Bitcoin Forum

Other => Beginners & Help => Topic started by: tenakha on September 18, 2012, 11:36:17 AM



Title: How do I view/see my private keys on Bitcoin-Qt
Post by: tenakha on September 18, 2012, 11:36:17 AM
Hi,

I've read on forums that you can export your wallet and view/see the private keys.

On QT - there is a "backup" feature and there is an export feature.

When I back up my wallet the .dat file is unreadable, and the export does export addresses and transactions.

How do I export so I can see the private keys with each of my addresses? Or is this something that you can only do in other wallets like Armoury.?

T.


Title: Re: How do I view/see my private keys on Bitcoin-Qt
Post by: Severian on September 18, 2012, 11:40:00 AM
What operating system are you using?


Title: Re: How do I view/see my private keys on Bitcoin-Qt
Post by: 🏰 TradeFortress 🏰 on September 18, 2012, 11:40:38 AM
Just get armoury, it's way better.


Title: Re: How do I view/see my private keys on Bitcoin-Qt
Post by: Stephen Gornick on September 18, 2012, 11:46:23 AM
How do I export so I can see the private keys with each of my addresses?

From Bitcoind you can export the keys but if you are using accounts, you will need to do the export for each account. 

See:
 - http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/4633/153

Pywallet is a utility that will export the keys.

Just make sure you have closed the client before accessing the database with pywallet.

And make sure you make a good backup of your wallet.dat before doing any of this.


Title: Re: How do I view/see my private keys on Bitcoin-Qt
Post by: tenakha on September 18, 2012, 12:07:02 PM
What operating system are you using?

Im on mac os. Also - where does Bitcoin-Qt save the main wallet.dat file that it uses?
(Im a fairly new Mac user too so still working out where the app files are etc)

I keep hearing really good things about Armoury ... so do you justsend your coins from Bitcoin-qt to yourself in your new Armoury wallet?

T.



Title: Re: How do I view/see my private keys on Bitcoin-Qt
Post by: Severian on September 18, 2012, 12:12:44 PM
Im on mac os. Also - where does Bitcoin-Qt save the main wallet.dat file that it uses?
(Im a fairly new Mac user too so still working out where the app files are etc)

Go to /Library/Application Support/Bitcoin to find bitcoin's data. wallet.dat lives there.

To dump a private key, do thus:

1.) From Menu, click Help > Debug Window

2.) Click on Console

3.) type dumpprivkey [bitcoin address]



Quote
I keep hearing really good things about Armoury ... so do you justsend your coins from Bitcoin-qt to yourself in your new Armoury wallet?

T.

Or you could import the private key you just dumped into Armory. I assume Armory has an import key command.


Title: Re: How do I view/see my private keys on Bitcoin-Qt
Post by: rav3n_pl on September 18, 2012, 12:19:00 PM
You need bitcoind.
Code:
bitcoind help
It will give you all supported commands.

To get private key you need use command:
Code:
bitcoind dumpprivkey 1YourAddressYouWantToDump
If wallet is encrypted you need
Code:
bitcoind walletpassphrase YourWalletPassword 60
to unlock it for 60seconds.

To import address to another wallet you need use
Code:
bitcoind importprivkey PrivKeyYouHaveDumpedEarlier LabelForThisAddress

Importing new key takes some time (even few mins, depends on machine), because bitcoin is scanning entire blockchain to determine current address balance.


Title: Re: How do I view/see my private keys on Bitcoin-Qt
Post by: Raoul Duke on September 18, 2012, 12:23:28 PM
You need bitcoind.

Except there is no bitcoind for Mac. ;)

Severian already gave him the correct answer.
Just one thing, Bitcoin-qt needs to be 0.7.0, or else there will be no debug window :)


Title: Re: How do I view/see my private keys on Bitcoin-Qt
Post by: rav3n_pl on September 18, 2012, 12:34:50 PM
You need bitcoind.

Except there is no bitcoind for Mac. ;)

Severian already gave him the correct answer.
Just one thing, Bitcoin-qt needs to be 0.7.0, or else there will be no debug window :)
Oops, missed that is MAC lol


Title: Re: How do I view/see my private keys on Bitcoin-Qt
Post by: Severian on September 18, 2012, 12:37:50 PM
Just one thing, Bitcoin-qt needs to be 0.7.0, or else there will be no debug window :)

0.7.0 is a huge improvement for Mac. I could import a key previously via the GUI, but it wasn't pretty or graceful.


Title: Re: How do I view/see my private keys on Bitcoin-Qt
Post by: World on September 18, 2012, 06:24:39 PM
useful info thx Severian


Title: Re: How do I view/see my private keys on Bitcoin-Qt
Post by: philipma1957 on August 02, 2017, 01:14:16 AM
Im on mac os. Also - where does Bitcoin-Qt save the main wallet.dat file that it uses?
(Im a fairly new Mac user too so still working out where the app files are etc)

Go to /Library/Application Support/Bitcoin to find bitcoin's data. wallet.dat lives there.

To dump a private key, do thus:

1.) From Menu, click Help > Debug Window

2.) Click on Console

3.) type dumpprivkey [bitcoin address]




Quote
I keep hearing really good things about Armoury ... so do you justsend your coins from Bitcoin-qt to yourself in your new Armoury wallet?

T.

Or you could import the private key you just dumped into Armory. I assume Armory has an import key command.

this still true for a mac say with 0.14.2 core

I could use a way to get one address's key's as I think i need them