Bitcoin Forum

Bitcoin => Bitcoin Technical Support => Topic started by: french on May 22, 2011, 10:56:11 PM



Title: Says recieved under description, but not added to balance.
Post by: french on May 22, 2011, 10:56:11 PM
I re installed windows and installed Bitcoin but replacing the wallet.dat with my original one.  I tried sending myself .05 bitcoins from mtgox and it didn't take long before it showed up on Bitcoin but it is grayed out and says received when it isn't.

http://gyazo.com/32e7cc817fa420cbf3fbef4a4980bfad.png

http://gyazo.com/c7ffb91beadd1b7c44f41831c2982aa3.png


Title: Re: Says recieved under description, but not added to balance.
Post by: vuce on May 22, 2011, 10:59:11 PM
You'll have to wait for a few confirmations.


Title: Re: Says recieved under description, but not added to balance.
Post by: french on May 22, 2011, 10:59:42 PM
How do confirmations work?


Title: Re: Says recieved under description, but not added to balance.
Post by: TehZomB on May 22, 2011, 11:12:51 PM
Every time a block is made (Approx. every 10 minutes) that is 1 confirmation. I forget how many confirmations you need to spend the coins, but it's pretty low.


Title: Re: Says recieved under description, but not added to balance.
Post by: error on May 22, 2011, 11:19:46 PM
How do confirmations work?

The first confirmation occurs when your transaction is processed into a block by a transaction processor (also known as a miner). Due to the peer-to-peer nature of the network, though, a second confirmation is required by a second transaction processor (which confirms the transactions for that block, and also confirms the previous block). Each subsequent confirmation builds on the previous ones and helps to secure the Bitcoin network as a whole.

This process helps prevent someone from copying a bitcoin and trying to spend the same bitcoin twice. After 6 confirmations, it will show as confirmed in your Bitcoin client; at this time the risk of double-spending has dropped to virtually zero.

Bitcoin will allow you to spend coins after just 2 confirmations, where the risk of double-spending is already very low, but you will have to pay a transaction fee to spend recently received coins. The longer you hold the coins, the less likely you are to need to pay a transaction fee to spend them. (You may also have to pay a transaction fee if you try to spend a large quantity of small coins, regardless of their age.)