Armory stuck on "Preparing Databases"

[jhuxxo]

I'm fairly new to crypto and I thought setting up a wallet would be a good way to get started and I thought I had researched enough and chose Armory, and after I installed it I sent the btc from coinbase to my wallet, but after I noticed it wasn't in my balance I did notice that my wallet was offline. All of the armory tutorials they have seem to be very out of date and the UI for the new version of Armory is completely different. Most of the tutorials/other people asking for help mention multiple tabs/other options in their dashboard or some mention command prompts, but I can't find anything like that. https://imgur.com/zTLiChX This is what my program has been stuck on, and I can't figure out how to let it prepare the database. I downloaded bitcoin core and went through the whole process of downloading the blockchain in my second drive, but I am completely lost on how to get Armory to use it. Any help would be tremendously helpful and I'm sorry if this is easily fixed and I was just too dumb to know what to do. I'm on Windows 10, Armory is on my main ssd, the btc database is on my secondary hdd, using version 0.96.5 of armory, 0.18.1 for btc core

[Rath_]

Post your logs. You can export them by clicking 'File' -> 'Export Log File'. It will be much easier to troubleshoot if we know on what step exactly the wallet is stuck. Did you change any settings in Bitcoin Core config file or specified its location?

[jhuxxo]

Post your logs. You can export them by clicking 'File' -> 'Export Log File'. It will be much easier to troubleshoot if we know on what step exactly the wallet is stuck. Did you change any settings in Bitcoin Core config file or specified its location?

https://pastebin.com/kWkxnjub
Thats my log, and yea I tried to change the armory settings to use the btc core database I downloaded, but I wasn't sure which folder to use, and I didn't know the difference between home directory and database directory. Rereading your reply, no I did not change any settings or configuration of bitcoin core.

[Rath_]

Code:

2019-08-27 02:57:32 (ERROR) -- BDM.pyc:197 - DB error: C:\Users\John\AppData\Roaming/Bitcoin/blocks is not a valid path

Armory tries to access the folder where Bitcoin Core stores the block database by default. Right-click on your Armory shortcut, select properties and add the following parameter in the 'Target' after the .exe

Code:

 --satoshi-datadir=<datadir>

Change the datadir to the same path as you set after installing Bitcoin Core, for example, D:\Programs\Bitcoin. 'blocks' folder should be located there.

[jhuxxo]

Code:

2019-08-27 02:57:32 (ERROR) -- BDM.pyc:197 - DB error: C:\Users\John\AppData\Roaming/Bitcoin/blocks is not a valid path

Armory tries to access the folder where Bitcoin Core stores the block database by default. Right-click on your Armory shortcut, select properties and add the following parameter in the 'Target' after the .exe

Code:

 --satoshi-datadir=<datadir>

Change the datadir to the same path as you set after installing Bitcoin Core, for example, D:\Programs\Bitcoin. 'blocks' folder should be located there.

I'm confused, I have btc core installed in its own folder D:\BitcoinCore, in that folder there is the blocks folder. I tried to load armory with D:\BitcoinCore\blocks and just D:\BitcoinCore as the datadir but after both attempts armory is still preparing databases.

[Rath_]

I'm confused, I have btc core installed in its own folder D:\BitcoinCore, in that folder there is the blocks folder. I tried to load armory with D:\BitcoinCore\blocks and just D:\BitcoinCore as the datadir but after both attempts armory is still preparing databases.

Paste the log again. It looks like you can set the database path in the Armory settings since the 0.96.5 update. It might have not been overwritten by the parameter. Can you look for it?

[jhuxxo]

I'm confused, I have btc core installed in its own folder D:\BitcoinCore, in that folder there is the blocks folder. I tried to load armory with D:\BitcoinCore\blocks and just D:\BitcoinCore as the datadir but after both attempts armory is still preparing databases.

Paste the log again. It looks like you can set the database path in the Armory settings since the 0.96.5 update. It might have not been overwritten by the parameter. Can you look for it?

Apologies, https://pastebin.com/rgMxPTw4 there is the log, and thank you very much for your help so far. Yea I had changed the settings before to try and fix it, but when I changed the shortcut I also changed back the settings I had changed.

[bob123]

I'm confused, I have btc core installed in its own folder D:\BitcoinCore, in that folder there is the blocks folder. I tried to load armory with D:\BitcoinCore\blocks and just D:\BitcoinCore as the datadir but after both attempts armory is still preparing databases.

With datadir you are referring to satoshi-datadir as mentioned by BitCryptex, right ?

Because there are 2 different parameters:

• datadir: For armory config files etc. (not what you want to edit)
• satoshi-datadir: This one should point to the block folders of core (that's the one you want to edit)

Edit:
Was too late with my reply. You set the correct parameter.

That's the output of the log:

Code:

2019-08-27 05:35:36 (ERROR) -- BDM.pyc:268 - setSatoshiDir: directory does not exist: <D:\BitcoinCore>

Are you sure the directory is correct ?
D:\BitcoinCore\blocks should be the correct one if you installed core into D:\BitcoinCore.

Can you verify whether there is a folder named blocks inside of this directory ?
May it be possible that you installed core into this directory but it still uses the standard one (C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\blocks) as its data/blockchain directory ?

[jhuxxo]

I'm confused, I have btc core installed in its own folder D:\BitcoinCore, in that folder there is the blocks folder. I tried to load armory with D:\BitcoinCore\blocks and just D:\BitcoinCore as the datadir but after both attempts armory is still preparing databases.

With datadir you are referring to satoshi-datadir as mentioned by BitCryptex, right ?

Because there are 2 different parameters:

• datadir: For armory config files etc. (not what you want to edit)
• satoshi-datadir: This one should point to the block folders of core (that's the one you want to edit)

Edit:
Was too late with my reply. You set the correct parameter.

That's the output of the log:

Code:

2019-08-27 05:35:36 (ERROR) -- BDM.pyc:268 - setSatoshiDir: directory does not exist: <D:\BitcoinCore>

Are you sure the directory is correct ?
D:\BitcoinCore\blocks should be the correct one if you installed core into D:\BitcoinCore.

Can you verify whether there is a folder named blocks inside of this directory ?
May it be possible that you installed core into this directory but it still uses the standard one (C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin\blocks) as its data/blockchain directory ?

Yup there is a "blocks" folder as well as "chainstate" and "wallets" folder in D:\BitcoinCore. I'm also nearly certain the blockchain was downloaded to this drive and not my main one as i now have 200GB less space on my hdd.

[Rath_]

Yup there is a "blocks" folder as well as "chainstate" and "wallets" folder in D:\BitcoinCore. I'm also nearly certain the blockchain was downloaded to this drive and not my main one as i now have 200GB less space on my hdd.

I examined the log once again and it looks like you tried setting the 'setSatoshiDir' to 'D:\BitcoinBase', 'D:\BitcoinBase\blocks' and 'D:\BitcoinCore'. You forgot about 'D:\BitcoinCore\blocks'. Give it a try.

[jhuxxo]

Yup there is a "blocks" folder as well as "chainstate" and "wallets" folder in D:\BitcoinCore. I'm also nearly certain the blockchain was downloaded to this drive and not my main one as i now have 200GB less space on my hdd.

I examined the log once again and it looks like you tried setting the 'setSatoshiDir' to 'D:\BitcoinBase', 'D:\BitcoinBase\blocks' and 'D:\BitcoinCore'. You forgot about 'D:\BitcoinCore\blocks'. Give it a try.

No luck there either . In the tutorials provided by Armory it had an option to download the database through Armory itself but when I looked I had no options for anything like that. Since I've had it installed it will only show "Preparing Databases". Could reinstalling Armory work possibly? And if I do reinstall it, would I keep the same wallet and the bitcoin that were transferred to it?

[HCP]

Have a read of: https://btcarmory.com/docs/pathing

It explains how to create .conf files to specify the various custom directories for where things are located. This is probably your best option to get it to find your custom Bitcoin Core data directory. For instance, I have mine in E:\Bitcoin...

Having said that... I currently just have it specified in "File -> Settings"... and put E:\Bitcoin in as "Bitcoin Home Dir":



Seems to be working ok on Windows 10+Armory 0.96.5+Bitcoin Core 0.18.1

[grulstm]

(Sorry if this got double posted, I'm having some trouble getting posts to show up)


I'm having the same problem on OS X (Mojave). I'm not able to get Armory to read from the correct Bitcoin directory.

If I execute with the --satoshi-datadir option set where I want it, I still get a DB error complaining about the default location.

Code:

$ /Applications/Armory.app/Contents/MacOS/Armory --satoshi-datadir="/Volumes/***/***/blocks/" 
/Users/***
(ERROR) ArmoryUtils.py:3735 - Unsupported language  specified. Defaulting to English (en)
(ERROR) BDM.py:197 - DB error: /Users/***/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin/blocks is not a valid path

Any idea how I can force Armory to look at the correct blockchain location?

<edit>
I've also tried the ordinary way by setting the bitcoin directory in the UI preferences, with the same results. Also both with and without "blocks".

<edit again>
This seems to be resolved. I had been passing the value of --satoshi-datadir in quotes (as shown above) and it looks like it needs to be passed without quotes.

Thanks!

[droark]

Yes, I was about to say that you don't want quotes, and you want the directory that includes the directory with the blocks, not the actual blocks directory. Glad you figured it out.

[martyman]

I am having a similar issue but the  --satoshi-datadir looks ok. I am getting an error after guardian is opened. Not sure why it is opened or how to get past it. Here is my log https://pastebin.com/zqh0DFuF.

Any ideas? Thanks!

[HCP]

As you can see from your log file... Armory is looking for your Bitcoin blocks here: "C:\Users\Marty\AppData\Roaming/Bitcoin/blocks" (which is the default location on Windows for Bitcoin blocks)

2019-12-02 19:08:20 (ERROR) -- BDM.pyc:197 - DB error: C:\Users\Marty\AppData\Roaming/Bitcoin/blocks is not a valid path

NOTE: you can ignore the different / and \ separators in the displayed path... that isn't the source of the error.

So, it seems like it's getting a bit confused somewhere along the line and not picking up the "satoshi-datadir" value and passing it to ArmoryDB. In your "C:\Users\Marty\AppData\Roaming\Armory" directory... what .conf files do you have? and what is the contents of those .conf files (if any)?

Or have you only set values in the "Settings" dialog in the GUI?

[martyman]

Thanks for the reply! 

There are no .conf files.

My settings are blank. Bitcoin Home Dir says Leave blank to use default datadir (J:\bitcoin\). Armory Database Dir says Leave blank to use (C:\Users\Marty\Appdata\Roaming\Armory\databases).

My Armory shortcut has the target as "C:\Program Files (x86)\Armory\ArmoryQt.exe" --satoshi-datadir=J:\bitcoin\

[HCP]

What happens if you modify the Armory shortcut and remove the "--satoshi-datadir" stuff... and just leave it with: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Armory\ArmoryQt.exe", then put J:\bitcoin in the Armory Settings in the "Bitcoin Home Dir" box and leave the Armory Database dir blank?

This is essentially what I have (with my custom Bitcoin Core directory)... no .conf files, no shortcut target... and just the custom Bitcoin DataDir listed in "Settings" in "Bitcoin Home Dir":


NOTE: I have "Let Armory run Bitcoin Core/bitcoind in the background" selected... but I leave the "Bitcoin Install Dir" box blank (and I actually have Bitcoin Core GUI already running whenever I start Armory)

[martyman]

I get the same result and same error in my log file.

[HCP]

Are you able to run ArmoryDB.exe manually from the commandline and see what it does if you start it with the following:

Code:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Armory\ArmoryDB.exe --cookie --satoshi-datadir="J:\Bitcoin\blocks" --satoshi-port=8333 --datadir="C:\Users\Marty\Roaming\Armory\" --dbdir="C:\Users\Marty\AppData\Roaming\Armory\databases"

NOTE: that in this instance, the satoshi-datadir should have the "blocks" folder appended to it