Bitcoin Forum

H, my bitcoin-qt is up to date but my wallet says zero balance. I've checked on blockchain explorer and it definitely has the right balance - do you know bitcoin-qt - how do I get my wallet into it? I seem to be misunderstanding something. I have entered the pass phrase.
Thanks

What's the context?
Did you install QT client on a new computer? Or reformatted yours?
Do you have a backup of you wallet.dat file?
When talking about blockchain balance, are you talking about the public ledger or about your own private account?

I installed QT on a computer for the first time, I have never used the software so don't know how it's supposed to work. I don't have a wallet.dat file at all - no original and no backup - am I supposed to create one? Where does it go and what do I put in it?
On Blockchain explorer I'm entering the public key which corresponds to my pass phrase which is for my brain wallet which contains my bitcoin balance.
Thanks

I'm not sure I got that 100%, but if I understood right...
Get the private key from your brainwallet account - (paste your passphrase and copy the result from "Private Key" field.
Then, in your QT client, go to Help=>Debug(1rst entry), and type in:
importprivkey <your_brain_wallet_private_key> <any_name>

where <your_brain_wallet_private_key> = the "Private Key" field content on brainwallet site
and <any_name> = how you want this address to show up in your client (it will never be shared in any transaction, so you can put "CatKiller" or "AsianLover")

Once you've done that, I suggest that you create a new address in QT client, send all your funds to it, and encrypt the wallet (Settings=>Encrypt wallet(1st entry)) with a new passphrase, and backup this encrypted wallet to a secure location.

Thanks for that. When I do that it says "error adding key to wallet (code -4)" which I think means it's already added?
Balance still says zero. Blocks are up to date.
Thanks

Ok, in case anyone's listening or cares, I deleted wallet.dat and reran QT, then imported the private key without an error and encrypted it and the balance is still zero. Slick programming.

Are you positive that when you enter the passphrase in brainwallet it shows the right public address?
After you imported the private key in QT client, does this address show up in the "Receiving" QT tab?

You can also try to run bitcoin-qt, record some address it generates and the use some other service (eg. https://blockchain.info/wallet) or software like Mutibit to start a new wallet, import your private key there and (if it is successful) send all BTC to your "bitcoin-qt-generated address".

Yes to the first
Yes to the second but it's the public address which is in the receiving tab
Thanks

Then there is no reason why you should not have the right balance in QT client.
What's the public address, if you don't mind sharing?

Thanks for the address. I'll ask again, then.
Once you imported the private key in this new QT wallet without any error, can you see
189[...] in your "Receiving" tab ?

Yes.
There's also a "(no label)" entry?

(no label)'s to be expected, depending on how you used the import command.
If your balance still is 0, and you are sure we're talking about the same address, then this is a QT bug.
You can try the following:
- Create a new address in your QT wallet (QTA)
- Create a new wallet on blockchain.info (BCW)
- Import your private key to BCW
- Send the funds back from your BCW to your QTA

Will try that tomorrow - have to leave shortly.
Thanks very much for your help.