howto: fix your Gridcoin wallet (make it run again; get in sync, ...)

Welcome to the !LASToption - I assume here: no offered solution so far has worked for your problem (important, read: (A)):

• 0. Read each step below first. Don't do them yet !

•  1. Close your Gridcoin wallet
•  2. Make a !backup
•  3. Really, do step 2 + ideally put the backuped files on another PC/device.

•  4. Deinstall your Gridcoin wallet 
•  5. Delete everything in the !config directory, EXCEPT those important files from the !backup step (see step 2.)

•  6. To get yourself on the current block in the blockchain faster, see !snapshot (using the !bootstrap file is more secure, but costs more time/cpu), Or: you just start normally your Gridcoin wallet and it will start to sync you from itself (this will take a little while though)
•  7. reinstall Gridcoin (see !version)

The terms starting with ! are commands which the fediverse bot gives info on in IRC - I add them below, but it's best to check out always the newest version of those commands in the future.

(A) 

all steps above are for "nuking" Gridcoin + install it new, but:

• I use the modular steps above also so I can direct people in need for help to here, 

and giving them e.g. instructions like:

• case 1:  just backup your files: "do only steps 0-3 and restart your wallet"
• case 2: sync problems? get yourself on the uptodate block: "do all steps, BUT leave out step4 (deinstall) + step7 (reinstall)"
• case 3: nuke everything + start fresh: "do all steps 0-7"

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I have highlighted below unofficial downloads/places: 

• this means those are done by volunteers, not by the "official" Gridcoin (dev) team. Thus there can happen errors, delays, ...

best is always to use the official links/ressources!

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!backup

• Make sure: 1. your Gridcoin wallet is closed, 2. then make a backup of a) your wallet.dat + b) gridcoinresearch.conf files, + c) the directory: walletbackups. (Without both (2a+2b) you've LOST your Gridcoins.)
• They are located in Windows: %appdata%\GridcoinResearch (and for linux: /home/your_user/.GridcoinResearch/ )
• Want to install the backup'd files somewhere else? see here
• You can also backup your blockchain (e.g. create your own snapshot, so if you want to sync up a little faster when you move your wallet)

!snapshot

• You can download Gridcoin's blockchain faster, via 2 ways (inside the wallet or via importing the blockchain from outside): 
•  1. start the Gridcoin wallet with admin rights (admin rights are required only under Windows): Go to menu: "Rebuild Block Chain" > "Download Blocks", or
•  2. or: manually, via snapshot file (see: !snapshot howto) [or bootstrap file (bootstrap = secure, see: !bootstrap advantage)]: 
•  a1. snapshot file: http://download.gridcoin.us/download/downloadstake/signed/snapshot.zip (unofficial places: https://spideroak.com/share/N4YFAZLQOBSXEMDP/public/d%3A/Gridcoin.Tools/Share/snapshot.zip (or via magnet file: !snapshot magnet ))
• a2. unofficial: backups at: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0B_s1cP1ZtRpqMHFUOERzWk44aHM
•      (help how to use the snapshot/bootstrap: !snapshot howto )
•  3. when the snapshot was imported, check with !verify if all goes in the right direction

!snapshot howto

• 1. get the archived snapshot zip file via command: !snapshot
• 2. close Gridcoin
• 3. navigate to data dir: e.g. for windows: %appdata%\GridcoinResearch and for linux: /home/your_user/.GridcoinResearch/
• 4. delete everything, except: gridcoinresearch.conf, wallet.dat and walletbackups folder
•      (make also sure that your .conf file has uptodate Gridcoin nodes, see http://wiki.gridcoin.us/List_of_Addnodes (or !addnodes) )... now is also a good time to do: !backup
• 5. extract the snapshot file to folder from step3
• 6. launch the Gridcoin client
• 7. how long does it take ? depends on CPU (4h on Intel Core i5-7200U 3.1 GHz, import: single-thread, and nothing intensive on processor elsewise)... the bootstrap file offers you more security: see !bootstrap advantage

!bootstrap

• You can download Gridcoin's blockchain faster, via 2 ways (inside the wallet or via importing the blockchain from outside): 
•  1. start the Gridcoin wallet with admin rights (admin rights are required only under Windows): Go to menu: "Rebuild Block Chain" > "Download Blocks", or
•  2. or: manually, via bootstrap file (bootstrap = secure, see: !bootstrap advantage) [or snapshot file (see: !snapshot howto)]: 
• a1. only UNOFFICIAL bootstrap downloads so far: https://spideroak.com/share/N4YFAZLQOBSXEMDP/public/d%3A/Gridcoin.Tools/Share/bootstrap.zip https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_s1cP1ZtRpqMHFUOERzWk44aHM  (see bug)
• a2. !bootstrap magnet (a bootstrap is more secure than a snapshot, but takes longer to import. see: '!bootstrap advantage')
• b. unofficial backups at: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0B_s1cP1ZtRpqMHFUOERzWk44aHM
•      (help how to use the bootstrap: !bootstrap howto )
•  3. when the bootstrap was imported, check with !verify if all goes in the right direction

!version

• You can find out which version you are running from the menu: Help > About
• The newest Gridcoin wallet is 3.5.9.0 (released on 2017 June 5) https://github.com/gridcoin/Gridcoin-Research/releases/tag/3.5.9.0a (see also !mandatory and !wallet for versions/installers for windows, linux etc.)
• https://steemit.com/gridcoin/@erkan/new-release-gridcoin-version-3-5-9-0

!config

• Gridcoin's config file 'gridcoinresearch.conf' is located in Windows: %appdata%\GridcoinResearch (and for linux: /home/your_user/.GridcoinResearch/ )
• see options for this config file at: http://wiki.gridcoin.us/Gridcoinresearch_config_file