How to Completely Reset Your Monero Node & Wallet

(Fresh Start Guide)

Introduction

If your Monero (XMR) node or wallet is acting up—whether due to sync issues, crashes, or just general instability—sometimes the best solution is a complete fresh start. This guide will walk you through:

✅ How to fully delete all Monero data
✅ Clean reinstallation (GUI & CLI options)
✅ Optimized sync settings for faster blockchain downloads

Whether you're troubleshooting or just want a fresh setup, this guide has you covered.

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Why Start Fresh?

Common reasons for resetting your Monero node/wallet:

• Sync failures (stuck at a block height)

• Corrupted blockchain data

• Wallet not displaying correct balance

• Switching from remote node to local node

• Preparing for a new Monero version

A clean install ensures no old files interfere with your new setup.

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Step 1: Delete All Existing Monero Data

Before reinstalling, wipe all old files to prevent conflicts.

Terminal Commands (Linux/macOS)

bash

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# Stop running Monero processes
sudo killall -9 monerod monero-wallet-gui 2>/dev/null

# Delete blockchain data
sudo rm -rf ~/.bitmonero/

# Delete wallet files
sudo rm -rf ~/Monero/

# Remove GUI configs
sudo rm -rf ~/.config/monero-gui/

# (Optional) Remove installed binaries
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/monerod /usr/local/bin/monero-wallet-gui

Windows Users

Manually delete:

• C:\ProgramData\bitmonero\ (blockchain)

• C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Documents\Monero\ (wallets)

• C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Roaming\monero-gui\ (GUI config)

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Step 2: Reinstall Monero (Choose GUI or CLI)

Option 1: GUI + Full Node (Recommended for Most Users)

1. Download the latest GUI bundle from getmonero.org

2. Extract & install:

   bash

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tar -xjvf monero-gui-linux-x64-v0.18.4.0.tar.bz2
sudo cp monero-gui-v0.18.4.0/monero-wallet-gui /usr/local/bin/
sudo cp monero-gui-v0.18.4.0/monerod /usr/local/bin/

1. Launch the GUI:

   bash

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monero-wallet-gui

1. • Select "Advanced Mode" → "Local Node"

   • Enable "Pruned Blockchain" (saves ~75% disk space)

Option 2: CLI-Only (For Advanced Users)

1. Download the CLI tools:

   bash

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wget https://downloads.getmonero.org/cli/linux64 -O monero-linux-x64-v0.18.4.0.tar.bz2

1. Install & run:

   bash

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tar -xjvf monero-linux-x64-v0.18.4.0.tar.bz2
sudo cp monero-x86_64-linux-gnu-v0.18.4.0/monerod /usr/local/bin/
sudo cp monero-x86_64-linux-gnu-v0.18.4.0/monero-wallet-cli /usr/local/bin/

1. Start syncing:

   bash

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monerod --data-dir=~/monero-blockchain --prune-blockchain

1. Open wallet:

   bash

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monero-wallet-cli --daemon-address=127.0.0.1:18081

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Step 3: Optimize Sync Speed

To speed up initial sync:

• Add trusted peers (edit ~/.bitmonero/monerod.conf):

  ini

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add-peer node.moneroworld.com:18080  
add-peer selsta1.featherwallet.net:18080  

• Use --max-concurrency (half your CPU cores):

  bash

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monerod --max-concurrency=$(($(nproc --all)/2))

• Check sync status:

  bash

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tail -f ~/.bitmonero/monerod.log | grep "SYNC"

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Troubleshooting

❌ "Failed to bind IPv4" → Port 18080 is in use. Try:

bash

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sudo ss -tulnp | grep 18080  # Find conflicting process
monerod --p2p-bind-port=18081  # Use alternate port

❌ Segfaults/crashes → Reinstall dependencies:

bash

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sudo apt install --reinstall libboost-all-dev libssl-dev

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Final Thoughts

A clean reset is often the fastest fix for persistent Monero issues. By:

1. Deleting all old data

2. Reinstalling fresh

3. Optimizing sync settings

…you’ll have a stable, efficient Monero node.

🔗 Further Reading:

• Official Monero Documentation

• Monero StackExchange

Need help? Comment below or reach out on Monero Forum.

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Would you like a video version of this guide? Let me know in the comments! 🚀

dan__brummitt

A post shared by @dan__brummitt

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