Bitcoin Forum

I've had it, I've researched this inability to finish downloading the bitcoin core for a long time. I've rescanned, reindexed, removed and clean installed, mem checked, read lots of posts on similar issues. I'm ready to toss in the towel and just eat the ..05 bitcoin loss. It's in an Armory wallet btw and I'm using Bitcoin-Qt for the download. It's an i7 machine with 32Gb ram and an SSD not overclocked I guess it's my turn to post the last of the log file.  Please share your insight. ???  :'( I'm going to bed. :-\

2018-03-22 02:58:47 Using config file C:\Users\john-asus\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\bitcoin.conf
2018-03-22 02:58:47 Using at most 125 automatic connections (2048 file descriptors available)
2018-03-22 02:58:47 Using 16 MiB out of 32/2 requested for signature cache, able to store 524288 elements
2018-03-22 02:58:47 Using 16 MiB out of 32/2 requested for script execution cache, able to store 524288 elements
2018-03-22 02:58:47 Using 7 threads for script verification
2018-03-22 02:58:47 scheduler thread start
2018-03-22 02:58:47 Using wallet directory C:\Users\john-asus\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\wallets
2018-03-22 02:58:47 init message: Verifying wallet(s)...
2018-03-22 02:58:47 Using BerkeleyDB version Berkeley DB 4.8.30: (April  9, 2010)
2018-03-22 02:58:47 Using wallet wallet.dat
2018-03-22 02:58:47 CDBEnv::Open: LogDir=C:\Users\john-asus\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\wallets\database ErrorFile=C:\Users\john-asus\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\wallets\db.log
2018-03-22 02:58:47 Cache configuration:
2018-03-22 02:58:47 * Using 2.0MiB for block index database
2018-03-22 02:58:47 * Using 8.0MiB for chain state database
2018-03-22 02:58:47 * Using 1490.0MiB for in-memory UTXO set (plus up to 286.1MiB of unused mempool space)
2018-03-22 02:58:47 init message: Loading block index...
2018-03-22 02:58:47 Opening LevelDB in C:\Users\john-asus\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\blocks\index
2018-03-22 02:58:47 Opened LevelDB successfully
2018-03-22 02:58:47 Using obfuscation key for C:\Users\john-asus\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\blocks\index: 0000000000000000
2018-03-22 02:58:51 LoadBlockIndexDB: last block file = 589
2018-03-22 02:58:51 LoadBlockIndexDB: last block file info: CBlockFileInfo(blocks=21, size=17145808, heights=423442...423630, time=2016-08-03...2016-08-04)
2018-03-22 02:58:51 Checking all blk files are present...
2018-03-22 02:58:52 LoadBlockIndexDB: transaction index disabled
2018-03-22 02:58:52 Opening LevelDB in C:\Users\john-asus\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\chainstate
2018-03-22 02:58:52 Opened LevelDB successfully
2018-03-22 02:58:52 Using obfuscation key for C:\Users\john-asus\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\chainstate: b0ed7a711fbc1fa8
2018-03-22 02:58:52 Loaded best chain: hashBestChain=000000000000000003dbb864f4735aaff312c75a37f255f1b40393a94eb71d01 height=423509 date=2016-08-03 17:14:51 progress=0.470231
2018-03-22 02:58:52 init message: Rewinding blocks...
2018-03-22 02:58:53 Corruption: block checksum mismatch
2018-03-22 02:58:53 *** System error while flushing: Database corrupted
2018-03-22 02:59:00 Shutdown requested. Exiting.
2018-03-22 02:59:00 Shutdown: In progress...
2018-03-22 02:59:00 scheduler thread interrupt
2018-03-22 02:59:00 Corruption: block checksum mismatch
2018-03-22 02:59:00 *** System error while flushing: Database corrupted

Your copy of the blockchain contains a corrupted block. You will need to delete the corrupted block and reindex the blockchain which will take several hours. To do this first stop Bitcoin Core. Then go to blocks folder in the Bitcoin data directory (for you that is C:\Users\john-asus\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\blocks) and delete the files blk00589.dat and rev0589.dat and any blk*.dat and rev*.dat files that have higher numbers. Then start Bitcoin Core again. It will tell you that it needs to reindex the blockchain, click Yes and let it do that. Once it finishes, it should resume syncing the rest of the blockchain. Note that the reindex will appear as if it is syncing the blockchain; it is not.

Thank you.  I will do that.

Do you think it would be better to rename the bad block rather than delete it? I'm not sure how SSDs work, but in the past when using HDDs, I've found it better to rename the file to prevent a bad sector on the disk being reused,

Modern hard drives detect by themselves bad sectors and make sure they are no longer used.
In OP's case, it is bad blocks wrote on its hard disk, that would be caused by a crash or misuse. Deleting the block file could help the client to redownload, I guess.
IMO, I would delete everything and download the whole chain again.

.
SSD's have a micro controller which manages the access to the memory cells. Broken cells won't be used anymore for storage.
SSD's have more cells than actually 'needed' to achieve the promised capacity. Those start getting used when old cells die.
Renaming the block instead of deleting it would just use space (unnecessarily).


for reference: a small picture of a 'typical' SSD controller:
https://i.imgur.com/UsDaCpL.jpg

So far the deleted that block advice has worked and progress is steady though be it slow. By tonight I'll be at the dreaded 99% hurdle.

Why don't download the BTC blockchain, so that you have less time waiting for the client to sync and make sure everything will be synced correctly in lesser time rather than waiting for the client to sync for so long and then getting error message after 1 month waiting and trying, join this Bitcoin Blockchain Download [bootstrap.dat] thread  (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1310261.140)and download the blockchain there

He have BTC blockchain's blocks that is bad it is a file that is corrupted during syncing, its not the block sector of the disk [SSD or HDD] that is becoming bad.

Locked up at 99% so I shut it down properly to work on it later. Next morning I clicked to wrong batch file and did a -reindex. Heart sank, I'm an idiot.  Day later it stops at 16% and there is a banned peer list I've never seen before. So WTF is that? Besides the obvious that is.

Here is the log when it happened. Which seems to go on forever so I'll not post the repetitive.

11-18 00:17:22' progress=0.165000 cache=934.7MiB(6447495txo)
2018-03-25 23:04:53 ERROR: ConnectBlock: Consensus::CheckTxInputs: d76dd47992c797483ab9adcaaab8304a658fcef9b302e215612aa056f7368fb8, bad-txns-inputs-missingorspent, CheckTxInputs: inputs missing/spent (code 16)
2018-03-25 23:04:53 Misbehaving: 49.64.33.169:8333 peer=189 (0 -> 100) BAN THRESHOLD EXCEEDED
2018-03-25 23:04:53 InvalidChainFound: invalid block=00000000000000000e36ed730e90bbf609e51487fce7df2878c638c5ecb98f9f  height=330488  log2_work=81.488336  date=2014-11-18 00:24:05
2018-03-25 23:04:53 InvalidChainFound:  current best=00000000000000000bc2b7ad9b516a3b15ac2e04ceaa79e69336f6f79ca03641  height=330487  log2_work=81.488263  date=2014-11-18 00:17:22
2018-03-25 23:04:53 ERROR: ConnectTip(): ConnectBlock 00000000000000000e36ed730e90bbf609e51487fce7df2878c638c5ecb98f9f failed
2018-03-25 23:04:53 InvalidChainFound: invalid block=00000000000000000e36ed730e90bbf609e51487fce7df2878c638c5ecb98f9f  height=330488  log2_work=81.488336  date=2014-11-18 00:24:05
2018-03-25 23:04:53 InvalidChainFound:  current best=00000000000000000bc2b7ad9b516a3b15ac2e04ceaa79e69336f6f79ca03641  height=330487  log2_work=81.488263  date=2014-11-18 00:17:22
2018-03-25 23:05:04 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515158, peer=197
2018-03-25 23:05:08 Pre-allocating up to position 0x5000000 in blk00197.dat
2018-03-25 23:05:39 Pre-allocating up to position 0x6000000 in blk00197.dat
2018-03-25 23:06:17 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: prev block invalid
2018-03-25 23:06:17 Misbehaving: 198.199.85.118:8333 peer=196 (0 -> 100) BAN THRESHOLD EXCEEDED
2018-03-25 23:06:17 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:06:17 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: prev block invalid
2018-03-25 23:06:17 Misbehaving: 218.253.67.85:8333 peer=197 (0 -> 100) BAN THRESHOLD EXCEEDED
2018-03-25 23:06:17 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:06:17 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: prev block invalid
2018-03-25 23:06:17 Misbehaving: 162.243.174.208:8333 peer=188 (0 -> 100) BAN THRESHOLD EXCEEDED
2018-03-25 23:06:17 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:06:17 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: prev block invalid
2018-03-25 23:06:17 Misbehaving: 174.138.4.91:8333 peer=190 (0 -> 100) BAN THRESHOLD EXCEEDED
2018-03-25 23:06:17 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:06:17 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: prev block invalid
2018-03-25 23:06:17 Misbehaving: 90.253.111.189:8333 peer=191 (0 -> 100) BAN THRESHOLD EXCEEDED
2018-03-25 23:06:17 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:06:17 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: prev block invalid
2018-03-25 23:06:17 Misbehaving: 137.74.206.67:8333 peer=193 (0 -> 100) BAN THRESHOLD EXCEEDED
2018-03-25 23:06:17 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:06:17 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: prev block invalid
2018-03-25 23:06:17 Misbehaving: 58.208.14.173:8333 peer=194 (0 -> 100) BAN THRESHOLD EXCEEDED
2018-03-25 23:06:17 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:06:17 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: prev block invalid
2018-03-25 23:06:17 Misbehaving: 70.29.131.211:8333 peer=195 (0 -> 100) BAN THRESHOLD EXCEEDED
2018-03-25 23:06:17 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:06:18 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=198
2018-03-25 23:06:18 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:06:18 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:06:19 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=199
2018-03-25 23:06:19 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:06:19 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:06:25 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=200
2018-03-25 23:06:25 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:06:25 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:06:26 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=201
2018-03-25 23:06:26 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:06:26 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:06:26 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=202
2018-03-25 23:06:26 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:06:26 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:06:32 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=203
2018-03-25 23:06:33 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:06:33 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:07:12 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=204
2018-03-25 23:07:12 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:07:12 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:07:29 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=205
2018-03-25 23:07:29 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:07:29 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:07:35 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=206
2018-03-25 23:07:35 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:07:35 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:07:36 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=207
2018-03-25 23:07:36 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:07:36 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:07:42 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=208
2018-03-25 23:07:42 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:07:42 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:07:48 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=209
2018-03-25 23:07:48 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:07:48 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:07:49 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=210
2018-03-25 23:07:49 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:07:49 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:07:49 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=211
2018-03-25 23:07:49 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:07:49 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:07:55 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=212
2018-03-25 23:07:56 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:07:56 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:08:01 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=213
2018-03-25 23:08:01 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:08:01 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:08:08 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=214
2018-03-25 23:08:08 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:08:08 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:08:08 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=215
2018-03-25 23:08:09 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:08:09 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:08:14 New outbound peer connected: version: 70015, blocks=515159, peer=216
2018-03-25 23:08:14 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid
2018-03-25 23:08:14 ERROR: invalid header received
2018-03-25 23:08:15 New outbound peer connected: version: 70014, blocks=515159, peer=217
2018-03-25 23:08:15 ERROR: AcceptBlockHeader: block 00000000000000000022c6c463b57b714dd887713148ef4c569926113fcd68b0 is marked invalid  

Have you try downloading the blockchain and bootstrap the client with it, if you worry about any malicious code or anything that comes with the blockchain download just use it as trial system to make sure your client is able to sync using your current network and computer system.

I guess downloading the bootstrap is what I'll have to donate to. My bitcoin-qt hasn't moved in 24 hours. No peers.  When this hobby worked it was enjoyable. I'm months into my btc wallet recovery and I just want to move my btc into something that works,, like eth which I'm mining now. I don't see much future for an unusable blockchain with high fees too boot.

I've got 99% of it. I had it synced a few months ago with the transaction (with fees) but it never finished. I'm open for suggestions.

The error with peer banning is happening because a block that it read is probably corrupted and that block is marked as invalid. Then Bitcoin Core will try to continue to sync from its peers, but those peers are sending it the block that it had marked invalid so it will ban those peers. Eventually it will ban everyone it could get a connection to. To fix the peers banning problem, stop Bitcoin Core, delete the file named peers.dat, and start Bitcoin Core again.

I suspect that you have a hard drive failure. You have experienced what appears to be two cases of corrupt blocks on your hard drive. I suggest that you run hardware diagnostics to see if it finds anything wrong with your hard drive. You should stop running Bitcoin Core for now as it won't be doing anything if it can't sync the blockchain.

Why don't just export the private key and use electrum to spend it, here is good guide to Transfer wallet from Armory to Bitcoin-Qt (https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/41466/transfer-wallet-from-armory-to-bitcoin-qt)

If you still want to try syncing your client you can try download the blockchain using torrent here for free (https://getbitcoinblockchain.com/), I am not affiliated with any of this service and please do proper virus scanning of the file once you downloaded it from this sites

I think you should try doing scandisk on your drive, maybe its can help eliminate all the file corruption problem.

Thank you for the advice. I've done the peers delete and I've got peers again but they quickly vanish. Nothing much else is moving.

Ran the tests on my SSD (Samsung 950 pro 1Gb) and it's had no errors.

P2P the file maybe the answer

Did you delete the faulty blocks?

Here is my past cropping up again - have you checked the cable connections for the hard drive? Make sure there isn't any magnetic interference around as well. I'm clutching at straws, but you never know. :)

No peers, no traffic, no cpu usage, nothing, Been a few days now.

All the computer tests show good. SSD is and has been error free. ( It's solid, lol)

I'm at a loss. I'm tired of researching. I've tried everything I've read to save the blockchain I've downloaded at least twice. Amory is dead too (as in no traffic, no cpu usage, nothing). I've reloaded the system clean once and after ten days the second download also hung at 99%. I started this wallet recovery in December.

What are my options to easily convert my btc into eth?  Doing the p2p thing just isn't something I'm having faith in.

You may have another problem with your computer if you're getting corrupted blocks and get blocked by others. There is a reason to this.



If Bitcoin Core is able to read your wallet, you've access to your private key(s). Export these keys using Debug Console (dumpprivkey <your bitcoin address> - A private key in wallet format starts by 5 or L or K, depending the public key is compressed or not) and use Electrum (https://electrum.org/) as suggested to sweep coins from your old address by one managed by Electrum (Wallet/Private Key/Sweep). Electrum is able to run without download the whole chain, using API calls to remote nodes.

You can also use a online wallet allowing to import private keys.

I'm quite interested in this problem, and I would be grateful if someone could run through the sequence of events. I've never used an armory wallet.

I understand the sequence in a standard core download. You install the core software, and then either you give it an empty directory for the blockchain, or you give it a preloaded directory for it to check and synchronise. Once it has done that, does it create the wallet, or is that done in the initial core installation?

If you have downloaded 99% of the blockchain, would it not be possible to copy the created directory onto an external SSD ( or an SD card), and take it to another computer to install a new version of core, and give it the copied blockchain to see how it handles it?

If it has downloaded 99%, and then is failing each time, then the fault must lie in whatever operations core does when it completes the download. Were it to be a faulty block, then the additions to the blockchain between downloads would reduce the percentage.

At what stage do you give it an Armory wallet? Can you perform a standard installation, and add the armory wallet afterwards?

If the directory does not contain anything named wallet.dat, the client will automatically create the wallet file at start up.
It's possible and thats essentially what the OP is doing now. If anything, I would suspect that the SSD has some issues with it and its not with the computer or the synchronization itself.
Yes. Armory just needs the data from Bitcoin Core to run. As long as you can point armory to the synchronized blockchain, it would take a few minutes to read the blockchain and create its own database.

Thank you for the replies. I'm going to digest it a while.

Out of desperation, or just plain ignorance I deleted the last three block files because they were smaller that the typical. Then deleted the peers. Hit the -reindex batch file (I've done this enough to make one) and this morning it's at 30%. That's twice the rate it has been progressing and more like the way it did years ago.

This time if or when it fails I'll have a full debug file to show.

Thank you for not giving up on me.

No, thank you for letting us share your pain. :)

It's actually a really interesting thread for me. Especially as I am looking at ways to reduce my synchronisation time, and I'm about to decide on the upgrade of my notebook machine.

{posted for Jet Cash.}

Honestly, just export your private keys from Armory... you don't even need Bitcoin Core installed, let alone synced, to be able to do this

- Wallet Properties
- Backup This Wallet
- See other backup options
- Select "Export Key Lists" option (top left)
- Click "Export Key Lists" button (bottom)
- Select the following: "Address String", "Private Key (Plain Base58)", "Include Unused (Address Pool)" and "Omit spaces in key data"

All your addresses and private keys will be displayed in the text box. You can then copy/paste or save as required.

Then you can either import/sweep into a lightweight wallet like Electrum (https://electrum.org/#download) and convert to ETH by depositing on an exchange or using changelly or whatever (note: fees will apply)

Usual disclaimer about being careful with private keys applies

That's good to know. Just start Armory offline is what I was told previously. I'll give that a try tomorrow.

The restart of the core download 24 hours is still moving along at 42%  which has slowed but way head of previous attemps.

I still feel that if you have the disk space, and you can go online to sync' your blockchain at least once every two or three days, that you are better off running a core node. It gives you more flexibility and control. Using an online wallet is effectively the same as using a fiat bank, and Bitcoin was designed to escape from their controls.

Still roll along at 58% and 68Gb download, or so it says.

74% and steady ;D

watch this thing sync when the price cycle bottoms :(

You know - we expect to party in the T'bird when your node is sync'd and working. :)

It's 96% and moving strong. I mean it's counting them right down at a consistent pace. Going up on the 99% stop and wait point.

Why would it work this time so smoothly and not the other half dozen times I've tried since December?

BTW, only room for two to party in the 66 Tbird. I could buy a tank of gas and some Sonic food with the .05btc at this rate. The car is so expensive to drive a 8 mpg and I live were kids will key a nice car just because. It stays in storage till I find an heir that will care for it proper.

Could be a number of things, but if it was always hanging at around the same place, it sounds as if it's a disk error.

Glad it looks as if it's working anyway.

Only room for 2 in that T'bird - I could turn it into a camper van. :)
I nearly bought a softtop Pontiac GTO when I was in California. I wish I had, as they have shot up in value, but it would have cost too much to get it back to England.

It sync'd and now I'm coping in to my NAS just in case the Armory reset blows it up..  Then it's time to choose a plan of action with my balance.

Yep, my 66Tbird only seats two kind of comfortable. It's like an airplane cockpit inside. Heavy car that doesn't act like a car till 90mph. Then it floats like dream stops like a ocean liner.  It's 460 is setup modern for 600hp with stupid amounts of torque so if you don't know any better it's a blast to drive. I've found god in it enough times that it scares me now. I've just made up my mind I'm going to sell it. None of my family would give it the respect it needs to keep them alive. A GTO would be better. Those GM A bodies were great. I loved my Cutlass.

Is this sorted now?

Have you any idea what may have caused the problem with the earlier downloads?

No idea why. I changed nothing I had not changed before. Bitcoin Core just work this time. Quick and without error.

The Armory doesn't start normal, but I can start off line. I've pointed it to the core and it does nothing. So there will be some gymnastics to get it's wallet read and funds ready to move.

I just haven't had time since I've only a month or so left till the Phx heat kicks in. I'll work on it then. I did get my Frankin Miner going that putts out Ethereum at 50Mhz and only 250W. It's now in the shop ready for the heat test.

It could be faulty RAM too. I had my blockchain files to corrupt often before I realized that one of the RAM slots had errors (not the actual RAM stick in my case, but the actual slot in the motherboard caused some ram sticks to show up errors on Memtest). So I recommend op to run Memtest in a live CD to discard ram stick/slot problems too.
It's going to be a pretty slow process tho, he has 32GB.. I only got 8.. but I imagine with his stronger computer he will test faster, my CPU is from 2008 :p