Backup my wallet

[SamuelDL]

Hello, if I want to backup my Bitcoin Core wallet on an external hard drive to open it or to recover it on a new laptop after to have download Bitcoin Core on it or any bitcoin wallet software, well to keep my bitcoins with me and don't loose them, what informations about it should I save and keep in security in my external hard drive ?

[1714668949]

1714668949

[DaveF]

All you need is your wallet.dat file. Where is is located depends on your OS. Check here: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Data_directory

Keep in mind that is a file that contains all you BTC. If you save it to a location that others have access to then they have access to all your BTC.

Make sure it's password protected or secure in some other way.
AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE 100% CERTAIN OF THE PASSWORD.
Many people have lost a lot of BTC because of "I'll always remember that password" and sometime later they don't have a clue as to what it is.

-Dave

[OmegaStarScream]

For bitcoin core, you can simply keep the wallet.dat file as mentioned above.

For other wallets, it's a bit different. Since the wallet format is not supported by other software, you'll have to export the private keys [1] (or this[2] if want to export everything) so you can then import/sweep them elsewhere.

[1] https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/4203/how-can-i-export-the-private-key-for-an-address-from-the-satoshi-client
[2] https://bitcoincore.org/en/doc/0.16.0/rpc/wallet/dumpwallet/

[ranochigo]

You don't really need to open the data directory to get to your wallet.dat, you might have a custom datadir anyways. You can simply go to File>Back Up wallet and use it to place a backup to make a wallet.dat to any location that you'd like. Make sure you're currently in the correct wallet.

A few things to take note:
1) If you're running it in Hierarchical Deterministic mode, you can just make a backup at the start. If you're in the HD mode, you should have a HD symbol at the bottom right corner.
2) If you're not running it in HD mode, you have to back up the wallet.dat every 100 or 1000 transaction. Generally, newer clients are HD by default.
3) You have to make a new backup for everytime your passphrase is changed, be it setting a new passphrase or just changing the passphrase.

[SamuelDL]

For bitcoin core, you can simply keep the wallet.dat file as mentioned above.

For other wallets, it's a bit different. Since the wallet format is not supported by other software, you'll have to export the private keys [1] (or this[2] if want to export everything) so you can then import/sweep them elsewhere.

[1] https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/4203/how-can-i-export-the-private-key-for-an-address-from-the-satoshi-client
[2] https://bitcoincore.org/en/doc/0.16.0/rpc/wallet/dumpwallet/

So, I don't need the backup of my wallet and all the blockchain copy in my laptop ?

[OmegaStarScream]

So, I don't need the backup of my wallet and all the blockchain copy in my laptop ?

No, not if you want to later move to a more lightweight wallet like Electrum. You would just need to export the private keys as I explained above.

[LoyceMobile]

FWIW: if you haven't made a backup already, before funding the wallet, you're one defective hard drive away from losing your Bitcoins.