Say my computer is not connected to the internet and I install the bitcoin client onto it via a memory stick, make a copy of the wallet.dat file (put it on a usb and also take note of the recieving address), then remove the Bitcoin program and delete files from my computer. (still offline)
Is the wallet.dat file I created valid? if I use the recieving address to send bitcoins to, will I be able to recover my coins at a later date, using the wallet.dat file I copied while offline?