How to backup and restore Protoshares-qt wallet?

[Riverhead]

Technically you can dump your private key and write it down somewhere.  However all you really need to do is make sure to 1) encrypt your wallet and 2) make a copy of your wallet.dat file found in %AppData%/protoshares on Windows and ~/.protoshares on Linux.

I have found my .protoshares folder on mac. I have made multiple copies of the wallet.dat file and stored it on cds and flash drives.
If I now cut and past the .protoshares folder on my mac onto a flash drive. Will this effectively remove my wallet from the computer and place it on the flash drive? I don't want to leave any vulnerable data on my computer.

If so, I will just plug my flash drive in every time I want to make a transaction

Correct.  The wallet.dat file has all the good stuff in it.  Everything else is generic software that'll be about the same on everyone's computer.  I keep my wallets in tar/zip file on flash memory and just copy whichever one I want to do a transaction with into the right folder, fire up the client, make my transaction, close the client and then delete the wallet.dat file.  You'll want to refresh your wallet.dat file backups every one hundred transactions to make sure it contains a complete and up to date copy of the key pool.

[MrJeans]

Technically you can dump your private key and write it down somewhere.  However all you really need to do is make sure to 1) encrypt your wallet and 2) make a copy of your wallet.dat file found in %AppData%/protoshares on Windows and ~/.protoshares on Linux.

I have found my .protoshares folder on mac. I have made multiple copies of the wallet.dat file and stored it on cds and flash drives.
If I now cut and past the .protoshares folder on my mac onto a flash drive. Will this effectively remove my wallet from the computer and place it on the flash drive? I don't want to leave any vulnerable data on my computer.

If so, I will just plug my flash drive in every time I want to make a transaction

[Riverhead]

thanks allot!
Outside of forums I am the only person I know who knows what ProtoShares are.
So your help is greatly appreciated 

Glad to help coins from being lost forever . 

This is true for ANY coin using a Bitcoin forked wallet: Bitcoins, Litecoins, Feathercoins, Protoshares, Digitalcoins, Primecoins, and I'm sure a number of others.

[MrJeans]

thanks allot!
Outside of forums I am the only person I know who knows what ProtoShares are.
So your help is greatly appreciated 

[Riverhead]

Is there any information online on how to do this. I see there's a backup function but no restore.  Noob.

However all you really need to do is make sure to 1) encrypt your wallet and 2) make a copy of your wallet.dat file found in %AppData%/protoshares on Windows and ~/.protoshares on Linux.

The wallet.dat file is small and fits easily on usb sticks, SD cards, etc.  Make a few copies of it and keep them in different physical locations (home, work, etc.).

I just want to be 1000% sure before I do this.
So I have encrypted my wallet.
I have made backup .dat files (which I have saved multiple copies of on USB sticks to keep on the shelf).

I am now going to delete all other photoshare related stuff from my computer (like the client etc).

The only thing I am keeping are the .dat files. Which I will use to claim shares in DACs.

Please someone confirm if this is right.

Thanks!

Correct.  I do this all the time since I don't keep my .dat file on my active computers.  If you want to test this just throw a different HD in there or boot off a live CD and download and sync the block chain, exit the client, overwrite the wallet.dat file that's there with your backup of your wallet and restart the client.  You'll see all your coins.

Keep in mind though that your wallet.dat (probably more accurately called a keyring) contains your pool of private/public keys.  It is important to refresh your backups every 100 transactions.  Read up on "Change Addresses" to understand how the client uses a pool of priv/pub keys in your .dat file.

[MrJeans]

Is there any information online on how to do this. I see there's a backup function but no restore.  Noob.

However all you really need to do is make sure to 1) encrypt your wallet and 2) make a copy of your wallet.dat file found in %AppData%/protoshares on Windows and ~/.protoshares on Linux.

The wallet.dat file is small and fits easily on usb sticks, SD cards, etc.  Make a few copies of it and keep them in different physical locations (home, work, etc.).

I just want to be 1000% sure before I do this.
So I have encrypted my wallet.
I have made backup .dat files (which I have saved multiple copies of on USB sticks to keep on the shelf).

I am now going to delete all other photoshare related stuff from my computer (like the client etc).

The only thing I am keeping are the .dat files. Which I will use to claim shares in DACs.

Please someone confirm if this is right.

Thanks!

[MrJeans]

Encrypt your wallet with at least 15 chars of password (alphanumeric with special chars) in Setting -> Encrypt Wallet

Backup / print your private keys
Get the private key of each of your PTS address using command dumpprivkey <address>
To import private key to wallet importprivkey <privatekey>

Hi there,


Where on the client does one use those commands?  Cant mess this up.  Are you talkng about the console?  Sorry Im really computer dumb but love PTS, thanks...

So you would type the commands in the debug window (on the client). You can open the debug window by opening the client, then clicking on 'help' then 'debug window'. Type in the commands and press enter to let them execute.

As a fellow newbie I would say that you need to be very sure of what you doing before using the debug window.
I would follow the advice of Riverhead above.

[Knox500]

Is there any information online on how to do this. I see there's a backup function but no restore.  Noob.

Technically you can dump your private key and write it down somewhere.  However all you really need to do is make sure to 1) encrypt your wallet and 2) make a copy of your wallet.dat file found in %AppData%/protoshares on Windows and ~/.protoshares on Linux.

The wallet.dat file is small and fits easily on usb sticks, SD cards, etc.  Make a few copies of it and keep them in different physical locations (home, work, etc.).

It is also important to understand that you should refresh this backup of your wallet.dat file at least every 99 transactions.  The reason for this is that the wallet starts out with a pool of 100 key pairs that are used for transactions that require new key pairs.  When you have burned through your pool of keys the wallet-qt client will create an additional 100 keys in the pool.  At this point you would need to refresh all your backups of your wallet.dat file so that the new transactions using these keys are backed up as well.

If you need to use your backup simply install the client somewhere and copy your wallet.dat back into the directory you backed it up from.  Once the block chain catches up you'll see all your transactions.

You can keep your wallet.dat file off line all the time and only drop it into a client data directory when you want to do a transaction.  It doesn't need to stay in sync with the network until you're ready to do a transaction.  None of my wallet.dat files with balances stay on a computer for more than the few minutes it takes to do a transaction.  Even the best hackers can't steal a file sitting on an SD card on a shelf  .

Think of the wallet.dat file sort of like a SIM card for a cell phone.  It's the only thing that matters...the rest is just generic hardware/software.

I encrypted the wallet and changed the file name.  Where does one find the directory on the client?  Are you talking about the console?  Im trying to understand this, "wallet.dat back into the directory you backed it up from".  Thank you.

[Knox500]

Encrypt your wallet with at least 15 chars of password (alphanumeric with special chars) in Setting -> Encrypt Wallet

Backup / print your private keys
Get the private key of each of your PTS address using command dumpprivkey <address>
To import private key to wallet importprivkey <privatekey>

Hi there,


Where on the client does one use those commands?  Cant mess this up.  Are you talkng about the console?  Sorry Im really computer dumb but love PTS, thanks...

[MrJeans]

I am using the windows PTSqt. How do I dump the private key?
Is this the private key that one would use when claiming shares one new DACs?
Or would I use the .dat file to obtain the new DAC shares?

Thanks

The .dat file should be enough to claim your new DAC shares.

If you want to dump the privkey. Type "dumpprivkey PXXXXXXXXXX" in the windows QT debug window. Replace the PXXXXXX with your public key.

A little embarrassing... but how to I find the public key.

[Riverhead]

Folks,

Please Google "change addresses" and understand them before backing up just your private key.

[cass]

Encrypt your wallet with at least 15 chars of password (alphanumeric with special chars) in Setting -> Encrypt Wallet

[Amazon]

I am using the windows PTSqt. How do I dump the private key?
Is this the private key that one would use when claiming shares one new DACs?
Or would I use the .dat file to obtain the new DAC shares?

Thanks

The .dat file should be enough to claim your new DAC shares.

If you want to dump the privkey. Type "dumpprivkey PXXXXXXXXXX" in the windows QT debug window. Replace the PXXXXXX with your public key.

[MrJeans]

I am using the windows PTSqt. How do I dump the private key?
Is this the private key that one would use when claiming shares one new DACs?
Or would I use the .dat file to obtain the new DAC shares?

Thanks

[Riverhead]

Can a Linux-Qt client read a Windows-Qt client's wallet?

Yup.