My first post, just registered I need some help with advice

[kiwino1]

2009 when Bitcoin was new, I mined some Bitcoin, then on XP. Now I am using W7. I still have the XP disk, it is intact and all data is backed up.
Q1 How can I move this to my W7.
Q2 How can I convert some Bitcoin to national currencies. I am a pensioner now and need the money.

I live in China of medical reasons, but all my fiances are outside China so I have no problem with China regulations, but I have to use a proxy.

[nc50lc]

Try to look for a "wallet.dat" file inside WindowsXP's Bitcoin Data directory.
Here's the location: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Data_directory#Default_Location
Of course, if the old drive is assigned with a different letter when mounted to your other PC, browse to that directory instead of "C:".

Make a backup of that file and copy it to your new PC,
install Bitcoin Core and load the wallet.dat file using the menu: "File->Restore Wallet.." then browse  to the wallet file's directory and load it.

[Cricktor]

I had some issues importing a wallet.dat file that was created with Bitcoin GUI in 2011 and was synced up to around 2013/2014 with versions of Bitcoin GUI of that period into a version of Bitcoin Core from 2021/2022. I don't remember the issues in detail anymore but I had to use some intermediate versions of Bitcoin GUI/Bitcoin Core to finally migrate my old wallet.dat to a current Bitcoin Core version.

@kiwino1, don't rush it and do the migration only in a safe computer environment, definitely not your daily internet machine. I don't know how tech savvy you are but you don't want to risk loosing your BTCBTC due to poor computer safety. Assuming you mined solo early in 2009, that means if you hit a block, you hit 50BTC at once which is a lot in today's fiat!

If my assumption is correct, be careful of what kind of help you are offered, especially when you receive private messages in this forum.

First learn how to manage a wallet in a safe computer environment regarding the potential value of your coins in your old wallet. It's good you have backups, keep it that way. Never work with your wallet file without having multiple backups.

[kiwino1]

Thanks everyone. I followed the advice from nc50lc, fond the "wallet.dat" and get the message. "Fel Unsupported Chainstate database format found. Please restart with -reindex- chainstate. This will rebuild the chainstate database"

I dont understand it, and what do I do now. Bitcoin Core stops with this message and I can not go on???

=========================

Try to look for a "wallet.dat" file inside WindowsXP's Bitcoin Data directory.
Here's the location: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Data_directory#Default_Location
Of course, if the old drive is assigned with a different letter when mounted to your other PC, browse to that directory instead of "C:".

Make a backup of that file and copy it to your new PC,
install Bitcoin Core and load the wallet.dat file using the menu: "File->Restore Wallet.." then browse  to the wallet file's directory and load it.

Many thanks for the advice. I have a reasonable basic understanding of a computer, and I always do multiple backups on separate offl9ine disks.

I had some issues importing a wallet.dat file that was created with Bitcoin GUI in 2011 and was synced up to around 2013/2014 with versions of Bitcoin GUI of that period into a version of Bitcoin Core from 2021/2022. I don't remember the issues in detail anymore but I had to use some intermediate versions of Bitcoin GUI/Bitcoin Core to finally migrate my old wallet.dat to a current Bitcoin Core version.

@kiwino1, don't rush it and do the migration only in a safe computer environment, definitely not your daily internet machine. I don't know how tech savvy you are but you don't want to risk loosing your BTCBTC due to poor computer safety. Assuming you mined solo early in 2009, that means if you hit a block, you hit 50BTC at once which is a lot in today's fiat!

If my assumption is correct, be careful of what kind of help you are offered, especially when you receive private messages in this forum.

First learn how to manage a wallet in a safe computer environment regarding the potential value of your coins in your old wallet. It's good you have backups, keep it that way. Never work with your wallet file without having multiple backups.

[moderator's note: consecutive posts merged]

[notocactus]

If it is a wallet in 2009, you will need to access with a password if the wallet file was encrypted or brute force the password.

You can try with this guide from LoyceV.

• [overview] Recover Bitcoin from any old storage format
• In your case, likely it is a wallet file but if you have backup in private key, you can import the private key into other wallets. Choose your wallets

If you need a service for wallet recovery

• Bitcoin Wallet Recovery Services - for forgotten wallet password
• https://www.walletrecoveryservices.com/
• Make some copies of the file before you try with recovery
• Be careful if you receive DMs, because if scammers read this thread, they will go first with DMs and find victims like you

[nc50lc]

Thanks everyone. I followed the advice from nc50lc, fond the "wallet.dat" and get the message. "Fel Unsupported Chainstate database format found. Please restart with -reindex- chainstate. This will rebuild the chainstate database"

I dont understand it, and what do I do now. Bitcoin Core stops with this message and I can not go on???

The message is instructing you to add that command line parameter to rebuild your UTXO set that is somehow unsupported.
Have you updated from an old version to the latest version?

Anyways, to start Bitcoin Core with --reindex-chainstate in Windows7:

• Before doing so, make sure that you haven't enabled "prune block storage to" setting
  because it'll require you to redownload the blockchain. (as well as when importing the wallet.dat file)
• Go to the directory where Bitcoin-qt.exe is installed,
• Hold 'SHIFT' and right-click on an empty space in windows explorer ('Bitcoin' folder) to view an expanded right-click menu,
  select "Open command window here".
• A cmd window will appear, type: bitcoin-qt.exe --reindex-chainstate and Bitcoin Core will start.
• Let it finish the reindex process, then proceed to import your wallet.dat file.

You can also follow these instructions but use --reindex-chainstate instead: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5405156.msg60550646#msg60550646

[Cricktor]

OP, you may run into trouble because you publish two consecutive posts in one thread within much less than 24h. To my knowledge there's a forum rule that doesn't allow this and there's particularly no need to do it either. You can edit your first post and simply add what you would've written in the second post. It's not rocket science...

I'm aware that you might have a pressing problem with your old wallet, but breaking forum rules won't help you in that matter. Just a friendly advise for newbies.

[ABCbits]

If the wallet file created on 2009, it's likely you used old version of software called "Bitcoin" or "Bitcoin Qt" (today those are called "Bitcoin Core") version 0.2 or older where encryption feature didn't exist. So i'd suggest you to double check security of your device and backup medium.