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@ -27,39 +27,44 @@ Unpack the files into a directory and run:
@@ -27,39 +27,44 @@ Unpack the files into a directory and run:
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Wallet Encryption |
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----------------- |
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Bitcoin supports native wallet encryption so that people who steal your wallet |
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file don't automatically get access to all of your Bitcoins. In order to enable |
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this feature, chose "Encrypt Wallet" from the Options menu. You will be prompted |
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to enter a passphrase, which will be used as the key to encrypt your wallet and |
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will be needed every time you wish to send Bitcoins. If you lose this passphrase, |
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you will lose access to spend all of the bitcoins in your wallet, no one, not even |
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the Bitcoin developers can recover your Bitcoins. This means you are responsible |
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for your own security, store your password in a secure location and do not forget |
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it. |
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Bitcoin supports native wallet encryption so that people who steal your |
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wallet file don't automatically get access to all of your Bitcoins. |
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In order to enable this feature, chose "Encrypt Wallet" from the |
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Options menu. You will be prompted to enter a passphrase, which |
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will be used as the key to encrypt your wallet and will be needed |
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every time you wish to send Bitcoins. If you lose this passphrase, |
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you will lose access to spend all of the bitcoins in your wallet, |
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no one, not even the Bitcoin developers can recover your Bitcoins. |
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This means you are responsible for your own security, store your |
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password in a secure location and do not forget it. |
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Remember that the encryption built into bitcoin only encrypts the actual keys |
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which are required to send your bitcoins, not the full wallet. This means that |
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someone who steals your wallet file will be able to see all the addresses which |
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belong to you, as well as the relevant transactions, you are only protected from |
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someone spending your coins. |
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Remember that the encryption built into bitcoin only encrypts the |
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actual keys which are required to send your bitcoins, not the full |
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wallet. This means that someone who steals your wallet file will |
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be able to see all the addresses which belong to you, as well as the |
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relevant transactions, you are only protected from someone spending |
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your coins. |
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It is recommended that you backup your wallet file before you encrypt your wallet. |
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To do this, close the Bitcoin client and copy the wallet.dat file from ~/.bitcoin/ |
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on Linux, /Users/(user name)/Application Support/Bitcoin/ on Mac OSX, and |
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%APPDATA%/Bitcoin/ on Windows (that is /Users/(user name)/AppData/Roaming/Bitcoin on |
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Windows Vista and 7 and /Documents and Settings/(user name)/Application Data/Bitcoin |
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on Windows XP). Once you have copied that file to a safe location, reopen the |
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Bitcoin client and Encrypt your wallet. If everything goes fine, delete the backup |
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and enjoy your encrypted wallet. Note that once you encrypt your wallet, you will |
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never be able to go back to a version of the Bitcoin client older than 0.4. |
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It is recommended that you backup your wallet file before you |
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encrypt your wallet. To do this, close the Bitcoin client and |
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copy the wallet.dat file from ~/.bitcoin/ on Linux, /Users/(user |
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name)/Application Support/Bitcoin/ on Mac OSX, and %APPDATA%/Bitcoin/ |
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on Windows (that is /Users/(user name)/AppData/Roaming/Bitcoin on |
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Windows Vista and 7 and /Documents and Settings/(user name)/Application |
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Data/Bitcoin on Windows XP). Once you have copied that file to a |
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safe location, reopen the Bitcoin client and Encrypt your wallet. |
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If everything goes fine, delete the backup and enjoy your encrypted |
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wallet. Note that once you encrypt your wallet, you will never be |
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able to go back to a version of the Bitcoin client older than 0.4. |
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Keep in mind that you are always responsible for you own security. All it takes is a |
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slightly more advanced wallet-stealing trojan which installs a keylogger to steal |
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your wallet passphrase as you enter it in addition to your wallet file and you have |
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lost all your Bitcoins. Wallet encryption cannot keep you safe if you do not practice |
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good security, such as running up-to-date antivirus software, only entering your |
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wallet passphrase in the Bitcoin client and using the same passphrase only as your |
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wallet passphrase. |
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Keep in mind that you are always responsible for you own security. |
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All it takes is a slightly more advanced wallet-stealing trojan which |
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installs a keylogger to steal your wallet passphrase as you enter it |
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in addition to your wallet file and you have lost all your Bitcoins. |
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Wallet encryption cannot keep you safe if you do not practice |
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good security, such as running up-to-date antivirus software, only |
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entering your wallet passphrase in the Bitcoin client and using the |
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same passphrase only as your wallet passphrase. |
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See the documentation at the bitcoin wiki: |
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