<ol>
<li>Close Bitcoin</li>
<li>Find your wallet.dat</li>
<li>Rename to wallet.old</li>
<li>Start Bitcoin</li>
<li>Copy the address from the new empty wallet</li>
<li>Close Bitcoin</li>
<li>Rename (new) wallet.dat to wallet.new</li>
<li>Rename wallet.old to wallet.dat</li>
<li>Start Bitcoin</li>
<li>Send all your Bitcoins to the copied address from new wallet</li>
<li>Enter your password</li>
<li>Close Bitcoin</li>
<li>Rename wallet.dat to wallet.old</li>
<li>Rename wallet.new to wallet.dat</li>
<li>Start Bitcoin</li>
<li>Your new wallet should now be unencrypted and all old addresses gone.</li>
</ol>

<p>This solves both your problems.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-05-14T01:46:47.460Z
2013-05-14T01:46:47.460Z
Chloe
<p>You cannot delete addresses with the standard client, however:</p>

<ul>
<li>You can delete addresses with <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=34028.0" rel="nofollow">Pywallet</a>.</li>
<li>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.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-31T19:28:09.270Z
2011-12-31T19:28:09.270Z
Meni Rosenfeld
<p>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.</p>

<p>The wallet is only unlocked briefly, in memory, to make payments.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-01T00:49:34.547Z
The wallet might get decrypted for the transaction, but this is not useful if you want to save it as an unencrypted wallet.
ThePiachu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-31T18:02:02.597Z
2011-12-31T18:02:02.597Z
ripper234
<p>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?</p>

<p>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?  </p>

<wallet><encryption>
How do I unlock, decrypt, Bitcoin wallet?
bobanderson
# How do I unlock, decrypt, Bitcoin wallet?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2011-12-31)

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?

**Tags:** wallet, encryption


---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-05-14. Score: 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.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2011-12-31. Score: 1

You cannot delete addresses with the standard client, however:

* You can delete addresses with [Pywallet](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=34028.0).
* 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.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2011-12-31. Score: 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.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: The wallet might get decrypted for the transaction, but this is not useful if you want to save it as an unencrypted wallet.  

---

