Backing up my Bitcoin wallet I'm really new to Bitcoin (just started today) so forgive me if this question has been asked before but I can't seem to find an answer on Google. From what I understand, the Bitcoin program is capable of encrypting your wallet for you. So, can I safely encrypt the wallet (using bitcoin-qt) then move it to my Dropbox folder and then symlink it so the program will access the copy in my Dropbox. I don't really want to lose my wallet.
Yes, as long as you close the Bitcoin program first, you can copy the wallet.dat file anywhere you want to back it up. Just remember to keep it safe and use a password, and your Bitcoins will be safe. If you lose the wallet, you will lose the bitcoins you have in it forever (there is no option of recovery of lost bitcoins, unless you are talking about recovering lost files from your hard drive).