Bitcoin Forum

Other => Beginners & Help => Topic started by: olinader on July 08, 2012, 09:14:49 PM



Title: bitcoin recovery. FREE BITCOIN just for knowing what you're doing...
Post by: olinader on July 08, 2012, 09:14:49 PM
Hello brilliant bitcoin people. My computer was recently destroyed (as in smashed, useless). Luckily, i had the foresight to backup my bitcoin wallet using the backup feature on bitcoin.qt. It gave me a file called bitbackup.dat which i have on a thumb drive.
That's all well and good but I don't know what python is or how to use this file to recover my lost bitcoins. the wiki suggests reinstalling, then replacing the wallet.dat file with with my backup file. this didn't do anything.

I only have about 12 bitcoin in that wallet, but it would be nice to get them back. so if anyone will tell me how to use that file to recover my old wallet, i'll gladly send half of the bitcoins in my lost wallet to you as a gracious thank you.

FREE BITCOINS FOR YOUR EXPERTISE!!! please include your address in the reply.
-olinader


Title: Re: bitcoin recovery. FREE BITCOIN just for knowing what you're doing...
Post by: TangibleCryptography on July 08, 2012, 09:43:41 PM
The backup.dat is simply a copy of your wallet.dat renamed to backup.dat.

You need to rename the backup.dat to wallet.dat and put it in the bitcoin data folder.  
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Data_directory

If there is a new (empty) wallet.dat already there delete it.  If bitcoin runs and no wallet.dat exists it creates a new empty one.


Title: Re: bitcoin recovery. FREE BITCOIN just for knowing what you're doing...
Post by: John (John K.) on July 09, 2012, 02:32:26 AM
Hello brilliant bitcoin people. My computer was recently destroyed (as in smashed, useless). Luckily, i had the foresight to backup my bitcoin wallet using the backup feature on bitcoin.qt. It gave me a file called bitbackup.dat which i have on a thumb drive.
That's all well and good but I don't know what python is or how to use this file to recover my lost bitcoins. the wiki suggests reinstalling, then replacing the wallet.dat file with with my backup file. this didn't do anything.

I only have about 12 bitcoin in that wallet, but it would be nice to get them back. so if anyone will tell me how to use that file to recover my old wallet, i'll gladly send half of the bitcoins in my lost wallet to you as a gracious thank you.

FREE BITCOINS FOR YOUR EXPERTISE!!! please include your address in the reply.
-olinader

Steps: (I am assuming you use windows)
1. Rename bitbackup.dat to wallet.dat.
2. Install Bitcoin client from here: http://bitcoin.org/
3. Run bitcoin client for the first time, and either
    a)wait for it to download the blockchain
    b) Download " bitcoin_blockchain_170000.zip" from bitcoin_blockchain_170000.zip, and unzip to '%APPDATA%\Bitcoin' (open a     new "my computer' page and paste that in the address bar.), restart bitcoin client, and wait for it to update.
4. After the blockchain is fully downloaded,shut down bitcoin client, copy and replace the old wallet.dat (in the %APPDATA%\Bitcoin) with the new wallet.dat(originally bitbackup.dat)
5. Restart Bitcoin client.


Title: Re: bitcoin recovery. FREE BITCOIN just for knowing what you're doing...
Post by: Foxpup on July 09, 2012, 02:55:04 AM
Steps: (I am assuming you use windows)
1. Rename bitbackup.dat to wallet.dat.
2. Install Bitcoin client from here: http://bitcoin.org/
3. Run bitcoin client for the first time, and either
    a)wait for it to download the blockchain
    b) Download " bitcoin_blockchain_170000.zip" from bitcoin_blockchain_170000.zip, and unzip to '%APPDATA%\Bitcoin' (open a     new "my computer' page and paste that in the address bar.), restart bitcoin client, and wait for it to update.
4. After the blockchain is fully downloaded,shut down bitcoin client, copy and replace the old wallet.dat (in the %APPDATA%\Bitcoin) with the new wallet.dat(originally bitbackup.dat)
5. Restart Bitcoin client.

It is not necessary to have the blockchain up to date before restoring a wallet backup. Just rename bitbackup.dat to wallet.dat, copy it to your Bitcoin data directory (overwriting the empty wallet.dat if one exists), then start Bitcoin. The coins will show up immediately, but will be displayed as unconfirmed until the blockchain is downloaded.


Title: Re: bitcoin recovery. FREE BITCOIN just for knowing what you're doing...
Post by: John (John K.) on July 09, 2012, 03:01:18 AM
Steps: (I am assuming you use windows)
1. Rename bitbackup.dat to wallet.dat.
2. Install Bitcoin client from here: http://bitcoin.org/
3. Run bitcoin client for the first time, and either
    a)wait for it to download the blockchain
    b) Download " bitcoin_blockchain_170000.zip" from bitcoin_blockchain_170000.zip, and unzip to '%APPDATA%\Bitcoin' (open a     new "my computer' page and paste that in the address bar.), restart bitcoin client, and wait for it to update.
4. After the blockchain is fully downloaded,shut down bitcoin client, copy and replace the old wallet.dat (in the %APPDATA%\Bitcoin) with the new wallet.dat(originally bitbackup.dat)
5. Restart Bitcoin client.

It is not necessary to have the blockchain up to date before restoring a wallet backup. Just rename bitbackup.dat to wallet.dat, copy it to your Bitcoin data directory (overwriting the empty wallet.dat if one exists), then start Bitcoin. The coins will show up immediately, but will be displayed as unconfirmed until the blockchain is downloaded.
It's just a matter of what you want to do first as either route would have the same result.  ;)


Title: Re: bitcoin recovery. FREE BITCOIN just for knowing what you're doing...
Post by: olinader on July 09, 2012, 05:58:24 AM
first post had it. and he didn't leave a receiving address. thanks for the information.


Title: Re: bitcoin recovery. FREE BITCOIN just for knowing what you're doing...
Post by: unclemantis on July 09, 2012, 11:33:32 PM
first post had it. and he didn't leave a receiving address. thanks for the information.

Well gee! I'll take some BTC for having the same idea.

16ejjWVoDi8vx8QwDq5PX6ipyJPx8rPu4j

just kidding! Happy you got your bitcoins back! I know what it's like to loose bitcoin. :(


Title: Re: bitcoin recovery. FREE BITCOIN just for knowing what you're doing...
Post by: Maged on July 10, 2012, 07:44:07 AM
first post had it. and he didn't leave a receiving address. thanks for the information.
One way of thanking him might be to check out the services in his signature. You don't need to use them, but at least check them out so you can have them in mind.


Title: Re: bitcoin recovery. FREE BITCOIN just for knowing what you're doing...
Post by: hood90s on July 10, 2012, 05:38:19 PM
does anyone store theirs in a safe deposit box?