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I'm new to Bitcoins and I downloaded the new beta version with the encrypted wallet. I encrypted my wallet but I have no idea on how to decrypt it. It is locked. How can I unlock/decrypt my wallet?

Moreover, I added a few new addresses for payments but I would like to delete some of them. It won't allow me to delete them, however. How can I delete addresses I never used and no longer need?

3 Answers 3

2
  1. Close Bitcoin
  2. Find your wallet.dat
  3. Rename to wallet.old
  4. Start Bitcoin
  5. Copy the address from the new empty wallet
  6. Close Bitcoin
  7. Rename (new) wallet.dat to wallet.new
  8. Rename wallet.old to wallet.dat
  9. Start Bitcoin
  10. Send all your Bitcoins to the copied address from new wallet
  11. Enter your password
  12. Close Bitcoin
  13. Rename wallet.dat to wallet.old
  14. Rename wallet.new to wallet.dat
  15. Start Bitcoin
  16. Your new wallet should now be unencrypted and all old addresses gone.

This solves both your problems.

1

You cannot delete addresses with the standard client, however:

  • You can delete addresses with Pywallet.
  • If you never received payment with those addresses and never posted them anywhere, you can simply use them the next time you need a new address, just change their label.
0

I don't think you can delete address in the official client. As for encryption, try restarting the client, and making a payment - you should be prompted to enter a password.

The wallet is only unlocked briefly, in memory, to make payments.

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  • 2
    The wallet might get decrypted for the transaction, but this is not useful if you want to save it as an unencrypted wallet.
    – ThePiachu
    Jan 1, 2012 at 0:49

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