How to install Monero on your Windows desktop

BY wallet42

thanks wallet42 :)

• First Step: Download the binaries from a trusted source.

If you are using Windows, the only place to safely download Monero is directly from the official website:http://monero.cc/getting-started/index.html789

**Win 64-bit** http://monero.cc/downloads/monero.win.x64.latest.zip

IMPORTANT: **The **64-bit version is the only recommended for now.

Recommended unofficial GUIs:

• Qt GUI (Cross-platform) by Neozaru349
• Windows GUI by Jojatekok453

• Second Step: Extract the binaries and put them in the correct folder.

Windows has native support to .zip archives, so you can easily extract the file. You need to put them in a folder named BitMonero (It'll be explained later why):

Now that all binaries needed to execute Monero are in the BitMonero folder, we need to move this folder with all its contents to your AppData\Roaming user directory. To do it, simply move the BitMonero folder to%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming:

Click Start -> Run -> %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming -> ENTER

Now that BitMonero folder is correctly located inside the Roaming folder, you can easily find it again to manually update the executables, the blockchain or make backups of your wallet. By default, Monero looks for blockchain.bin and the wallet files in your %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\BitMonero directory.

• Third Step: Download an updated blockchain.bin

In case you don't wish to wait long enough for Monero automatically download the latest blockchain from the network (it can take several hours/days), You can download an updated blockchain bellow and move the downloaded file to your BitMonero folder together with the binaries:

• Download Windows 64-bit (only) blockchain (always updated and current)1.5k

• Last Step: Creating your first wallet.

As Monero is mainly a CLI application right now, we'll use a .bat file to facilitate the creation and execution of your wallet. Still in your AppData\Roaming\BitMonero folder, Download this .bat990 file and put it together with your blockchain.bin and the other binaries, or simply create a .bat file with the following content:

@echo off

tasklist /FI "IMAGENAME eq bitmonerod.exe" 2>NUL | find /I /N "bitmonerod.exe">NUL
if not %ERRORLEVEL% == 0 (
  echo Starting node...
  start /MIN bitmonerod.exe
) else (
  echo Node already started.
)

tasklist /FI "IMAGENAME eq simplewallet.exe" 2>NUL | find /I /N "simplewallet.exe">NUL
if not %ERRORLEVEL% == 0 (
  if exist wallet.bin.keys (
    echo Starting previous wallet...
    start simplewallet.exe --wallet wallet.bin
  ) else (
    echo Starting new wallet...
    start simplewallet.exe --generate-new-wallet wallet.bin
  )
) else (
  echo Wallet already started.
)

Now execute BitMonero.bat, bitmonerod.exe will take a while to create/open the blockchain and fully synchronize with the network, meanwhile take a look in the simplewallet.exe window, but don't type anything yet:

NAeQ3jW.png1343x486 68.5 KB

After you see the following message in your bitmonerod.exe window you are ready to create your wallet:

IMPORTANT: You can't type the password twice, so make sure you type it correctly and remember it after the first time, as there is no way to recover your wallet if you forget this password.
Type your password and press ENTER:

You should get the following message:

Congratulations, you have now successfully create a Monero wallet containing one address, but don't close any window yet, we need to save all the created data for the next time you execute the .bat file, it'll open the same wallet.

IMPORTANT (Backup and Paper wallet): The 24 words you see here (will be different in each wallet) provides the first way you can do backups of your wallet (the other way will be specified bellow). All you have to do is write down the 24 words. If you're particularly brave you can even memorize the 24 words. You can also use this to create an offline cold wallet or a paper wallet: create a wallet on a computer disconnected from the Internet, write the 24 words and the address and the view key down, and then remove all the files created by the wallet. To then restore the backup, run simplewallet.exe with the command to recover a wallet using electrum-style mnemonic:

--restore-deterministic-wallet

Example:

simplewallet.exe --restore-deterministic-wallet *words*

Now in both window type save and press ENTER, it'll take a while for the blockchain, but the wallet is successfully saved immediately:

wObxLSb.png1347x488 93.1 KB

Now take a look in your BitMonero folder:

It should contain the wallet.bin.keys file, your De facto wallet with your encrypted private-key, that is only extracted with your wallet password, if you lose this file you won't be able to spend any coins in your public address (that you can find in wallet.bin.address.txt), so make backups of your .keys file and store it in a safe place.

For a list of commands type help in the simplewallet.exe window:

To transfer Monero use this command in the simplewallet.exe window:

transfer <mix> <address> <amount> [payment_id]

Example:

transfer 1 44wiH1Jg3rH3rzTWgscYC4bEtJSTtWsrQ97zE6qN47PBamPH4LWryjnJZ3LNn7f6Dj7aV3aAjLSoSYz9GMXNK4yZHtHgpsN 10

To paste an address, click on the simplewallet.exe icon:

IMPORTANT: If you are transferring Monero to an exchange you must include the payment ID , usually found near your deposit address.

To safely exit your wallet and blockchain, always type exit and press ENTER on both window:

Finally, to easily execute your wallet, create a shortcut of BitMonero.bat in your desktop:

IMPORTANT: Every time you open BitMonero.bat you need to wait bitmonerod.exe synchronize with the network before typing your wallet password, otherwise you need to type refresh in the simplewallet.exewindow to update your balance (and only after bitmonerod.exe is synchronized with the network).