Can't get access to BTC in my QT wallet

[kenstu22]

I sent BTC from my blockchain wallet to my QT wallet.

I like to back up my .dat file to a cold wallet.  I think I should have gone file-->backup and taken the file off the computer that way.  Instead I just dragged the file directly out of the Bitcoin roam folder.
 Now when I put the file back into the folder--there is nothing in the wallet.

I have the address to which I sent the BTC.  I can even see the wallet on blockchain in read only mode.

How can I get the address to which I sent the BTC into a wallet--either QT or blockchaine so that I can access the BTC?
   
Please help if you can!

[grue]

[...] Instead I just dragged the file directly out of the Bitcoin roam folder. [...]

Was bitcoin running when you did this? You can still try extracting any private keys from your wallet using pywallet

[kenstu22]

Thanks so much for your response.  I am honestly not sure if it QT was running when I dragged the .dat folder out.

If you could please tell me exactly what to do with the program you suggest using I would greatly appreciate it.  I'm not sure at all what to do.  I really a newbie to this--and there is a lot of money lost;(  I don't even understand what exactly I would be trying to extract?

[kenstu22]

The only thing I have is the BTC address to which I sent the coins to my wallet--and I can't find that address anywhere in the wallet

[SilverVigilante]

I am in the same situation you are, but with a small amount. I tried to transfer wallets to see how it worked but when it redownloaded the chain my transaction wasn't there.

[grue]

Thanks so much for your response.  I am honestly not sure if it QT was running when I dragged the .dat folder out.

If you could please tell me exactly what to do with the program you suggest using I would greatly appreciate it.  I'm not sure at all what to do.  I really a newbie to this--and there is a lot of money lost;(  I don't even understand what exactly I would be trying to extract?

Follow the instructions on this page: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=34028.0 to dump private keys. If you are lucky, then all your private keys will be there. If not, then you lost all your private keys. Also, you mentioned "dragging" the file. Depending on your drag destination, windows may choose to copy or cut the file. If windows decided to cut your file while bitcoin was running, then you are screwed because bitcoin could not save its private keys before backup.

[Rannasha]

If windows decided to cut your file while bitcoin was running, then you are screwed because bitcoin could not save its private keys before backup.

Is this really the default behavior of the QT client? Because that would make it very susceptible to something like a power outage or computer crash. I would imagine that any newly generated private keys would be immediately stored in the wallet file (in addition to being kept in RAM).

[kenstu22]

Thank you very much for that--It will take me quite a while to digest those directions.

What I don't understand is that  I sent a transaction to an address generated in QT--and the transaction showed up.  I clicked and dragged the file to my desktop and them immediately to an external drive.  I still have the file--but when I put it back into the bitcoin folder (C:\Users\ken\Appdata\Roaming\Bitcoin)--the account shows 0 coins

I don't even think the wallet was encrypted.  I had never even used the wallet--someone showed me the backup technique with my LTC wallet.  I have the address to which the coins were sent--and I can see the account (view only) on blockcahin.

So what I don't is that somewhere there is a BTC address with the money assigned to that address/account, and I have the address.  So why can't someone, somehow claim it?  Where does it go?  It is 4 coins which were lost--so is someone else going to be able to take it?

The other thing I don't quite understand conceptually is what a private key has to do with it, where to find it, and even how to use it to recover the coins if/when I get the key.  Perhaps when I digest the page you sent me to that will become clearer--but I have such a headache now I will have to try later.

The other strange thing is that while trying to recover the file, I accidentally loaded my LTC wallet.dat file into the bitcoin folder.  That account had 432 LTC in it--and ithe BTC Wallet shows 432 BTC -- when I put that ltc wallet.dat folder into the bitcoin roam file.  The coins are unconfirmed, of course--but why would it load 432 LTC into my BTC folder and then show 432 BTC--whereas it won't load the 4 BTC from the other folder?

Is it because I didn't use the backup function to create the folder--but just dragged it to my desktop while QT was perhaps running?

The loss isn't the end of the world for me, but it is quite a bad sting, and enough perhaps to push me away from cryptos all together. Because all I was trying to do was get my coins off of blockchain (where is was theoretically vulnerable) while at the same time ensuring that no one could steal my coins from my computer (by creating a cold off line wallet--not that easy to learn either)--  But since I don't do this kind of that often--this mistake happened.  Now I'm a newbie--but much more advanced than the general public who we hope will eventually use BTC.  And if this could happen to me--I don't see how the general public is going to be able to handle becoming their own bank at this state of the art.

Thanks again for your help.

Cheers,

Ken

[grue]

If windows decided to cut your file while bitcoin was running, then you are screwed because bitcoin could not save its private keys before backup.

Is this really the default behavior of the QT client? Because that would make it very susceptible to something like a power outage or computer crash. I would imagine that any newly generated private keys would be immediately stored in the wallet file (in addition to being kept in RAM).

Private keys are pulled out of a "keypool". Once the keypool runs out, it is refilled. Therefore during a power outage, unless a new keypool was generated, you will still have all your keys.

What I don't understand is that  I sent a transaction to an address generated in QT--and the transaction showed up.  I clicked and dragged the file to my desktop and them immediately to an external drive.  I still have the file--but when I put it back into the bitcoin folder (C:\Users\ken\Appdata\Roaming\Bitcoin)--the account shows 0 coins

In addition to private keys, wallet.dat also keeps track of your transactions. If you moved it before bitcoin could write transaction details, the copied wallet.dat will not contain the transaction. However, bitcoin generates a "keypool" when the wallet is first created. If those keys were successfully saved, you can probably recover your coins.

So what I don't is that somewhere there is a BTC address with the money assigned to that address/account, and I have the address.  So why can't someone, somehow claim it?  Where does it go?  It is 4 coins which were lost--so is someone else going to be able to take it?

The other thing I don't quite understand conceptually is what a private key has to do with it, where to find it, and even how to use it to recover the coins if/when I get the key.  Perhaps when I digest the page you sent me to that will become clearer--but I have such a headache now I will have to try later.

That's how cryptocurrencies work. The only way to claim possession is through the private key. No key = no cash.