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# System prepended metadata

title: Running a Bitcoin Core node on windows

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# Setting up a Bitcoin node on 🪟Windows 🪟

- Table of Content
[ToC]

### Step 1: Download Bitcoin Core

- a.) visit: https://bitcoin.org/en/download
- b.) download ![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/rkljba_a6.png)


### Step 2: Install Bitcoin Core
- a.) Open the downloaded application 
- b.) Select Yes on the User Account Control popup ![uac](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/r18nE6d66.jpg)
- c.) Click next ![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/SJWNvT_aT.png)
- d.) Select the location where the application will be installed, make note of this location. The default location is `C:\Program Files\Bitcoin` ![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/HJmzdp_Tp.png)
- e.) Click install ![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/HkCmKa_TT.png)
- f.) Wait for the installer to finish and click next ![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/SJv8Yp_pa.png)

:::warning
:pushpin: We will be using the Daemon to run the node, uncheck the checbox in the last step of the wizard
:::


- d.) uncechk the checkbox and click finish ![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/HyQYapdpa.png)


### Step 3: Running the node via Daemon
- a.)🪟+`R` -> `cmd` -> `enter`
--  Open up a console: press the windows logo and while holding it press R 
- b.) you should see the console now ![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/BJvq0aOpp.png)
- c.) enter the directory where you installed Bitcoin Core in  step 2d) 
-- `cd C:\Program Files\Bitcoin` ![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/rkPEJC_66.png)
- d.) type `dir` and hit `enter`
-- you should see a list of files and directories like this ![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/rJuFyCOTa.png)
- e.) we will using binaries(exe files) from the daemon directory, so enter it, just type `cd daemon` and hit enter ![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/r1O1e0O66.png)
- f.) Decide where you are going to keep the Bitcon Node data, this can take up to 500GB
-- for the purpose of this tutorial, we're going to keep the data in `D:\btc\data`
-- make sure that the data directory exists
-- you can create it like this: `mkdir D:\btc\data` +enter ![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/By-lZ0_Tp.png)
- g.) enter `bitcoind.exe -datadir=D:\btc\data -dbcache=8000 -txindex=1` and press enter
- h.) The node needs to sync data from other nodes over the internet if a popup like this shows hit allow ![fw](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/rJ2TWAuTa.jpg)
- i.) wait for the node to sync up, this can take from a couple of hours to a couple of days 