<p>tldr: specify a directory not a file and have that folder contain a <code>wallet.dat</code> not a <code>wallet1.dat</code>.</p>
<hr />
<p>Your error message said</p>
<blockquote>
<pre><code> Warning: Skipping -wallet path that doesn't exist. 
 Failed to load database path'E:\bitcoin\wallet1.dat'. Path does not exist.
</code></pre>
</blockquote>
<p>However the help for the program says</p>
<blockquote>
<p><code>-wallet=&lt;path&gt;</code>
Specify wallet path to load at startup. Can be used multiple times to load multiple wallets. <strong>Path is to a directory</strong> containing wallet data and log files. If the path is not absolute, it is interpreted relative to &lt;walletdir&gt;. This only loads existing wallets and does not create new ones. For backwards compatibility this also accepts names of existing top-level data files in &lt;walletdir&gt;.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>(My emphasis).</p>
<p>An example configuration file says</p>
<pre><code># Specify where to find wallet, lockfile and logs. If not present, those files 
# will be created as new.
# wallet=&lt;/path/to/dir&gt;
</code></pre>
<p>Your <code>E:\bitcoin\wallet1.dat</code> is a file not a directory</p>
<p>I can reproduce something similar by copying a valid wallet.dat to wallet1.data in a separate folder with no other Bitcoin files in it</p>
<pre><code>C:&gt; bitcoin-qt -wallet=c:\Users\ZZZ\Documents\wallet1.dat
</code></pre>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/QFdsv.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/QFdsv.png" alt="Error message" /></a></p>
<p>So I think you could</p>
<ul>
<li>rename <code>wallet1.dat</code> to <code>wallet.dat</code></li>
<li>specify <code>E:\bitcoin\</code> not <code>E:\bitcoin\wallet1.dat</code>.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-27T14:26:36.200Z
Thank you. That is somehow confusing since the wallet.dat file in the is not named ”wallet1.dat”. After this message, btq opens without a wallet. What is more confusing is that the other wallet.dat filés are able to open in a way this particular one does not. The wallet.dat is in a folder with bitcoin files in it, and the other wallets do open when i run then from the same path. Now what could i do to retrieve the private keys?
Dogo777
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-27T14:03:35.867Z
2021-02-27T14:21:14.943Z
2021-02-27T14:21:14.943Z
RedGrittyBrick
<p>I have retrieved an old wallet.dat file from my harddrive that crashed about 5 years ago.</p>
<p>I have downloaded the new version of bitcoincore and downloaded the blockchain. I have then copied the wallet.dat file (which is in 96 kb) into the directory where the wallet should be.</p>
<p>But when i try to open the wallet.dat i get this sign: &quot;Warning: Skipping -wallet path that doesn't exist. Failed to load database path'E:\bitcoin\wallet1.dat'. Path does not exist.</p>
<p>It says E because i had to download the blockchain on a separate hdd.</p>
<p>What could the issue be? I have tried to make new wallets and open them from the same directory and that has not been a problem. Can i somehow open the wallet to retrieve the private keys??</p>

<bitcoin-core><wallet><wallet-recovery><wallet.dat>
BitcoinCore cant load wallet
Felix
# BitcoinCore cant load wallet

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-02-27)

I have retrieved an old wallet.dat file from my harddrive that crashed about 5 years ago.

I have downloaded the new version of bitcoincore and downloaded the blockchain. I have then copied the wallet.dat file (which is in 96 kb) into the directory where the wallet should be.

But when i try to open the wallet.dat i get this sign: "Warning: Skipping -wallet path that doesn't exist. Failed to load database path'E:\bitcoin\wallet1.dat'. Path does not exist.

It says E because i had to download the blockchain on a separate hdd.

What could the issue be? I have tried to make new wallets and open them from the same directory and that has not been a problem. Can i somehow open the wallet to retrieve the private keys??

**Tags:** bitcoin-core, wallet, wallet-recovery, wallet.dat


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-02-27. Score: 2

tldr: specify a directory not a file and have that folder contain a `wallet.dat` not a `wallet1.dat`.

---

Your error message said

> ```
>  Warning: Skipping -wallet path that doesn't exist. 
>  Failed to load database path'E:\bitcoin\wallet1.dat'. Path does not exist.
>
> ```

However the help for the program says

> `-wallet=<path>`
> Specify wallet path to load at startup. Can be used multiple times to load multiple wallets. **Path is to a directory** containing wallet data and log files. If the path is not absolute, it is interpreted relative to <walletdir>. This only loads existing wallets and does not create new ones. For backwards compatibility this also accepts names of existing top-level data files in <walletdir>.

(My emphasis).

An example configuration file says

```
# Specify where to find wallet, lockfile and logs. If not present, those files 
# will be created as new.
# wallet=</path/to/dir>

```

Your `E:\bitcoin\wallet1.dat` is a file not a directory

I can reproduce something similar by copying a valid wallet.dat to wallet1.data in a separate folder with no other Bitcoin files in it

```
C:> bitcoin-qt -wallet=c:\Users\ZZZ\Documents\wallet1.dat

```

[![Error message](https://i.sstatic.net/QFdsv.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/QFdsv.png)

So I think you could

* rename `wallet1.dat` to `wallet.dat`
* specify `E:\bitcoin\` not `E:\bitcoin\wallet1.dat`.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Thank you. That is somehow confusing since the wallet.dat file in the is not named ”wallet1.dat”. After this message, btq opens without a wallet. What is more confusing is that the other wallet.dat filés are able to open in a way this particular one does not. The wallet.dat is in a folder with bitcoin files in it, and the other wallets do open when i run then from the same path. Now what could i do to retrieve the private keys?  

---

