Bitcoin Forum

Hi,

I opened up Bitcoin just as I usually have for the past few months and suddenly I get this message:

EXCEPTION: NSt8ios_base7failureE
ReadCompactSize() : size too large
C:\Program Files\Bitcoin\bitcoin.exe in AppInit()

Does anyone know how to fix the problem? Is there anyway of getting to my Bitcoin?

I'd really appreciate a response as I have quite a bit in there.

Anyone who can, leave your Bitcoin address and I'll flip them a Bitcoin if it works..

Regards.

I would save wallet.dat somewhere it's secure, uninstall the bitcoin client and reinstall, then copy wallet.dat back to its place.

(edit) wallet.dat is found at Users/(yourusername)/AppData/Roaming/Bitcoin in Win7.

If this helped, send donation to 1BFLDATk4iE6R2hYTfqNjxBZYctU9eshCM - thanks!

Actually before you uninstall bitcoin try this first.

Delete blk0001.dat from that directory and let bitcoin redownload the blockchain. Make sure the program isn't running when you delete the file. And make sure you still backup your wallet.dat securely before you start. The problem is your local copy of the blockchain got corrupted somehow.

+1. Do as said.
You can flip the bitcoin to this address 1LaqzJryo46Z4TmofRb1DycM8C2P7Jo7AM

Make that 1BFLDATk4iE6R2hYTfqNjxBZYctU9eshCM :)

Thanks for your response jh1523

Please could you spell this out to me. I'm an absolute n00b when it comes to this. I'm running on Vista. No idea how to do anything you said. Step-by-step would be great..

Please, Bitcoin is ready to go over to you..

Regards.

(Bare in mind, I can't even access Bitcoin)

1. Press Windows Key + R
2. Type c:/Users/<Your Windows Username>/AppData/Roaming/Bitcoin
3. Copy and paste Wallet.dat to a safe place
4. Delete blk0001.dat
5. Restart Bitcoin and let it download the 'block chain'
6. If that doesn't work, completely uninstall/reinstall Bitcoin

Thanks mate, your very close to your Bitcoin..!

I'm up to the part where I have to un-install then re-install Bitcoin. (I have to as the restart isn't working)

You said to save the wallet.dat  somewhere safe, can that be my desktop or does it have to be external?

Your desktop is fine, an external flash drive would be best. That way if you ever have a computer failure you can have your wallet safely stored elsewhere.

Anywhere you can find it again would be fine.

As an extra precaution, I would save it to your desktop AND to a USB stick.

But please keep the USB stick safe, since anyone who has access to your wallet.dat file also has access to your coins.

Most people will probably also suggest that you use some kind of software tool to encrypt the file.

Make sure when you paste the wallet.dat back, bitcoin.exe shouldn't be running! Check your system tray, or better press ctrl-alt-del and open Task Manager, and make sure there isn't a process called bitcoin.exe running. If there is, right-click and terminate it. If bitcoin is running when you paste wallet.dat back you may lose everything in your wallet for good. Don't ask me how I know that. :(

Remember I'm the one who posted the original solution.

1BFLDATk4iE6R2hYTfqNjxBZYctU9eshCM

I've followed the steps that jh1523 laid out, un-installed, re-installed Bitcoin but now it's saying:

'Error loading blkindex.dat'

F U C K.

P.S. jh1523 I know your the man, you have this coin just after it's all saved and I've stopped sweating. Sorry for making you work so hard for it..!

Uninstalling Bitcoin doesn't remove your wallet.dat file.

Delete again blkindex.dat and blk0001.dat; also may delete all files that look like this: __db.001, __db.002, etc. You could also delete addr.dat or move it somewhere else and restore later. Restart bitcoin, it should start downloading the blockchain.

That's not what I was saying; I was warning him against copy/paste wallet.dat while bitcoin is running.

Fair enough   :)

A user in this thread (http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=4490.0 (http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=4490.0)) had the exact same problem. He deleted everything in his "C:/Users/<Your Windows Username>/AppData/Roaming/Bitcoin" folder except wallet.dat and bitcoin.conf, reinstalled, and it fixed his error.

PS. I wrote the steps for you   :D

Guy's thanks a lot for your attention and help.

I did everything you said r.e. deleting the stuff in the folder. I then started Bitcon sucessfully. I quit it, moved the wallet back into the folder, started Bitcoin and it's just gathering all the connections and blocks.

5 Mins, I'll just see that I get all my coins back in then I'll forward you the coin..

May take a while - a newly installed bitcoin client could take 1h or more to download the whole blockchain. Glad you got it working!

Cool, well I got your address penned. So expect a 1er in there at some point tonight (GMT)..

Glad to be of service.

.. Still getting blocks, at 128000.. and still going. Don't worry I'll stay true to my word, once I get all my coins.

Download latest file tar.bz2 from this link http://palsecam.bitcoin.bluematt.me/bitcoin-nightly/blockchain-nightly/
Latest now is bitcoin-blockchain-20110730.tar.bz2 & also download & read the README.txt file.
Use 7zip or winrar to extract the contents of ****.tar.bz2 file.
It will have 2 files, blkindex.dat & blk0001.dat.
Take backup of your C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin folder & ONLY then copy & replace the two files from ***.tar.bz2 in to bitcoin folder.
Then as said in README.TXT, run bitcoin.exe -rescan.
It will update database instantly to yesterdays block chain & you then have to download only today's block chain which will take less than 30 minutes. 

No, the link dishwara provided was a copy of the blockchain made by a trusted developer. However, I'm glad you were being cautious.