<p>I'm unfamiliar with running bitcoin-qt on Windows. However, on OS X the wallet.dat file is <em>not</em> located in the application directory (in fact, for any multi-user OS that'd be a pretty dumb place to put it, unless everyone is expected to share the same wallet). There should be an "Application Data" or similary directory in your H:\Users\ directory that will contain your wallet.dat file. Also, unless it's been deleted, you can use Windows search feature to search the drive for the file in question.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-11-21T19:46:30.050Z
2013-11-21T19:46:30.050Z
user9100
<p>There is no command line argument -resync, you might want -rescan instead.</p>

<p>However, if you're faced with a brand new wallet I don't think that's the problem. More likely the data directory that Bitcoin-qt looks for is in a different location than where you placed your old copy.</p>

<p>Does the shortcut you use include the -datadir argument to redirect to your desired location, and was wallet.dat copied to that location?</p>

<p>You should try searching your filesystem for wallet.dat, if you find the new created wallet you'll know where Bitcoin-qt looks for the data directory.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-23T14:42:10.213Z
"H:\Software (x86)\BitCoin Wallet\Bitcoin\bitcoin-qt.exe" -rescan -datadir=H:\Software (x86)\BitCoin Wallet\Data
level42
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-23T14:42:57.140Z
Sorry, rescan was the command I was running, above is a copy of my shortcut. And the files were copied from my old c: drive on the other HDD into H:\Software (x86)\BitCoin Wallet\Data
level42
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-23T15:56:30.597Z
@level42: Since the name of your datadir contains spaces, don't you need to quote it?
Nate Eldredge
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-23T16:36:12.203Z
It seems to work without the quotes, I rebuild the data directory and it placed all the files in the correct location.
level42
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-23T19:52:39.007Z
you might want to view hidden files and folders and see if it created the bitcoin folder in (drive)\documents and settings\(your user name)\application data\bitcoin.  I have not used Windows 8 and recently ditched XP for Ubuntu due to the volume of programs that get told ' use this directory ' and still use the default one instead.
nybbler905
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-24T17:57:16.167Z
I've checked everything, I've updated the client to .8.3, I've logged into my old HDD (the wallet is fine there) updated the block chain, and exported the wallet. When I import the wallet.dat, I still show a balance of 0BTC with a different address.

I've copied over the entire data directory, including the block chain, and again, still shows a 0BTC balance.
level42
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-25T06:22:59.863Z
@level42: In Windows 7 this doesn't work without quotes, and I see no reason to believe in Windows 8 it would. Try to see if it's looking at "H:\Software" instead, and try changing the shortcut to read "H:\Software (x86)\BitCoin Wallet\Bitcoin\bitcoin-qt.exe" -rescan -datadir="H:\Software (x86)\BitCoin Wallet\Data"
Meni Rosenfeld
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-23T14:38:38.573Z
2013-08-23T14:38:38.573Z
Meni Rosenfeld
<p>I recently installed Windows 8 on a separate HDD, copied over the BitCoin-qt directory, and the data directory. Including the wallet.dat.</p>

<p>But after running the -resync, my wallet shows up empty, and I have a new address.</p>

<p>Can someone please help me through transferring my wallet, I had 2 BTC in there.</p>

<p>*Note, I ran -resync in CMD and by appending it to the shortcut. I also have a relocated DataDIR</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-23T13:59:27.607Z
Using Bitcoin-qt 0.8.1
level42
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-23T14:03:05.500Z
Please be patient, I'm still kind of new to bitcoin.
level42
<wallet>
Changed HDD, New Windows Installation, Can't recover old wallet
level42
# Changed HDD, New Windows Installation, Can't recover old wallet

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-08-23)

I recently installed Windows 8 on a separate HDD, copied over the BitCoin-qt directory, and the data directory. Including the wallet.dat.

But after running the -resync, my wallet shows up empty, and I have a new address.

Can someone please help me through transferring my wallet, I had 2 BTC in there.

\*Note, I ran -resync in CMD and by appending it to the shortcut. I also have a relocated DataDIR

**Tags:** wallet

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Using Bitcoin-qt 0.8.1  
> **username_0**: Please be patient, I'm still kind of new to bitcoin.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-11-21. Score: 1

I'm unfamiliar with running bitcoin-qt on Windows. However, on OS X the wallet.dat file is *not* located in the application directory (in fact, for any multi-user OS that'd be a pretty dumb place to put it, unless everyone is expected to share the same wallet). There should be an "Application Data" or similary directory in your H:\Users\ directory that will contain your wallet.dat file. Also, unless it's been deleted, you can use Windows search feature to search the drive for the file in question.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2013-08-23. Score: 1

There is no command line argument -resync, you might want -rescan instead.

However, if you're faced with a brand new wallet I don't think that's the problem. More likely the data directory that Bitcoin-qt looks for is in a different location than where you placed your old copy.

Does the shortcut you use include the -datadir argument to redirect to your desired location, and was wallet.dat copied to that location?

You should try searching your filesystem for wallet.dat, if you find the new created wallet you'll know where Bitcoin-qt looks for the data directory.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: "H:\Software (x86)\BitCoin Wallet\Bitcoin\bitcoin-qt.exe" -rescan -datadir=H:\Software (x86)\BitCoin Wallet\Data  
> **username_0**: Sorry, rescan was the command I was running, above is a copy of my shortcut. And the files were copied from my old c: drive on the other HDD into H:\Software (x86)\BitCoin Wallet\Data  
> **username_3**: @username_0: Since the name of your datadir contains spaces, don't you need to quote it?  
> **username_0**: It seems to work without the quotes, I rebuild the data directory and it placed all the files in the correct location.  
> **username_4**: you might want to view hidden files and folders and see if it created the bitcoin folder in (drive)\documents and settings\(your user name)\application data\bitcoin.  I have not used Windows 8 and recently ditched XP for Ubuntu due to the volume of programs that get told ' use this directory ' and still use the default one instead.  
> **username_0**: I've checked everything, I've updated the client to .8.3, I've logged into my old HDD (the wallet is fine there) updated the block chain, and exported the wallet. When I import the wallet.dat, I still show a balance of 0BTC with a different address.  I've copied over the entire data directory, including the block chain, and again, still shows a 0BTC balance.  
> **username_2**: @username_0: In Windows 7 this doesn't work without quotes, and I see no reason to believe in Windows 8 it would. Try to see if it's looking at "H:\Software" instead, and try changing the shortcut to read "H:\Software (x86)\BitCoin Wallet\Bitcoin\bitcoin-qt.exe" -rescan -datadir="H:\Software (x86)\BitCoin Wallet\Data"  

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