I'd crap myself if I had any meaningful amount on it! Cheesy

DoctorOozy

newbie

Activity: 21

Merit: 0

Quote from: M3t on April 05, 2013, 02:18:01 AM

so... can anyone clarify?

how do i import the wallet.dat file? there's no "import" option Tongue

Let your new intalation of bitcoin-qt download the block chain.

Put your old wallet.dat back in the same folder you took it from, this will replace the one that is already there. This will not be a problem as the one you are replacing should be empty.

Restart bitoin-qt.

res

newbie

Activity: 14

Merit: 0

https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Securing_your_wallet#Restore

M3t

newbie

Activity: 42

Merit: 0

so... can anyone clarify?

how do i import the wallet.dat file? there's no "import" option Tongue

niko

hero member

Activity: 756

Merit: 501

There is more to Bitcoin than bitcoins.

Move your wallet.dat to another machine. If that other machine is up-to-date with blockchain, you should see all your transactions from that wallet.dat. Not sure, but you may have to start client once with the -rescan option.
Let us know how it goes.

And yes, anyone can send coins to any address - your wallet simply enables you to (1) keep track of your addresses, and (2) spend these balances (send coins that belong to your wallet).

M3t

newbie

Activity: 42

Merit: 0

helppp

M3t

newbie

Activity: 42

Merit: 0

bump doing this right now need a quick answer =)

M3t

newbie

Activity: 42

Merit: 0

then how would I import wallet.dat the on my next computer i wish to open my wallet on?

also, people still send me transactions on those RECEIVE keys, right? even if my wallet is not online? how does that work, they will just show up in my account next time i sync up and load my wallet.dat file?

Tripmode

full member

Activity: 168

Merit: 100

Correct you only need to put wallet.dat on the USB.

M3t

newbie

Activity: 42

Merit: 0

do i just export wallet.dat and delete everything else (bitcoin-qt, everything) off my computer?

Topic: So how do I sent my bitcoin-qt wallet to USB and delete it on my PC? (Read 1562 times)