<p>The wallet file contains the hash (and more) information about the tip of the chain it has been synchronized to. This means that generally when loading a wallet into a running node, it will be modified every time a new block comes in.</p>

<p>Furthermore the wallet file also contains all transactions affecting the wallet balance. If you sent or received any transactions, that too will inevitably modify the wallet file.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-23T20:01:33.147Z
So whenever my wallet.dat file gets "updated", I can archive the previous files and replace with the new one without incurring any loss of information?
Felipe
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-23T19:45:56.027Z
2019-06-23T19:45:56.027Z
Pieter Wuille
<p>A couple of months ago I had <strong>backed up</strong> the <code>wallet.dat</code> (I use bitcoin-qt) file and saved it some place else.</p>

<p>Lately I've opened the data folder for the current running node (also bitcoin-qt) and I compared the md5 hashes of both files and they are different.</p>

<p>What caused this? Surely my private keys have not changed so why is the wallet.dat file not exactly the same as the backed up version?</p>

<p>Thank you</p>

<bitcoin-core><wallet>
Hash of backed up wallet file not the same as hash of wallet currently in use
Felipe
# Hash of backed up wallet file not the same as hash of wallet currently in use

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-06-23)

A couple of months ago I had **backed up** the `wallet.dat` (I use bitcoin-qt) file and saved it some place else.

Lately I've opened the data folder for the current running node (also bitcoin-qt) and I compared the md5 hashes of both files and they are different.

What caused this? Surely my private keys have not changed so why is the wallet.dat file not exactly the same as the backed up version?

Thank you

**Tags:** bitcoin-core, wallet


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-06-23. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

The wallet file contains the hash (and more) information about the tip of the chain it has been synchronized to. This means that generally when loading a wallet into a running node, it will be modified every time a new block comes in.

Furthermore the wallet file also contains all transactions affecting the wallet balance. If you sent or received any transactions, that too will inevitably modify the wallet file.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So whenever my wallet.dat file gets "updated", I can archive the previous files and replace with the new one without incurring any loss of information?  

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