Blue Screen • Command prompt possibility?

[DB Cooper]

Hey bitcoiners
Sent all of the bitcoins i had to my new laptop and now im getting a blue screen on start up
Cant even reboot it in safemode and when i try to restore to an earlier point i cant because system protection isnt enabled on C:/ drive.
I can access the command prompt and i was wondering if i could send coins using that
Or if i completely restore the laptop and redownload Bitcoin would the coins eventually show up? I dont think that would work but im afraid i just lost all my coins

[bitcon]

what ever you do dont format (erase) your hard drive.  Try to boot using an Ubuntu Live CD if you can get ahold of one, and then search for your wallet.dat file which should have been backed up in the first place in the event that something like this should happen.

[DB Cooper]

Alright thanks for the reply ill try it out, and yes NOW i know why its reccomended to backup those things.

One more question where exactly is the wallet.dat file?

[fascistmuffin]

On Windows: %APPDATA%\Bitcoin\wallet.dat

[DB Cooper]

Okay now what do i do with the wallet.dat file

[casascius]

Back it up to removable media.

When you get a new Bitcoin install done, drop a copy of it in the same folder and rerun the app.

[zerokwel]

yea treat that file like its money... DONT LOSE IT..

[DB Cooper]

Nice thanks guys i got it to work