Okay, so I'm starting to accumulate a balance and want to plan ahead for when I need to keep my BTC secure. I've read a lot of threads, and the process seems confusing and somewhat intimidating.
For the time being I've got double-encryptions on my pool and wallet, but I want to understand other options. The whole paper wallet thing makes almost no sense, or seems too risky, plus my printer sucks and I'm interpreting it as literally something I would need to print out.
The process of creating a "backup" doesn't make sense fully either. I make a backup, then my wallet is still full and I have a file, if import that file to another wallet will it empty the original one online? If so, that is what I want to do. I'd like an offline wallet where I can sweep my balance into, just don't want to mess this up and somehow lose my balance, any advice?
For the time being I've got double-encryptions on my pool and wallet, but I want to understand other options. The whole paper wallet thing makes almost no sense, or seems too risky, plus my printer sucks and I'm interpreting it as literally something I would need to print out.
The process of creating a "backup" doesn't make sense fully either. I make a backup, then my wallet is still full and I have a file, if import that file to another wallet will it empty the original one online? If so, that is what I want to do. I'd like an offline wallet where I can sweep my balance into, just don't want to mess this up and somehow lose my balance, any advice?
it won't empty your wallet. think of your wallet as a key, or a password to accessing bitcoins that exist on the blockchain.
if you make a backup, it's a good idea.. especially if you keep it on a hard drive that does not connect to the internet (so no one can steal it). if it's encrypted, then someone who steals it still wouldn't able to access your bitcoins.
you can also memorize the seed (string of 12 words), so that you always have access to your bitcoins on you.
