Bitcoin Forum

Other => Beginners & Help => Topic started by: Roister01 on December 26, 2013, 03:01:50 AM



Title: Bitcoin qt info
Post by: Roister01 on December 26, 2013, 03:01:50 AM
Hi there,

Could i just check something. I have downloaded the qt database, and have a small amount of bitcoin in the wallet. I have encrypted this, and saved the file to a memory stick. What would happen if I then:

-deleted the qt database from my pc? Could i download the qt again, and add the wallet from the memory stick.

-downloaded the qt database on another computer, and tried to add the memory stick wallet to this? Would it add the coins to the new one, or realise they were still on another qt database elsewhere?

Many thanks...

A confused Roister01!


Title: Re: Bitcoin qt info
Post by: mjc on December 26, 2013, 03:20:16 AM
What is in the wallet are a set of public/private key pairs.  the Bitcoins are stored on the public ledger not in the wallet.  So yes if you store the wallet.dat, you can use it on another bitcoin-qt install.

If you wait too long and the wallet format changes, or you want to import to another application, you can use pywallet to extract the private keys for the addresses which have Bitcoins on the ledger.  Then add these private keys to the new application.


Title: Re: Bitcoin qt info
Post by: infinitybo on December 26, 2013, 07:50:04 AM
@Roister01 In all honesty be ready to create a  back up before to delete the Qt database.