<blockquote>
<p><strong>Will someone who has 1 of my old .dat files and who knows the old password be able to access my bitcoins?</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Yes. <a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/88917/13866">Including bitcoins added anytime afterwards!</a></p>
<p>As far as I know, the password is used to encrypt the file contents (or at least the private-keys in it). So old passwords are still valid for decrypting old files that were encrypted before you changed passwords.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-03T12:03:14.503Z
2021-03-03T12:08:22.013Z
2021-03-03T12:08:22.013Z
RedGrittyBrick
<p>Let's say I have 5 copies of my .dat file on individual flash drives. I download the blockchain and run a full node and have the core wallet.  I copy my .dat file into bitcoin core. I type in the old password and then change the password to a new password. Will someone who has 1 of my old .dat files and who knows the old password be able to access my bitcoins?</p>
<p>Follow up- So the easiest solution is delete the old. .dat files once I have btc core wallet running with the new password?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>

<wallet><security>
Changing bitcoin core password
James
# Changing bitcoin core password

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-03-03)

Let's say I have 5 copies of my .dat file on individual flash drives. I download the blockchain and run a full node and have the core wallet. I copy my .dat file into bitcoin core. I type in the old password and then change the password to a new password. Will someone who has 1 of my old .dat files and who knows the old password be able to access my bitcoins?

Follow up- So the easiest solution is delete the old. .dat files once I have btc core wallet running with the new password?

Thanks

**Tags:** wallet, security


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-03-03. Score: 1

> **Will someone who has 1 of my old .dat files and who knows the old password be able to access my bitcoins?**

Yes. [Including bitcoins added anytime afterwards!](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/88917/13866)

As far as I know, the password is used to encrypt the file contents (or at least the private-keys in it). So old passwords are still valid for decrypting old files that were encrypted before you changed passwords.


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