user12274: I know that there are many duplicates of this but I'm hoping that the way in which I word this explains and helps not just me, but others as well.
In any of the coin wallet  bitcoin and the alt coins, when I run a backup I see a wallet.dat file being created.

Does this wallet contain all the necessary information like private keys etc... in order to say encrypt this file and store it on a google drive , dropbox etc..  ?
If my hard drive takes a dive etc.. , CAN I simply take that wallet.dat file , and on another computer decrypt it and restore my information based on my coin currency?
If I do the encryption within the wallet, is the wallet.dat called something else?

I understand the exchanges , buying, trading , selling, mining...  I'm just not versed in the backup with my information... private keys etc...    thanks in advance.

user12249: 1 Yes if you use that wallet only to keep coins but you don't use it to pay.
2 Same as answer nº 1
3 No.
Trying to keep transactions difficult to trace, whenever you transfer bitcoins a second transaction is placed. That transaction moves a small amount to a new address created in your wallet. I don't remember how many "wallets" within your wallet are kept (I think 20 but not sure). After that, new wallets are created as old ones are emptied. So if you have a wallet with quite a few transactions and you check your balance in blockchain.info you will see that a few coins are lost. Well they are not really lost they are in those wallets. 
If you use your wallet a lot, you better do backups often, or you will end with missing coins. 
I hope i've been able to make myself clear, but if you have any question just ask.

user575: 
Yes.
Yes.
No. Note that that the software's encryption encrypts only the private keys, not transaction and address book information, so to protect your privacy you may want to add encrypting the file itself.


12274: <p>I know that there are many duplicates of this but I'm hoping that the way in which I word this explains and helps not just me, but others as well.</p>

<p>In any of the coin wallet  bitcoin and the alt coins, when I run a backup I see a wallet.dat file being created.</p>

<ol>
<li>Does this wallet contain all the necessary information like private keys etc... in order to say encrypt this file and store it on a google drive , dropbox etc..  ?</li>
<li>If my hard drive takes a dive etc.. , CAN I simply take that wallet.dat file , and on another computer decrypt it and restore my information based on my coin currency?</li>
<li>If I do the encryption within the wallet, is the wallet.dat called something else?</li>
</ol>

<p>I understand the exchanges , buying, trading , selling, mining...  I'm just not versed in the backup with my information... private keys etc...    thanks in advance.</p>
 12249: <p>1 Yes if you use that wallet only to keep coins but you don't use it to pay.</p>

<p>2 Same as answer nº 1</p>

<p>3 No.</p>

<p>Trying to keep transactions difficult to trace, whenever you transfer bitcoins a second transaction is placed. That transaction moves a small amount to a new address created in your wallet. I don't remember how many "wallets" within your wallet are kept (I think 20 but not sure). After that, new wallets are created as old ones are emptied. So if you have a wallet with quite a few transactions and you check your balance in blockchain.info you will see that a few coins are lost. Well they are not really lost they are in those wallets. </p>

<p>If you use your wallet a lot, you better do backups often, or you will end with missing coins. </p>

<p>I hope i've been able to make myself clear, but if you have any question just ask.</p>
 575: <ol>
<li>Yes.</li>
<li>Yes.</li>
<li>No. Note that that the software's encryption encrypts only the private keys, not transaction and address book information, so to protect your privacy you may want to add encrypting the file itself.</li>
</ol>
