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Bitcoin => Bitcoin Discussion => Topic started by: venom on May 11, 2011, 05:43:17 PM



Title: What happens if I use an old wallet.dat ?
Post by: venom on May 11, 2011, 05:43:17 PM
Hello everyone I was wondering if anyone had any info on this topic.. basically I'm travelling and before my travels I backed up my wallet.dat file, like a couple weeks ago, onto a memory card.  I installed bitcoin onto a laptop I'm using now and replaced the file with my backed up one.  Problem is, I just realized that I must have performed one or two other transactions (a debit, and a credit) *after* that backup.. I can tell my balance is off, and I don't see the latest transactions show up.  So my question is - can I still send money (for instance to an exchanger) and have no problems, and everything will go back to normal when I get a hold of my more up to date wallet.dat?  Or will it screw things up if I try and use this backed up wallet.dat that's missing a couple transactions?

Thank you...


Title: Re: What happens if I use an old wallet.dat ?
Post by: mewantsbitcoins on May 11, 2011, 05:53:44 PM
venom,

Is your blockchain up to date? If it's not the right balance should appear once all blocks are downloaded.
If it is and you still can't see your balance, try starting bitcoin with -rescan switch.

Bitcoin transactions are recorded on the network. wallet.dat is where your keys are held


Title: Re: What happens if I use an old wallet.dat ?
Post by: Garrett Burgwardt on May 11, 2011, 05:54:12 PM
The balance will be correct but the up to date client won't show a sent transaction that the old copy did.