<p>In the data directory, there should be a file named <code>settings.json</code>. Just delete the lines with the names of the wallets that you have removed.</p>
<p>The file needs to contain valid json, so you also need to make sure that the last name entry in the <code>wallet</code> array does not contain a trailing comma.</p>
<p>For example, if you created wallets named <code>wallet1</code>, <code>wallet2</code>, <code>wallet3</code>, and <code>wallet4</code>, the file should look like</p>
<pre><code>{
    &quot;wallet&quot;: [
     &quot;wallet1&quot;,
     &quot;wallet2&quot;,
     &quot;wallet3&quot;,
     &quot;wallet4&quot;
    ]
   }
</code></pre>
<p>If you have deleted <code>wallet2</code> and <code>wallet4</code>, then you need to change the file to be:</p>
<pre><code>{
    &quot;wallet&quot;: [
     &quot;wallet1&quot;,
     &quot;wallet3&quot;
    ]
   }
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-11T09:38:54.600Z
Great! Thanks @Andrew Chow
mikest
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-09T03:11:21.227Z
@Andrew Chow is there a way to officially delete a wallet rather than this manual procedure?
mikew
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-09T04:05:37.933Z
@mikew No, there is not. Generally we avoid giving users an easy way to delete things that are necessary to spend Bitcoin as that can be a very big footgun.
Ava Chow
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-10T23:01:29.180Z
2022-01-10T23:01:29.180Z
Ava Chow
<p>I created few wallets with Bitcoin Core using file-&gt; Create Wallet. It created directories for each wallet name. Only that was for experimenting so I deleted those directories.</p>
<p>The problem is that now when I run Bitcoin Core, it tries (and fails) to load each of those nonexistent wallets. For instance, one of those wallet names was wall2, so when I run bitcoin core now I get this message:</p>
<p>&quot;Warning: Skipping -wallet path that doesn't exist. Failed to load database path'E:\bitcoin\wall2. Path does not exist.&quot;</p>
<p>And for every such message, I need to click Enter.</p>
<p>How can I make bitcoin core 'forget' and stop trying to load all those ghost wallets?</p>

<bitcoin-core><wallet><wallet.dat>
How to get rid of 'ghost' wallets in Bitcoin Core?
mikest
# How to get rid of 'ghost' wallets in Bitcoin Core?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-01-10)

I created few wallets with Bitcoin Core using file-> Create Wallet. It created directories for each wallet name. Only that was for experimenting so I deleted those directories.

The problem is that now when I run Bitcoin Core, it tries (and fails) to load each of those nonexistent wallets. For instance, one of those wallet names was wall2, so when I run bitcoin core now I get this message:

"Warning: Skipping -wallet path that doesn't exist. Failed to load database path'E:\bitcoin\wall2. Path does not exist."

And for every such message, I need to click Enter.

How can I make bitcoin core 'forget' and stop trying to load all those ghost wallets?

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


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-01-10. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

In the data directory, there should be a file named `settings.json`. Just delete the lines with the names of the wallets that you have removed.

The file needs to contain valid json, so you also need to make sure that the last name entry in the `wallet` array does not contain a trailing comma.

For example, if you created wallets named `wallet1`, `wallet2`, `wallet3`, and `wallet4`, the file should look like

```
{
    "wallet": [
     "wallet1",
     "wallet2",
     "wallet3",
     "wallet4"
    ]
   }

```

If you have deleted `wallet2` and `wallet4`, then you need to change the file to be:

```
{
    "wallet": [
     "wallet1",
     "wallet3"
    ]
   }

```

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Great! Thanks @Andrew username_1  
> **username_2**: @Andrew username_1 is there a way to officially delete a wallet rather than this manual procedure?  
> **username_1**: @username_2 No, there is not. Generally we avoid giving users an easy way to delete things that are necessary to spend Bitcoin as that can be a very big footgun.  

---

