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I´ve been using Bitcoin-qt (version 0.8.1.) for several weeks but lately I´ve had problems due to a so called "corrupted block database" issue, so I´ve decided to update my client to the latest version (0.8.5.).

It´s already installed (I just installed it on my laptop without removing the older version), synchronized and working properly.

Can I remove the older version of the client by clicking on the uninstall icon? Is it safe to do so? If so, do I have to backup my wallet.dat file again or the previous backup still works with the latest version?

Thanks in advance.

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Since you don't mention the operating system, but talk about "clicking the uninstall icon" I am assuming that you are using Windows.

Making a backup of your wallet.dat before updates and at regular intervals is sensible. If you installed bitcoin-qt 0.8.5 into the same directory as bitcoin-qt 0.8.1, uninstalling the older bitcoin-qt 0.8.1 might break your new install. If they are in separate install directories I would expect it to be alright (just based on what I would consider expected behaviour, I don't have intimate knowledge of the behaviour of the Bitcoin-QT-Windows client).

If you added any new addresses in since you imported the wallet to bitcoin-qt 0.8.5 you might have generated them after the last backup, so it would be prudent to create an additional backup of the newest wallet.dat.

Usually, I'd consider the following the correct order for an update (unless the software has its own update function):

  1. backup
  2. uninstall old
  3. install new
  4. import backup (by keeping the backup alive!)
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  • Thanks for your answer, Murch. There´s something I don´t fully understand about the fourth step you´ve mentioned. What do you mean exactly? How do I import backup?
    – neófito
    Sep 20, 2013 at 13:50
  • In the beginning you have Bitcoin-QT in Folder A. You create a backup in A-Backup. Now there is two options: If you can just update Bitcoin-QT, you can do that and are finished. If you have to uninstall and re-install, you should uninstall the old version first, then install the new Bitcoin-QT in e.g. folder B, finally you copy your wallet from A-Backup to the location of the wallet that was created with the new installation. That way you still have a backup in A-Backup but you can access the funds that you had before the update.
    – Murch ♦
    Sep 20, 2013 at 14:38

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