how do i make a new wallet?

[stryker]

do i just move the old wallet file to make the bitcoin client create a new wallet?

ok i could just try but i want to know for sure as dont want to loose my 4 btc :-)

The reason for this is I want a fresh wallet to transfer my btc to which i know is secure and has not been backed up anywhere without encryption.

Ta

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[wumpus]

Easiest is to supply the -datadir=... argument and point it at a different place. You can also move around wallet.dat files, but that can be dangerous if you get it wrong.

[stryker]

i thought of the datadir idea, but that means it will have to re-aquire the block chain which is slow even when done from my own bitcoin server on my network.... still if its the safest way then thats what i will do.

thanks

[jackjack]

If bitcoin is not running, renaming your wallet is absolutely not dangerous and does not create new files to delete

[deepceleron]

To move all your BTC to a new wallet with one computer:

A. Backup and remove original wallet:
 1. Close bitcoin, verify it's not running.
 2. Have lots of backups, such as making a 7-zip of the whole bitcoin data directory.
 3. Move your existing wallet.dat out of the bitcoin data directory to a new location bitcoin/wallet1.

B. Create a new blank wallet:
 1. Restart bitcoin, it will think for a while and silently create a new wallet without complaining that your old one is missing.
 2. Record the first bitcoin address of the new wallet (notepad cut and paste, etc)

C. Send old coins to new address:
 1. Close bitcoin, verify it's not running.
 2. Move the new empty wallet.dat to a new location bitcoin/wallet2.
 3. Copy the original wallet back from bitcoin/wallet1 to the main bitcoin directory
 4. Launch bitcoin, send your new address a small amount of test coins (.01 BTC + fee).
 5. Close bitcoin, and re-backup your old wallet to bitcoin/wallet1 (not always necessary, but best practice, since you could have exhausted your private key pool and sending could have created a new one.)

D. Verify they got there:
 1. Copy the new wallet from bitcoin/wallet2 to the main bitcoin directory
 2. Launch bitcoin
 3. See that your test transfer appears after a few blocks and it gets eventually confirmed.

Repeat C and D for all your bitcoins, shred all old backup files to avoid confusion and backup your new wallet.dat encrypted. If you send money and it doesn't show up right in the new wallet using this technique, you can run bitcoin -rescan to rescan the blockchain for missing transactions; that's only a local problem though, the bitcoin network knows the new address got the bitcoins sent to it.

[stryker]

excellent chaps thanks

[deepceleron]

excellent chaps thanks

Here are your excellent chaps then: