How can I start Bitcoin Core on Windows without a GUI?

[DrakonX]

How can I start Bitcoin Core on Windows without a graphical user interface, i.e. only the thread that synchronizes the blockchain? Is there even a way to start the GUI minimized (in the system tray)?

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[BlackHatCoiner]

Open your cmd. Change the directory that is located to:

Code:

cd C:\Program Files\Bitcoin\daemon

(or wherever you've installed it)

You could check it from your windows explorer too. Type the following to start the daemon and then hit enter:

Code:

bitcoind.exe

Run the CLI with:

Code:

bitcoin-cli.exe

The GUI runs the daemon; this is the actual Core of Bitcoin.

[NotATether]

The only setting that can start bitcoin core minimized is if you select the "General > Start Bitcoin Core at system logon" option in settings. However this isn't ideal if you don't want Core automatically starting, and there aren't any similar settings which control window behavior.

[khaled0111]

You can also start bitcoin core daemon by running the below command from the Windows command prompt (cmd):

Code:

C:\Program Files\Bitcoin\daemon\bitcoind

This is the directory were bitcoin is installed by default.

To interact with the daemon use this syntax:

Code:

C:\Program Files\Bitcoin\daemon\bitcoin-cli command

To stop bitcoin core properly use this command and never force Windows shutdown if core is still running:

Code:

C:\Program Files\Bitcoin\daemon\bitcoin-cli stop

for more details, check this guide: https://bitcoin.org/en/full-node#windows-instructions

However this isn't ideal if you don't want Core automatically starting

But if he wants to contribute to the network he has to let his node run for as long as possible!

[DireWolfM14]

I've never tried this, but you might be able to use the "Task Scheduler" to set up bitcoind to run as a background service.  The gui isn't very taxing on system resources, and if you setup the gui to minimize itself to the tray on closing, it's essentially the same thing.

The only reason I can imagine someone wanting to do this is for security on a shared computer, ie, you don't want others who are using the PC to know that bitcoin is running on that machine.  If you are doing so just to bolster the network with another node, you can disable wallet rpc functions in the bitcoin.conf file.

[nc50lc]

How can I start Bitcoin Core on Windows without a graphical user interface, i.e. only the thread that synchronizes the blockchain? Is there even a way to start the GUI minimized (in the system tray)?

For the GUI, these are the settings that you'll need (under "Settings->Options..._>Window"):


If you want to start bitcoind:

• Go to the location where the "daemon" folder is, already pointed in the other replies.
• Now, in that folder, Hold 'SHIFT' and 'right click' on an empty space inside windows explorer (while nothing is highlighted/selected),
  a right-click options will be displayed, select "Open command window here" and cmd will open that's already started with that directory.
• Lastly, type: bitcoind and it will start.

In newer Windows10 versions, "cmd" has been replaced by "PowerShell" in the right click menu of Windows explorer or start menu.
If you'll use that instead of cmd, type ./bitcoind instead.

If you want a shortcut, you can create a ".bat" file that you can double-click to start bitcoind:

• Create a new text file in the daemon folder: "Right-click->New->Text document"
• Edit it and type bitcoind, save and exit.
• Rename the "New Text Document.txt" into "any_name_you_want.bat", the important part is the extension.
• You can create shortcuts for you to link to start of desktop:
  "Right-click on the .bat file->Create shortcut" or "Right-click on the .bat file->send to->Desktop (create shortcut)"

Then you can use that to start bitcoind without manually launching command prompt.

[NotATether]

The gui isn't very taxing on system resources, and if you setup the gui to minimize itself to the tray on closing, it's essentially the same thing.

Well, they aren't exactly the same. Starting bitcoind (background service or not) means you can't run the GUI at a later date until you shut down bitcoind, unlike if you start bitcoin-qt minimized.

NSSM can run services better than the built-in task scheduler. It's slightly more complicated to automate it with TS as you have to make events for the current user logging on and off, and then somehow make the bitcoind process in the background (which NSSM can do easily by running the program as SYSTEM)