How to import btc wallet from usb into Bitcoin-qt using ubuntu 13.10

[Plankowner]

Hello all'

Can someone help me on how to import a btc wallet from usb into Bitcoin-qt version 0.8.6. on Ubuntu 13.10 ?
Can you also be so kindly as to explain this clearly, I've searched and not found a real definitive way on how to do this

Your help is well appreciated

I'm a newb to the forum, and fairly new to bitcoin

Thanks to all

[BookLover]

I'm going to assume you have already installed bitcoin-qt and that there is an existing wallet.dat in the bitcoin data directory.

1) Make sure bitcoin-qt is not running. (You can check using System Moniter)
2) Go to the bitcoin data directory (it's installed in the home directory by default - if you can't find it this link should help https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Data_directory)
3) Remove the current wallet.dat file and put it somewhere safe (the desktop works fine)
4) Place the wallet.dat you want to import in the .bitcoin directory
5) Start bitcoin-qt.

Note: this method allows you access to the backup but does not merge the two wallets.  If you want all your coins in the same wallet you need to send the coins from the wallet you don't want to use to an address in the wallet you do want to use.

[Plankowner]

Attempted and importing was unsuccessful. Just shows Zero balance in the qt. A wallet.dat file appeared in the directory on start up.

[BookLover]

So after placing the wallet.dat file you wanted to import into the bitcoin data directory (step 4), another wallet.dat file appeared in the same directory when you started bitcoin-qt?  I must be misunderstanding something because it is not possible to have multiple files with the same name in one directory.

[titanza]

Attempted and importing was unsuccessful. Just shows Zero balance in the qt. A wallet.dat file appeared in the directory on start up.

I'm going to assume you have already installed bitcoin-qt and that there is an existing wallet.dat in the bitcoin data directory.

1) Make sure bitcoin-qt is not running. (You can check using System Moniter)
2) Go to the bitcoin data directory (it's installed in the home directory by default - if you can't find it this link should help https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Data_directory)
3) Remove the current wallet.dat file and put it somewhere safe (the desktop works fine)
4) Place the wallet.dat you want to import in the .bitcoin directory
5) Start bitcoin-qt.

Note: this method allows you access to the backup but does not merge the two wallets.  If you want all your coins in the same wallet you need to send the coins from the wallet you don't want to use to an address in the wallet you do want to use.

Are you using an existing wallet.dat from the official Bitcoin client? or from another wallet application? bitcoin-qt only understands wallets that are in wallet.dat files. If you are importing from another wallet application you might have to import the private keys manually.

bitcoin-qt will automatically create a wallet.dat file on startup if one does not exist. Make sure that you have copied the correct wallet.dat file from the usb to the data directory (normally at ~/.bitcoin) and when you start bitcoin-qt you should see the balance (assuming that you are using the correct wallet file). You can see if you have the correct receiving addresses in "File>Receiving addresses...".

If the wallet.dat file is correct but bitcoin-qt is not reflecting the correct transactions, you might have to rescan the blockchain. You can start a rescan by typing following command from the terminal:

Code:

bitcoin-qt -rescan

It shouldn't do any harm to the wallet.dat file (Nevertheless, you should have a backup in case of emergency), but it does take quite a while to complete.

[Plankowner]

Yes, the wallet.dat file is from the bitcoin client. I did a rescan at the terminal and it said command not found.

[Dare]

Yes, the wallet.dat file is from the bitcoin client. I did a rescan at the terminal and it said command not found.

First, close bitcoin-qt and stop bitcoind if it's running. If there is a wallet.dat in ~/.bitcoin, back it up and then replace it with the one from your USB drive. The restart bitcoin-qt (or bitcoind) with the --rescan flag, and give it a few hours (depending on your system) to rescan the blockchain for transactions in that wallet. Example: "bitcoin-qt --rescan". If that returns something along the lines of "bitcoin-qt: command not found", make sure you're in the same directory you compiled bitcoin in and run "./bitcoin-qt --rescan", or make sure it is installed properly and try again without the "./".

[Plankowner]

Yes, the wallet.dat file is from the bitcoin client. I did a rescan at the terminal and it said command not found.

First, close bitcoin-qt and stop bitcoind if it's running. If there is a wallet.dat in ~/.bitcoin, back it up and then replace it with the one from your USB drive. The restart bitcoin-qt (or bitcoind) with the --rescan flag, and give it a few hours (depending on your system) to rescan the blockchain for transactions in that wallet. Example: "bitcoin-qt --rescan". If that returns something along the lines of "bitcoin-qt: command not found", make sure you're in the same directory you compiled bitcoin in and run "./bitcoin-qt --rescan", or make sure it is installed properly and try again without the "./".

That didn't work either. More suggestions please, I need to resolve this. Thank you all thus far for your help. 

[Dare]

Yes, the wallet.dat file is from the bitcoin client. I did a rescan at the terminal and it said command not found.

First, close bitcoin-qt and stop bitcoind if it's running. If there is a wallet.dat in ~/.bitcoin, back it up and then replace it with the one from your USB drive. The restart bitcoin-qt (or bitcoind) with the --rescan flag, and give it a few hours (depending on your system) to rescan the blockchain for transactions in that wallet. Example: "bitcoin-qt --rescan". If that returns something along the lines of "bitcoin-qt: command not found", make sure you're in the same directory you compiled bitcoin in and run "./bitcoin-qt --rescan", or make sure it is installed properly and try again without the "./".

That didn't work either. More suggestions please, I need to resolve this. Thank you all thus far for your help. 

Try running these commands, in order, from the directory on your USB drive containing the wallet:
1. killall bitcoind; killall bitcoin-qt
2. mv ~/.bitcoin/wallet.dat ~/.bitcoin/wallet.dat.old
3. mv wallet.dat ~/.bitcoin/wallet.dat 
4. bitcoin-qt -rescan &

The first one closes any copies of bitcoind and bitcoin-qt, the second one make a backup of your old wallet (make sure there isn't another backup with the same name there first!), the third one copies in the new wallet, and the fourth one starts bitcoin-qt with the -rescan flag.

Let me know if any of the commands return errors, so I can help troubleshoot further.

Hope this helps!

[Plankowner]

Yes, the wallet.dat file is from the bitcoin client. I did a rescan at the terminal and it said command not found.

First, close bitcoin-qt and stop bitcoind if it's running. If there is a wallet.dat in ~/.bitcoin, back it up and then replace it with the one from your USB drive. The restart bitcoin-qt (or bitcoind) with the --rescan flag, and give it a few hours (depending on your system) to rescan the blockchain for transactions in that wallet. Example: "bitcoin-qt --rescan". If that returns something along the lines of "bitcoin-qt: command not found", make sure you're in the same directory you compiled bitcoin in and run "./bitcoin-qt --rescan", or make sure it is installed properly and try again without the "./".

That didn't work either. More suggestions please, I need to resolve this. Thank you all thus far for your help.  

Try running these commands, in order, from the directory on your USB drive containing the wallet:
1. killall bitcoind; killall bitcoin-qt
2. mv ~/.bitcoin/wallet.dat ~/.bitcoin/wallet.dat.old
3. mv wallet.dat ~/.bitcoin/wallet.dat  
4. bitcoin-qt -rescan &

The first one closes any copies of bitcoind and bitcoin-qt, the second one make a backup of your old wallet (make sure there isn't another backup with the same name there first!), the third one copies in the new wallet, and the fourth one starts bitcoin-qt with the -rescan flag.

Let me know if any of the commands return errors, so I can help troubleshoot further.

Hope this helps!

I only have the wallet.dat file on my usb, that's all!!

[Dare]

Yes, the wallet.dat file is from the bitcoin client. I did a rescan at the terminal and it said command not found.

First, close bitcoin-qt and stop bitcoind if it's running. If there is a wallet.dat in ~/.bitcoin, back it up and then replace it with the one from your USB drive. The restart bitcoin-qt (or bitcoind) with the --rescan flag, and give it a few hours (depending on your system) to rescan the blockchain for transactions in that wallet. Example: "bitcoin-qt --rescan". If that returns something along the lines of "bitcoin-qt: command not found", make sure you're in the same directory you compiled bitcoin in and run "./bitcoin-qt --rescan", or make sure it is installed properly and try again without the "./".

That didn't work either. More suggestions please, I need to resolve this. Thank you all thus far for your help.  

Try running these commands, in order, from the directory on your USB drive containing the wallet:
1. killall bitcoind; killall bitcoin-qt
2. mv ~/.bitcoin/wallet.dat ~/.bitcoin/wallet.dat.old
3. mv wallet.dat ~/.bitcoin/wallet.dat  
4. bitcoin-qt -rescan &

The first one closes any copies of bitcoind and bitcoin-qt, the second one make a backup of your old wallet (make sure there isn't another backup with the same name there first!), the third one copies in the new wallet, and the fourth one starts bitcoin-qt with the -rescan flag.

Let me know if any of the commands return errors, so I can help troubleshoot further.

Hope this helps!

I only have the wallet.dat file on my usb, that's all!!

Do you have bitcoin-qt installed on the system you're trying to copy it to? If so, those commands should work; if not, you'll need to install it first.