Bitcoin Wallet - Address vs Labels

[Ashta]

Hi,

I am new to Bitcoins and download the Bitcoin wallet. It gave me an address that I gave someone to send bitcoins to. I was told the bitcoins were sent but I don't know how to get them. There is an address and a label. How do I change the address to the one I gave the sender so that I can received the bitcoins?

Thanks,

[EhVedadoOAnonimato]

If your client is connect to the network, it should display the transaction as soon as it sees it. Is your client connected to the network? It displays the number of connections on the bottom.

In case you can't connect to the network for some weird reason, you may verify if the transaction has been confirmed by looking up the address on the block explorer: http://blockexplorer.com
If it's there, then the money is already yours. You'll need to connect to the network in order to spend it, though.

[Ashta]

OK, there are there, but how do I get them into my wallet? I am using a diffrent computer than the one that generated the address that I gave the sender. How do I enter that address into my wallet? It only generates new ones.

Thanks,

[deepceleron]

The computer that generated the Bitcoin address is the only one that can receive (and resend) the Bitcoins. The copy of Bitcoin that you installed on the first computer is the only one that has the private encryption keys needed to make use of the bitcoins sent to its address.

The personal information about your addresses is stored in a file called your wallet. While your Bitcoin address is a public key that you can share with others, your wallet also has corresponding private keys that nobody but you have, are not shown to you in the Bitcoin interface, and are required to digitally sign your transaction when you want to send your Bitcoins to someone else. When you first installed Bitcoin, it generated the private keys that are used by that copy of Bitcoin only.

While you can (and should) back up your wallet file, and you could move the wallet to the second computer if you have not used that second copy of bitcoin, it is not a good idea to try using a Bitcoin wallet on two different computers at the same time. If you wish, you can re-send the coins to an address on the second computer's Bitcoin once you have received them.

[Ashta]

OK thanks,

So if the PC that generated that key is dead, I will not be able to retrieve them ever?

[deepceleron]

If you cannot retrieve the original wallet.dat file with it's encryption keys off the computer, then the bitcoins are lost forever. Nobody but you (using your personal cryptography keys in the wallet) is able to spend the bitcoins.

[Ashta]

Ouch!

Thanks, I just lost over $100.

[Gabi]

OK, there are there, but how do I get them into my wallet? I am using a diffrent computer than the one that generated the address that I gave the sender. How do I enter that address into my wallet? It only generates new ones.

Thanks,

You are doing it wrong.

When you start the Bitcoin client it automatically create a wallet.dat file in that pc. And it give you addresses to allow other people to send bitcoins to you.
Everytime you receive bitcoins, they are put in the wallet.dat file.
Then you can send them to others as you wish.

If you use ANOTHER pc of course you have to manually move the file and put it in the right place (roaming/bitcoin) in the new pc. So it can use the bitcoins inside that wallet.dat

You must make sure you never lose the wallet.dat that contain your bitcoins. If you for example received bitcoins on another computer too, you will have 2 different wallets with bitcoins in them. Well either move them in one of them or make sure you don't mess and lose with them

So if the PC that generated that key is dead, I will not be able to retrieve them ever?

What do you mean with dead? Your pc happily died after a day?

Well if you lost the wallet.dat file yes you lost your bitcoins.

[Ashta]

Thanks. What I mean by dead is that it's not working right. The bitcoin wallet would not open after the 1st time I used it. I later found out today, that when you minimize the wallet it become hidden on the right side of the task bar. As I did not know that last night, I uninstalled the Bitcoin wallet software and reinstalled0 it. It still did not work, so I think it may be running but hidding. So I will have to try and power up that same PC and hope the wallet remembers the date from the 1st time it was installed and generated the delivery address.

Thank you so much for the help.

[N.Olmos]

I think you should try to recover the original wallet.dat file and move it into an new install on another computer. This should work unless the second install overwrote the original or if the file is unrecoverable.

Good luck.

[RyNinDaCleM]

If uninstalled, you should have been given the choice to remove all related data. If you clicked yes to remove the data, they are gone. If not, check to see if you have the data folder at: C:\users\user name\app data\roaming\bitcoin. Your wallet.dat is located here, and WILL work in another machine running the BitCoin client (if you transfer the wallet.dat file to it)! If the file was left intact, it should work on a reinstall of the client.

When your coins show up in blockexplorer but not the client, you need to make sure you have the entire blockchain downloaded, and are connected to the network, then they should show up!

[Ashta]

OK, I think I have good news. I remember that the software didn't let me completely uninstall it because it said the program was running.It was hidden in my right try. I also remember the 3 times I tried to re-install it would give me an error message that I would over ride.

So the receiving address on my bitcoin wallet that I open once I found out it was running hidden, is the same one that the coins were sent to, and I verified that they were and unclaimed. I see the wallet is doing something, with 14 connection? Do i just wait for the coins to show up? How long do they usually take?

Thank everyone for you help.
 

[N.Olmos]

Hi Ashta,

That is great news.

You will now have to wait until the complete blockchain, currently at 149,812 blocks, downloads to see your transactions. It may take some time.

n.olmos

[Ashta]

GREAT!

I have my bitcoins.

Thanks again everyone.