BitcoinCore node crashing

[AbsentSixth]

Bitcoin Client Software and Version Number: Bitcoin Core 0.15.1
Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit
System Hardware Specs: intel(R) Core i7-6700HQ @2.60 with 32 GB RAM and 674 GB free hard drive space.
Description of Problem: Bitcoin Core crashes with error: fatal internal error occurred see debug log for details.
Any Related Addresses: None
Any Related Transaction IDs: None
Screenshot of the problem: N/A
Log Files from the Bitcoin Client: https://pastebin.com/aAt1wDUq

 I've reinstalled 15.1 and it has happened again nearly 1-hour intervals. Yesterday I also got a Driver_PowerState_Failure but I think that was Windows related and I believe has been taken care of.

Any help would be appreciated.

[achow101]

Bitcoin Core is unable to write to your wallet file. Make sure that your user has the permission to write to the wallet.dat file.

[AbsentSixth]

By permission do you mean to be able to open the wallet?  And would you be able to suggest what may have caused this condition to occur? The wallet on this client is encrypted and is on my own personal machine. I haven't attempted to open the wallet in months but I have access if needed. Could this be an attempt to open the wallet from someone connecting to my node?

Also, I did not think anything of it at the time because nothing seemed to happen but I did hook up a 21bitcoin computer to this computer about 4-5 days ago just to see if there was anything I could do with it but there did not seem to be any prompt or files I could see so I unplugged it and thought nothing more of it. Could it have begun to try to access the wallet because of the mining chip days later even if it wasn't connected anymore?

Thank you for the help

[achow101]

By permission do you mean to be able to open the wallet?

Both read and write to the file. If you right click it and choose Properties, there should be a tab labeled Permissions or Security and there you can see whether your user has the permission to read and write to the file.

And would you be able to suggest what may have caused this condition to occur? The wallet on this client is encrypted and is on my own personal machine. I haven't attempted to open the wallet in months but I have access if needed.

Copying files from different machines can result in conflicting file permissions.

Could this be an attempt to open the wallet from someone connecting to my node?

Also, I did not think anything of it at the time because nothing seemed to happen but I did hook up a 21bitcoin computer to this computer about 4-5 days ago just to see if there was anything I could do with it but there did not seem to be any prompt or files I could see so I unplugged it and thought nothing more of it. Could it have begun to try to access the wallet because of the mining chip days later even if it wasn't connected anymore?

No.

[AbsentSixth]

I have checked the permissions and so far there are no restrictions for my user. Security for it lists read/write permissions possible.

If I run bitcoincore and exit to shut it down before it crashes it gives me the error as well.

At this point, if I were to just save the wallet dat. file and completely uninstall and reinstall bitcoincore, is there any possibility that I will run into any problems with creating my wallet from the seed/passphrase?

[achow101]

At this point, if I were to just save the wallet dat. file and completely uninstall and reinstall bitcoincore, is there any possibility that I will run into any problems with creating my wallet from the seed/passphrase?

That won't work.

Firstly, the problem is with your wallet.dat file, not with your installation of Bitcoin Core, so reisntalling isn't going to change anything. None of Bitcoin Core's data is removed when it is uninstalled, only the exectables are.

Secondly, Bitcoin Core does not use a seed or passphrase which can restore your wallet from scratch. You must have a backup of your wallet file.

[AbsentSixth]

Any advice on what to try next?

[AbsentSixth]

I'm only guessing, but so far the only thing I can think of is when I tried to hook up the 21 ras pi that is where the driver power state failure happened and the blue screen from that event is what might have? caused the corruption of the files or just the wallet data?

From here tho I guess if I don't have a wallet dat file from before that time then I'm screwed.

If this is all for a learning lesson in the end, how often do you need to back up your wallet? Just the once when you first install bitcoin core? Or every time you have sent or received? Also being a SSD I guess it's best to keep that back up off this machine as well.

[achow101]

I'm only guessing, but so far the only thing I can think of is when I tried to hook up the 21 ras pi that is where the driver power state failure happened and the blue screen from that event is what might have? caused the corruption of the files or just the wallet data?

If you pulled the power from the raspi and then took the wallet file off of it afterwards, that could have caused it to become corrupted as the database is still open and there are other files that you need when the wallet database is still open.

Have you tried just powering on the raspi again and seeing if you can access the wallet there?

[AbsentSixth]

I don't think I explained what happened very well so let me give it another shot. And if there is information that you can tell would be more useful to you please just let me know and I will try my best to provide anything I can.
 
I had plugged it (21bitcoin pi) in for a while but there was no prompt, so if it was doing anything, it would have been unknown to me. I thought it had software on it but since they don't support it any longer I am guessing that is why without the proper driver it produced the driver power state failure. But I never got it to do anything, even tho windows tried to find a driver that would work but could not.
It does have an older version of the blockchain on a micro sd in it but since I don't think it really connected, I figure that's probably not where the corruption took place but I could be wrong.

Now though when I run bitcoin-qt everything is as it should be for approx 40-50 min's until it crashes. I could probably even send the little bitcoin I have in that wallet out to somewhere else if the mining fee wasn't as high as it is. But then again I wonder what might happen if that transaction didn't confirm within the 40-50 min window before my node crashed again. But other than that it syncs up and then connects to approx 8 inbounds and 8 outbound peers at the beginning, shows my balance and runs properly for about 45mins then gives the fatal internal error. The wallet dat file is encrypted but is in the bitcoin folder and I have checked that my user has read and write access.

I read back thru the debug file to the 7th of this month which I believe is when I tried to connect the 21 pi and found a line in there that said "possible stale tip detected" I'm not sure what that means but it occurs to me that I only put a days worth of the debug log file in the Pastebin would it be more helpful if I loaded more of the debug file? Would you be able to help me decipher what the heck I did wrong and maybe a way to either roll back or apply a fix so I can learn a bit more about it? I don't have much bitcoin in the wallet at the moment but have had this node up and running for quite some time 24/7 without fail and would like to continue to do so, but this thing has me dead in my tracks.

Thanks for sticking in there with me, I appreciate it.

[achow101]

Now though when I run bitcoin-qt everything is as it should be for approx 40-50 min's until it crashes. I could probably even send the little bitcoin I have in that wallet out to somewhere else if the mining fee wasn't as high as it is. But then again I wonder what might happen if that transaction didn't confirm within the 40-50 min window before my node crashed again. But other than that it syncs up and then connects to approx 8 inbounds and 8 outbound peers at the beginning, shows my balance and runs properly for about 45mins then gives the fatal internal error. The wallet dat file is encrypted but is in the bitcoin folder and I have checked that my user has read and write access.

So the wallet is from your local computer and not the 21 raspi? If so, the raspi is completely irrelevant to this discussion.

I read back thru the debug file to the 7th of this month which I believe is when I tried to connect the 21 pi and found a line in there that said "possible stale tip detected" I'm not sure what that means

It means nothing. That error is benign.

but it occurs to me that I only put a days worth of the debug log file in the Pastebin would it be more helpful if I loaded more of the debug file?

Yes.

[AbsentSixth]

Yes wallet is on my local computer

this one goes back to the 12th https://pastebin.com/9PVqGRX8
 the 12th to the 10th https://pastebin.com/ezTsNTXC
10th to the 6th https://pastebin.com/zg69dKkg

[achow101]

Hmm. That error number might actually mean that your wallet is corrupted.

First stop Bitcoin Core and make a backup of your wallet.dat file.

If you have an older backup of your wallet, try restoring that backup.

Otherwise start Bitcoin Core with -salvagewallet and report back with what happens.

[AbsentSixth]

Thanks, I will try those things and let you know how things go. In the meantime, I also found a separate db.log file and thought it might help shed some more light on things?

https://pastebin.com/4zDMcz1L

[AbsentSixth]

Also, if I am to start bitcoin core with -salvagewallet can I do that thru the RPC console or do I run bitcoind and do it from there?

If I am understanding you it would seem that the salvagewallet command should be given before startup? Which would be bitcoin-cli or bitcoind perhaps?


I don't have a backup wallet dat file from before this all started to take place unless bitcoin core does periodic backups on it's own which it probably does not.

[achow101]

Also, if I am to start bitcoin core with -salvagewallet can I do that thru the RPC console

No, it is not an RPC command. You can't start Bitcoin Core with that option through Bitcoin Core's RPC console.

or do I run bitcoind and do it from there?

No need to use bitcoind or any RPC command.

Go to Help > Debug Window and click the button to open the bitcoin.conf file. Add the following line:

Code:

salvagewallet=1

Restart Bitcoin Core. Once it has restarted, you will want to remove that line from the bitcoin.conf file otherwise it will attempt to salvage your wallet every time you start Core, which is bad.

If I am understanding you it would seem that the salvagewallet command should be given before startup? Which would be bitcoin-cli or bitcoind perhaps?

Again, it is not a command, it is a startup option.

I don't have a backup wallet dat file from before this all started to take place unless bitcoin core does periodic backups on it's own which it probably does not.

It does not make backups automatically.

[AbsentSixth]

Help>Debug window>Console> showes the RPC console> entering salvagewallet=1> Method not found ( code - 32601)

After restarting bitcoin the salvagewallet=1 no longer shows on the command line.

This is the Pastebin from the shut down on the 17th to just now 6:25 am on the 18th after following the instructions you have given https://pastebin.com/BDHCEeK0

If I try Settings>Options>wallet>and then try to open the configuration file> I get the prompt saying that command line options will override this configuration file and GUI settings> but then doesn't know how to open the config file. At that point, I am getting windows "how do you want to open this file prompt.
When I have gone that route in the past I did not get that, it took me straight to the enter command line but now there seems to be something missing.

[achow101]

You DID NOT follow my instructions.

If I try Settings>Options>wallet>and then try to open the configuration file> I get the prompt saying that command line options will override this configuration file and GUI settings> but then doesn't know how to open the config file. At that point, I am getting windows "how do you want to open this file prompt.
When I have gone that route in the past I did not get that, it took me straight to the enter command line but now there seems to be something missing.

Choose to open it in notepad. Add the salvagewallet line and save the file.

[AbsentSixth]

I think that might have done it. Were at 2.5hr's and counting since I restarted bitcoin core and no crash so far.

I misunderstood your instructions yes. This time I went to the bitcoin folder that had the config file in it and opened it in notepad and added salvagewallet=1 and saved. Then restarted core waited for it to sync and catch up then shut it down (which at this time did not give an error) then restarted. It took much longer to start this time but in the end, there have been no issues so far.

Thanks for your patience if anything changes I'll update. Once the transaction fee's become a bit more reasonable I will send along a thank you tip to your address.