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Bitcoin => Bitcoin Technical Support => Topic started by: koltregaskes on January 04, 2016, 10:27:52 AM



Title: Help importing old wallet
Post by: koltregaskes on January 04, 2016, 10:27:52 AM
I have a backup of a wallet.dat file I created and used about a year ago.  I'm struggling to find a client which allows me to import the wallet as I've since got a new computer.  Is it not as simple as finding a client and importing.  I would like to use the bitcoins to pay for something.


Title: Re: Help importing old wallet
Post by: shorena on January 04, 2016, 10:56:56 AM
I have a backup of a wallet.dat file I created and used about a year ago.  I'm struggling to find a client which allows me to import the wallet as I've since got a new computer.  Is it not as simple as finding a client and importing.  I would like to use the bitcoins to pay for something.

The client for wallet.dat files is bitcoin core. In order to spend the funds you have to wait until its fully synced, which can take a few days or you have to export the private keys and import them into a different wallet, which can be risky.


Title: Re: Help importing old wallet
Post by: koltregaskes on January 04, 2016, 11:44:12 AM
No worries, thanks for replying.

I have Core already installed and replaced the wallet.dat file with mine backup.  I've rescanned and it's now downloading 5+ years.  Seems to be going fairly quick.


Title: Re: Help importing old wallet
Post by: LFC_Bitcoin on January 04, 2016, 02:07:05 PM
No worries, thanks for replying.

I have Core already installed and replaced the wallet.dat file with mine backup.  I've rescanned and it's now downloading 5+ years.  Seems to be going fairly quick.

It will go quick......'for now'.

Wait until you hit 2 years to go ;)


Title: Re: Help importing old wallet
Post by: koltregaskes on January 04, 2016, 02:14:55 PM
No worries, thanks for replying.

I have Core already installed and replaced the wallet.dat file with mine backup.  I've rescanned and it's now downloading 5+ years.  Seems to be going fairly quick.

It will go quick......'for now'.

Wait until you hit 2 years to go ;)

Boom!  Yeah you're right.  Stuck in the mud now.  Wow, I wish there was a better system for this. :-)


Title: Re: Help importing old wallet
Post by: LFC_Bitcoin on January 04, 2016, 05:09:40 PM
No worries, thanks for replying.

I have Core already installed and replaced the wallet.dat file with mine backup.  I've rescanned and it's now downloading 5+ years.  Seems to be going fairly quick.

It will go quick......'for now'.

Wait until you hit 2 years to go ;)

Boom!  Yeah you're right.  Stuck in the mud now.  Wow, I wish there was a better system for this. :-)

It's worth it in the end, the security & having control of your private keys is worth the wait rather than using online wallets etc.


Title: Re: Help importing old wallet
Post by: cr1776 on January 04, 2016, 05:11:26 PM
No worries, thanks for replying.

I have Core already installed and replaced the wallet.dat file with mine backup.  I've rescanned and it's now downloading 5+ years.  Seems to be going fairly quick.

It will go quick......'for now'.

Wait until you hit 2 years to go ;)

Boom!  Yeah you're right.  Stuck in the mud now.  Wow, I wish there was a better system for this. :-)

It's worth it in the end, the security & having control of your private keys is worth the wait rather than using online wallets etc.

You can export the private keys from Bitcoin Core and import them into a different wallet.  You don't need online wallets or things to be fully sync'd to export the keys.





Title: Re: Help importing old wallet
Post by: avw1982 on January 04, 2016, 07:05:31 PM
I have a backup of a wallet.dat file I created and used about a year ago.  I'm struggling to find a client which allows me to import the wallet as I've since got a new computer.  Is it not as simple as finding a client and importing.  I would like to use the bitcoins to pay for something.

If you are on your desktop then click Go at the top then Go To Folder you should be able to type ~/library
in there you should then see Application Support Inside of there you will see the Bitcoin folder with your wallet.dat inside of it. replace that wallet.dat with the one you want imported and restart Bitcoin