<p>To restore a backed up wallet.dat file, you need to replace it manually.</p>

<p>Just overwrite the one in your data directory (see <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Data_directory" rel="nofollow">https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Data_directory</a> to find it for your platform).</p>

<p>Opening the file with Bitcoin-Qt means you're trying to process a payment request; it's not for opening a wallet.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-19T22:08:04.037Z
This is correct. Close the Bitcoin software, then for the majority of installs in a terminal run 'cp /path/to/your/backup/wallet.dat ~/.bitcoin/'. Now open bitcoin-qt again.
George
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-19T13:56:16.050Z
2014-11-19T13:56:16.050Z
Pieter Wuille
<p>You can try the command in your shell: bitcoin-qt -rescan  It will rescan the block chain for missing wallet transactions. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-19T13:57:15.947Z
Please don't suggest using -rescan. It's only necessary if you manually edited the wallet file these days; rescanning is otherwise always automatic.
Pieter Wuille
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-19T13:14:30.490Z
2014-11-19T13:14:30.490Z
Eleven
<p>I recently reinstalled Linux mint; I backed up my wallet, and I am unable to import the backup created from the original wallet (Qt version 4.8.6.) to the newly installed wallet(Qt version 4.8.6.) I have just installed. When I try and open up the backup (binary file) using Bitcoin-QT a textbox appears with the message:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Payment request file can not be read or processed! This can be caused by an invalid payment request file.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Can anyone help with this please? Or, just point me in the right direction.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-19T12:45:16.020Z
I'm just learning Linux so I'm only able to help in the capacity of saying look into how the blockchain is bootstrapped using torrent. There's a trick like a detachdb flag or similar. It sounds like a blockchain issue
Wizard Of Ozzie
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-19T13:59:02.833Z
-detachdb was removed in v0.8.0 as we no longer need it (the block databases now uses LevelDB, which is always portable).
Pieter Wuille
<wallet><bitcoin-core><backup>
Unable to open Backup binary file Linux
David
# Unable to open Backup binary file Linux

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-11-19)

I recently reinstalled Linux mint; I backed up my wallet, and I am unable to import the backup created from the original wallet (Qt version 4.8.6.) to the newly installed wallet(Qt version 4.8.6.) I have just installed. When I try and open up the backup (binary file) using Bitcoin-QT a textbox appears with the message:

> Payment request file can not be read or processed! This can be caused by an invalid payment request file.

Can anyone help with this please? Or, just point me in the right direction.

**Tags:** wallet, bitcoin-core, backup

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I'm just learning Linux so I'm only able to help in the capacity of saying look into how the blockchain is bootstrapped using torrent. There's a trick like a detachdb flag or similar. It sounds like a blockchain issue  
> **username_2**: -detachdb was removed in v0.8.0 as we no longer need it (the block databases now uses LevelDB, which is always portable).  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-11-19. Score: 2

To restore a backed up wallet.dat file, you need to replace it manually.

Just overwrite the one in your data directory (see <https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Data_directory> to find it for your platform).

Opening the file with Bitcoin-Qt means you're trying to process a payment request; it's not for opening a wallet.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: This is correct. Close the Bitcoin software, then for the majority of installs in a terminal run 'cp /path/to/your/backup/wallet.dat ~/.bitcoin/'. Now open bitcoin-qt again.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-11-19. Score: -3

You can try the command in your shell: bitcoin-qt -rescan It will rescan the block chain for missing wallet transactions.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Please don't suggest using -rescan. It's only necessary if you manually edited the wallet file these days; rescanning is otherwise always automatic.  

---

