Author Topic: [windows-BTSX] Wallet Backup Methods & Troubleshooting Procedures  (Read 7054 times)

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Offline CoinHoarder

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thanks! nice summary.

No problem.  :D

I just made some edits.. Step 2 of the "what to do if funds are missing" will also likely fix the following problems:
  • If you cannot connect to any peers
  • It says 'Not Connected' at the bottom
  • If you can connect but can not sync

So, I have changed this to a general troubleshooting and back up method thread.
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Offline infovortice2013

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Offline CoinHoarder

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nice summary ...
would you mind putting it somewhere on the wiki?

Sure I can do that

Actually.. I can't figure out how to edit it.  >:(
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Offline CoinHoarder

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nice summary ...
would you mind putting it somewhere on the wiki?

Sure I can do that
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Offline bitmeat

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Well you could lose the information, like the sender/the memo, not the balance. The balance will be fine. It's happened to me before, and it shows as UNKNOWN.

Offline cygnify

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By the way I recommend backing up everything after every transaction. Otherwise due to TITAN you may lose the transaction details.

In one of the hard forks I lost some TITAN details. It's been much better since 0.4.8

I'm pretty sure that is not how it works? Can anyone confirm that?

Offline bitmeat

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By the way I recommend backing up everything after every transaction. Otherwise due to TITAN you may lose the transaction details.

In one of the hard forks I lost some TITAN details. It's been much better since 0.4.8

Offline cygnify

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Great summary!  +5%

Be awesome on the wiki, does anyone know the default mac path to backup? Only thing to add.

Offline xeroc

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nice summary ...
would you mind putting it somewhere on the wiki?

Offline CoinHoarder

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Suggested Back Up Practices:
  • Since BitsharesX and bitassets are still new, there seems to be a few bugs floating around. I think it is important everyone back their wallet up in multiple ways to avoid loss of funds.
  • It is technically only necessary to back up the private keys of your account, but just in case an error is made during that process I recommend doing it multiple ways just to be sure, especially if you are holding a large amount of funds or cannot afford to lose your money.
  • It is important to back up your wallet to another storage device such as online storage or a USB storage device in case of hardware failure, hard drive corruption, etcetra.

How TITAN Private Keys Work:
  • All keys that your wallet ever generates for use with the block chain are derived in a deterministic manner from the root wallet key.
  • You can regenerate all of these keys from an old back up if necessary and then scan the block chain to retrieve all past transactions.
  • In other words, if your funds have gone missing or the balance is not correct due to a bug, do not worry yourself to death that you have lost your money. It still exists and is retrievable as long as proper back up measures are taken.

Automatic Back Ups:
  • Every time you create a new account or update the client to a new version, your wallet is automatically backed up in the following folder: C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\BitShares X\wallets\.backups
  • Note: Replace UserName with your Windows user name in the above file path. Furthermore, the AppData folder is hidden by default so you need to either type it in manually into the file browser, or change the Windows settings that will allow you to view hidden files.
  • Even though your wallet automatically backs itself up manually when creating a new account or updating to a new version, it is recommended to back up the wallet folder if it has been a long time since you've done either of those things. Otherwise, you will need to download a large part of the block chain that you wouldn't of otherwise needed to download.

Three Methods Of Backing Up Your Wallet Manually:
Disclaimer: Even though I have tested everything I've outlined in this post, I am not responsible if something does not work, even if you follow the directions correctly. I have tried everything I am suggesting and it worked for me, but I cannot guarantee it will work for you. Proceed with caution and follow the steps exactly as I say. If you are extra paranoid, holding a large amount of funds, or cannot afford to lose your funds, doing all three back up methods is not a bad idea for redundancy.

1. The easiest back up method is located on the top left navigation bar of the client.
1a. Click on File -> Export Wallet
1b. Remember to write down your wallet password and store it in a safe location when backing up your wallet this way, as the wallet back up file is encrypted with this password. Furthermore, remember to store this file somewhere online or on a USB drive as well for redundancy.
1c. To restore your wallet from this back up file use the following procedures.
1d. Click on File -> Import Wallet
1e. Locate your back up file and click Open

2. Retrieving your accounts main private key is also a good way of backing up your account. All addresses & private keys TITAN generates for each specific account can be generated using this private key, so you only need to do this kind of a back up once.
2a. Go to the console tab on the left navigation bar of the client.
2b. Use the wallet_dump_private_key command with the following syntax for every account you have: wallet_dump_private_key <account name>
2c. Write down the private key on paper, print it out, or store it encrypted in a secure location. Remember if anyone gets this private key they can steal your funds, because it is not encrypted like it is in the 1st back up option so be very careful about where you put it. I suggest printing it out and storing it in a safe place, using encryption software to encrypt it using a secure password, or store it somewhere online that is password protected such as the password database storage website LastPass (remember to require a password to retrieve it.)
2d. To recover your account(s) in case of loss or hardware/software failure, use the following command in the console: wallet_import_private_key <private key copied from step 2c>
2e. Make sure the block chain is fully downloaded and then use the following command to scan the block chain. This will bring up all of your transactions and correct your balances. Go to the console tab on the left navigation bar and enter the following command: wallet_rescan_blockchain

3. The third method is backing up your wallet folder manually. This is automatically done when upgrading to a new client, or after you create a new account. This method is nice because when you use it to retrieve your account, you do not have to re-download the entire block chain as it will be saved up to the point when you made the back up. If it has been a while since you created a new account or updated the wallet client, then it is probably a good idea to do this back up periodically.
3a. Browse to the folder: C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\BitShares X\wallets
^ Note: Replace UserName with your Windows user name; AppData is a hidden folder so you need to type it in manually or turn on the viewing of hidden files and folders ^
3b. Copy the folder named 'default'
3c. Paste it anywhere you'd like as long as it's not in the same folder. I am using the My Documents but it doesn't matter. It is also a good idea to store it on a USB drive or somewhere online. It is encrypted, so you don't have to be as careful with the back up file as you did with back up method two as long as you have a secure password.
3d. Make sure to write down your wallet password, as this back up method is encrypted.
3e. If you need to recover your wallet, copy and paste the back up folder into the directory you originally copied it from in step 3a
3f. Windows will ask if you are sure you want to replace the existing folder & files, select yes.
3g. Open the BitsharesX client and your wallet should be restored. You will likely need to re-scan the block chain using the command 'wallet_rescan_blockchain' in the console tab. This will pick up any transactions you have made/received since the last time you backed up the wallet.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Troubleshooting Procedures

First make sure you are using the current version of the client, if you are then continue to the following troubleshooting procedures.

1. Change how many nodes your client tries to connect to and the maximum it will try to connect to by typing the following command in the console:
network_set_advanced_node_parameters {"desired_number_of_connections":50, "maximum_number_of_connections":100}
1a. If that doesn't work, then try connecting to some nodes manually using the following commands:
network_add_node "107.170.211.129:1700" add
network_add_node "80.240.133.79:1776" add
network_add_node "188.226.195.137:60696" add
network_add_node "76.74.170.79:54200" add
network_add_node "176.9.234.166:1700" add
network_add_node "180.153.142.120:1777" add
network_add_node "162.243.220.142:1777" add
network_add_node "84.238.140.192:42577" add
network_add_node "5.101.106.138:1778" add
network_add_node "69.164.192.144:1700" add
network_add_node "192.168.0.14:1776" add
network_add_node "78.46.32.25:1776" add
network_add_node "192.168.0.12:44327" add
network_add_node "70.114.143.108:1776" add
network_add_node "106.187.91.24:38581" add
network_add_node "106.185.26.162:1981" add
network_add_node "188.138.107.159:1776" add
network_add_node "104.131.136.190:1776" add
network_add_node "95.85.33.16:8764" add
network_add_node "198.199.103.79:1776" add
network_add_node "104.131.234.136:8801" add
1b. If the steps above did not work, then try step 2

2. Try to rescan the block chain using the following command: wallet_rescan_blockchain
2a. This command can take a long time to finish, just be patient and let it do its thing.
2b. If that doesn't work continue to step 3

3. Backup your wallet using ALL of the 3 back up methods listed above and close the BitsharesX client.
3a. If you have previously backed up your wallet using the File -> Export Wallet feature at the top left of the client, then try importing that file by going to File -> Import Wallet and locating the file you saved when you backed up your wallet.
3b. If you had not backed up your wallet using this method prior to just now or this did not fix your problem, then continue to step 4.

4. Backup your wallet using ALL of the 3 methods listed above (if you already did this in step 3, then it is not necessary) and exit out of the BitsharesX client.
4a. Browse to C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\BitShares X\wallets\.backups\
4b. Copy & paste the 'default' into the following directory: C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\BitShares X\wallets\
^ Note: replace UserName with your Windows user name; AppData is a hidden folder so you need to type it in manually or turn on the viewing of hidden files and folders ^
4c. Windows will ask if you are sure you want to replace the existing folder & files, select yes.
4d. Open the BitsharesX client and your wallet should be restored. You will likely need to re-scan the block chain using 'wallet_rescan_blockchain' to pick up any transactions you have made/received since the last time your wallet was automatically backed up.
4e. If that doesn't work, continue to step 5

5. Backup your wallet using ALL of the 3 methods listed above (if you already did this in step 3 or 4, then it is not necessary) and exit out of the BitsharesX client.
5a. Delete this folder: C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\BitShares X\wallets\default
^ Note: replace UserName with your Windows user name; AppData is a hidden folder so you need to type it in manually or turn on the viewing of hidden files and folders ^
5b. Open the BitsharesX client, create a new wallet password, and wait for the block chain to finish downloading. Instead of creating a new account, just go to console to do the following.
5c. Import your private key to your account(s) using the 'wallet_import_private_key' command in the console with the private key you copied from back up method 2 (on step 2c) using the following syntax: wallet_import_private_key <private key>
5d. Re-scan the block chain to retrieve all of your transactions and to show your proper balance using the following command in console: wallet_rescan_blockchain

If you are still missing funds or your balance is still zero, do not worry. Your private keys for all addresses generated with TITAN are determined in a deterministic way. As long as you have the private keys for them (backup method 2), then you will be able to retrieve your funds eventually. There are a lot of bugs being found and fixed as you read this, as the software and asset exchange is still brand new. Please be patient as bugs are fixed and do not worry about your funds as long as you have followed proper back up procedures. Even if you didn't you can likely retrieve your wallet from the automatic back up feature, so there is no need to stress about it.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2014, 04:25:47 am by CoinHoarder »
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