Problem with Bitcoin-Qt , please help

[Undernoxo]

Hello!

I am using Bitcoin-qt as my wallet, but I have big problems with it.

On the pc where I have it installed, I don't have space on the SSD so I have the blockchain which is something like 24GB on a HDD.

I have a shortcut to open the program  "C:\Program Files\Bitcoin\bitcoin-qt.exe" -datadir=d:\Bitcoindata  , works like a charm.

The problem is that the loading time of the problem is HUGE, real troublesome. It can take up to 30 minutes just with the loading screen ( pic related )
 



It just says " Verifying blocks " .

After 30 minutes of loading screen ( with luck!, sometimes it took 45 min - 1 hour!!!) I can use the program, see recent transactions, add new addresses, send payments etc, BUT now the program is " syncronizing the blockchain or something like that "  , I have the port 8333 open in my router BUT only 15 active peers to the Bitcoin network, and it can take HOURS just to sync 3-4 days.

I don't know what the problem is but it's driving me mad.

And after syncronizing, when the program is -ready to use- I have lag spikes , which sometimes make me close the wallet, but if I close the wallet it can take +1 hour to use it again.

System spec: i7 860, 14gb ddr3, gpu ati 7970, disk drives ( C: ssd ( where bitcoin-qt is ), D: hdd ( where the blockchain is ).

Network connection : Download speed: 1000kbps ; Upload speed: 50kbps ( I live in a small town, I have to say thanks for having those shitty speeds ).


Is there something wrong? It's the upload speed what's causing this problem, the Hdd, or the program itself? Someone with a simmilar problem?



Please help me, I've tried the blockchain.info but I don't feel comfortable having my bitcoins in the cloud, I'd like to have them stored in my computer where they are safe, but this way is impossible.


 

[DannyHamilton]

During startup Bitcoin Core checks the most recent blocks in the blockchain. I can't remember for certain, but I think the default is to check the most recent 288 blocks.

You can adjust this by adding the -checkblocks=# setting to your shortcut.  Play around with the number of blocks that you check until you get a number that allows fast enough startup for you.  Perhaps -checkblocks=100 or -checkblocks=50

Additionally, you can adjust the level of verification that is performed on the blocks by adding the -checklevel=# to the shortcut.  The default is checklevel=3.  Smaller numbers mean less thorough validation. If I remember correctly the levels are:

• 0: read from disk
• 1: verify block validity
• 2: verify undo validity
• 3: check for inconsistencies during memory-only disconnect
• 4: try reconnecting blocks

Note: if you don't want to modify these settings in the shortcut, you can also add them to a file called bitcoin.conf in the data directory.

[Undernoxo]

During startup Bitcoin Core checks the most recent blocks in the blockchain. I can't remember for certain, but I think the default is to check the most recent 288 blocks.

You can adjust this by adding the -checkblocks=# setting to your shortcut.  Play around with the number of blocks that you check until you get a number that allows fast enough startup for you.  Perhaps -checkblocks=100 or -checkblocks=50

Additionally, you can adjust the level of verification that is performed on the blocks by adding the -checklevel=# to the shortcut.  The default is checklevel=3.  Smaller numbers mean less thorough validation. If I remember correctly the levels are:

• 0: read from disk
• 1: verify block validity
• 2: verify undo validity
• 3: check for inconsistencies during memory-only disconnect
• 4: try reconnecting blocks

Note: if you don't want to modify these settings in the shortcut, you can also add them to a file called bitcoin.conf in the data directory.

That was a really helpful post, I changed the checklevel to 2 and the program loaded in a matter of seconds.

Regarding the " syncronizing with the network " is there any way to speed up that process? I only have 10 active conections to the Bitcoin network.

It has 24 hours pending to confirm, which can take perfectly 30-60 min to be sync, is it normal or it should take less time?

I think that it's because the download speed here is bad, but the amount of data to download is small too 

Thanks again for helping me, just fixing the loading time helped me more than you can imagine, I had this problem for more than a year but I couldn't handle it anymore.

[robstak]

Since you always having problem using Bitcoin-Qt why not use other alternative clients for Bitcoin like Electrum or Multibit? I personally use Electrum because of speed, it doesn't need to download the whole block chain to sync.

[Undernoxo]

Since you always having problem using Bitcoin-Qt why not use other alternative clients for Bitcoin like Electrum or Multibit? I personally use Electrum because of speed, it doesn't need to download the whole block chain to sync.

I've been using blockchain.info for tiny amounts, and when I had a decent amount I sent it to my Bitcoin QT, since I've been told it's the safest. That's what I've been doing the last year.

Never heard of the alternative clients, but with the loading time fixed I should be OK now, faster sync would be a plus.

[shorena]

-snip-
Regarding the " syncronizing with the network " is there any way to speed up that process? I only have 10 active conections to the Bitcoin network.

It has 24 hours pending to confirm, which can take perfectly 30-60 min to be sync, is it normal or it should take less time?

I think that it's because the download speed here is bad, but the amount of data to download is small too 

Its not that much to download no, but sadly there is not much you can do to speed it up. Seeing that you have 10 connections you allready opened the port for connections from the outside. You could try to connect to a fallback node [1] in your area (network wise) in order to have at least one peer with a fast connection.


[1] https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Fallback_Nodes or http://nodes.bitcoin.st/

[Lieji]

-snip-
Regarding the " syncronizing with the network " is there any way to speed up that process? I only have 10 active conections to the Bitcoin network.

It has 24 hours pending to confirm, which can take perfectly 30-60 min to be sync, is it normal or it should take less time?

I think that it's because the download speed here is bad, but the amount of data to download is small too 

Its not that much to download no, but sadly there is not much you can do to speed it up. Seeing that you have 10 connections you allready opened the port for connections from the outside. You could try to connect to a fallback node [1] in your area (network wise) in order to have at least one peer with a fast connection.


[1] https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Fallback_Nodes or http://nodes.bitcoin.st/

But 30-60 min for syncing 24 hours of blocks sounds a bit too long to me.
When I have been out of town for a few days, it usually takes about 5 to 10 minute to sync for a few days of blocks.

OP, how much downstream bandwidth do you have?

[Bitsaurus]

-snip-
Regarding the " syncronizing with the network " is there any way to speed up that process? I only have 10 active conections to the Bitcoin network.

It has 24 hours pending to confirm, which can take perfectly 30-60 min to be sync, is it normal or it should take less time?

I think that it's because the download speed here is bad, but the amount of data to download is small too 

Its not that much to download no, but sadly there is not much you can do to speed it up. Seeing that you have 10 connections you allready opened the port for connections from the outside. You could try to connect to a fallback node [1] in your area (network wise) in order to have at least one peer with a fast connection.


[1] https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Fallback_Nodes or http://nodes.bitcoin.st/

But 30-60 min for syncing 24 hours of blocks sounds a bit too long to me.
When I have been out of town for a few days, it usually takes about 5 to 10 minute to sync for a few days of blocks.

OP, how much downstream bandwidth do you have?

It may not be the downstream but rather the peers that he is connected to.  I think Danny mentioned before that you could clear the peer list and it then it would repopulate it with new peers (hopefully ones that are faster).  This is why it is important for people who can run a node to do so.

[Newar]

If I'm not mistaken, there is only one node that you will get block data from, called syncnode. If that one is a slow one, you're waiting. You can see which one it is in the debug window using " getpeerinfo ". You could try deleting the file peers.dat (when QT is closed), although you might get (very) unlucky and it connects to the same syncnode again.

[zvs]

Hello!

I am using Bitcoin-qt as my wallet, but I have big problems with it.

On the pc where I have it installed, I don't have space on the SSD so I have the blockchain which is something like 24GB on a HDD.

I have a shortcut to open the program  "C:\Program Files\Bitcoin\bitcoin-qt.exe" -datadir=d:\Bitcoindata  , works like a charm.

The problem is that the loading time of the problem is HUGE, real troublesome. It can take up to 30 minutes just with the loading screen ( pic related )

i was going to say slow computer, but I guess it's probably a slow hard drive then, esp. if it's some ancient (maybe even non?) SATA

in the conf file put

checkblocks=10

(ed: oh, this part is for the person that said downloading blockchain is slow.  the checkblocks=10 will make it so it doesnt take 30 minutes to load on a slow computer or hdd)

use maxconnections=1
listen=0
addnode=5.9.24.81
addnode=107.155.104.194
addnode=106.185.32.195
addnode=178.79.173.71
addnode=94.242.57.173

those are all mine, don't care.  1st is germany, 2nd is dallas, 3rd is japan, 4th is UK, 5th is russia.  i had a 6th in israel but i'm moving it to hong kong later

when blockchain is done, change the stuff back to whatever