Do not use USB sticks for long term storage! Its not safe! - page 2.

Quantus

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As far as I know you can change the file extension to anything just remember not to change the name and extension to anything that your computer is already using and then try to hide your file inside that program folder, you will likely break the program and/or overwrite your data.

If I was forced to share my PC with someone I would create a new wallet.dat file with a few dollars of bitcoins on it and use that as a decoy. My real wallet would have a new name like cat.img inside a folder full of cat images. Tongue

If you want to protect your bitcoins from attackers your best tactic is to hide them where a automated program wouldn't look and under a name and file extension the program would care about.

thejaytiesto

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I was considering a trezor, but I don't see how trezor like devices aren't going to suffer from the same thing as any solid state storage, so I think I will keep saving my stuff on different usb and on different hard drives too and do period backups. It's simply impossible that they all break at the same time and I end up with no bitcoins. Additionally, upping it somewhere with a strong password and changing the file extension seems like a good idea, but im not sure if changing the file extension cam damage a wallet file.

MrBig

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How about engraving the keys on a piece of stainless steel?

spidergoat

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Quote from: RealRimlin on May 10, 2016, 08:18:13 AM

Omg, thx for advice
I never through about it

What about microSD cards etc., same problem?

MicroSD cards are much worst due to the size and the cost of the storage. The size would be a problem since it would be hardly visible in most situations and you can easily break it. MicroSD cards can be much more expensive than flash drives while being less convenient to connect to your computer/devices.

romero121

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Quote from: RealRimlin on May 10, 2016, 08:18:13 AM

Omg, thx for advice
I never through about it

What about microSD cards etc., same problem?

More or less microsd cards too have the same features as the USB's, so its better to avoid those too for the enhanced security.

jdmorgan

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Quote from: Quantus on May 09, 2016, 04:27:08 AM

Just a reminder

Its not safe to use USB sticks or SSDs for long term storage they lose data over time if they are not powered!

You can't just stick your private keys on a few USB sticks or SSD and box them up for 4 - 8 years you will lose all your coins.

For long term storage have at least 3 backups paper wallets or HDDs. You can even use something like DropBox But be sure to encrypt your wallet and change the name.

You can even hide your wallet inside a image file.

I didn't know that after 8 years without power flash storage loose data..

Dear, Saint and blessed paper

RealRimlin

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"Live long and prosper"

Omg, thx for advice
I never through about it

What about microSD cards etc., same problem?

BitcoinSupremo

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Quote from: NeuroticFish on May 09, 2016, 04:39:07 AM

Quote from: Quantus on May 09, 2016, 04:27:08 AM

Just a reminder
Its not safe to use USB sticks or SSDs for long term storage they lose data over time if they are not powered!
You can't just stick your private keys on a few USB sticks or SSD and box them up for 4 - 8 years you will lose all your coins.
For long term storage have at least 3 backups paper wallets or HDDs. You can even use something like DropBox But be sure to encrypt your wallet and change the name.
You can even hide your wallet inside a image file.

I've said this a few times, but not this clear, so I'd add a well done here.

My usual advice is to keep the private keys in (laminated) paper wallets. This would be the safest copy, the primary copy.
For commodity you can still keep a secondary copy on USB sticks, just after some 1-2 years you should move the data on another stick, else you can lose it.

Since dropbox also came into discussion, I'd advise for tresorit.com or similar cloud storage providers: the ones that offer end-to-end encryption, which (at least on paper) means that whoever reads their server cannot see your data plainly (like in the case of dropbox).

Best advice here, anyone should know (and I guess only newbies don't) that USB sticks can become corrupted over time, so its ideal solution to change that USB every 6 months (just a 1GB usb which is cheap can contain your SEED phrase) so you will be safe. Of course don't throw the old USB away, you never know it may not break, so keep all of your USB-s during this time in a safe place for you.
I would stay away from any online upload file service no matter how safe they advertise to be, for your own safety.

Barbut

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What is the point of so much security? How many bitcoins OP have when he make this kind of security.

I think if someone wish to rob you, you can do what ever you wish and in end you will be robbed.

Pursuer

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Where is my ring of blades...

Quote from: Amph on May 10, 2016, 02:26:02 AM

Quote from: TookDk on May 10, 2016, 02:23:36 AM

Quote from: Amph on May 10, 2016, 02:20:59 AM

Quote from: TookDk on May 09, 2016, 12:46:04 PM

Engrave your private keys in a block of tungsten, basically indestructible.

[I m g ]http://we.lovebitco.in/img/tungsten.jpg[/img]

the key is exposed too much in this way, not only because it is there well put on show, but because that thing is also heavy to carry around and big....

I think you are missing the point, if you are making a long term storage of your private key then is it properly not a good idea to either "put them on display" or carry them around.

there may be the need to move that thing at some point, maybe because you need those coins desperately, maybe because you are changing your appartement, that what i mean

do not take everything for granted, little problems always arise, and thus problem lead to a big problem some times

well that thing in the picture looks more like a Joke to me. because who in his right mind would purchase a block of tungsten to engrave with private keys, you can use a lot lighter metals and as a plate not a big ass block.
there is actually a reply on top of yours saying explaining this.
so you can use an stainless steel plate for this purpose and encrypt the private keys before engraving them.

Supercrypt

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Quote from: tiffyroman on May 10, 2016, 02:10:23 AM

Quote from: SilverPunk on May 10, 2016, 02:05:45 AM

Thank you for this info. I usually use USB sticks for storing files , i've been doing this for about 2 years .luckily my USB is still safe and not yet been formated or loose corrupted files .

So what's safe to use?

Wow I admire you that you have continuous use of your usb for 2 years. I can't use my usb for that long because my usb is always infected when I plug it in from a friend's pc to get some files Cry

There are multiple ways that you could have prevented your flash drive. I feel that you kind of ignored the fact that most flash drives are vulnerable to attacks and you just recklessly plugged yours in random PCs.
Do a little research and you'll see there are a lot of ways like maybe Panda USB Vaccine or ClamWin or any portable antivirus that you can install for your flash drive.

DimensionZ

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Shit, did I leave the stove on?

I think paper wallets are the golden standard when it comes to long-term cold storage of Bitcoins. If they are laminated they pretty much will be indestructible unless there is a fire but I don't think hardware wallets can withstand fire either. By the way it would be cool if we could get a business card sized piece of metal and etch the private keys on it. It would be very easy to move this card around when needed and you can literally store it in your wallet.

1Referee

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I am using USB sticks since very early 2013 when I bought my first coins at around $20-$25 and everything is working fine. Currently I have my wallet.dat files stored on 8 USB sticks and 3 HDD's. Each device holds all my wallet files, so if 1 USB stick for whatever reason stops working I still have 7 USB sticks and 3 HDD's where my wallet files are stored.

CoinsRoyal

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Quote from: Adrayrd on May 10, 2016, 02:21:01 AM

Is this thing true how can my files just disappear that's unbelievable. Why would somebody
don't use his/her usb stick for 4-8 years if there are privacy stuff on it. Don't think all your files
will disappear.

Yeah it just doesn't make very much sense, so the files just disappear out of nowhere from your usb that is very strange indeed. I just do not believe and I am going to try this out.

Amph

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Quote from: TookDk on May 10, 2016, 02:23:36 AM

Quote from: Amph on May 10, 2016, 02:20:59 AM

Quote from: TookDk on May 09, 2016, 12:46:04 PM

Engrave your private keys in a block of tungsten, basically indestructible.

the key is exposed too much in this way, not only because it is there well put on show, but because that thing is also heavy to carry around and big....

I think you are missing the point, if you are making a long term storage of your private key then is it properly not a good idea to either "put them on display" or carry them around.

there may be the need to move that thing at some point, maybe because you need those coins desperately, maybe because you are changing your appartement, that what i mean

do not take everything for granted, little problems always arise, and thus problem lead to a big problem some times

lastuser

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Quote from: Kakmakr on May 10, 2016, 12:37:58 AM

Quote from: Doms on May 09, 2016, 11:40:26 PM

Didn't know until now that USB sticks could become useless altogether after years on inactivity. Is this also applicable to the sticks which are produced in the last few years? I have yet to back up my wallet in any USBs so this is a great piece of advice that I just came across with, for future reference.

Magnetism wear off after a while and the media it is stored on also deteriorate after a few years. If you plug it in and leave it for a while, the magnetism will increase and it will last longer. Just use a offline computer when you doing this, or your data stored on the device could become infected or even collected by a hacker.

In any way, this is how it was explained to me. I hope the guy was not pulling this out of his ass. ^smile^

Data in USBs and SSDs are not stored using magnetism, they are rather, stored in tiny computer chips. This is also the main reason why most of them are very durable. However, a potential problem about USB and SSD is the limited read and write life which isn't an issue with low usage. The quality of the SSD or USB is important as it is directly related to the data retention of the media.

TookDk

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Quote from: Amph on May 10, 2016, 02:20:59 AM

Quote from: TookDk on May 09, 2016, 12:46:04 PM

Engrave your private keys in a block of tungsten, basically indestructible.

the key is exposed too much in this way, not only because it is there well put on show, but because that thing is also heavy to carry around and big....

I think you are missing the point, if you are making a long term storage of your private key then is it properly not a good idea to either "put them on display" or carry them around.

Adrayrd

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Activity: 271

Merit: 250

Is this thing true how can my files just disappear that's unbelievable. Why would somebody
don't use his/her usb stick for 4-8 years if there are privacy stuff on it. Don't think all your files
will disappear.

Amph

legendary

Activity: 3248

Merit: 1070

Quote from: TookDk on May 09, 2016, 12:46:04 PM

Engrave your private keys in a block of tungsten, basically indestructible.

the key is exposed too much in this way, not only because it is there well put on show, but because that thing is also heavy to carry around and big....

Cyaren

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Activity: 294

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Well, yes, they probably can lose data over time, as everything does.

Paper wallets are probably the safest since they are stored completely offline, but they are a nuisance when you want to access them again.

But Dropbox isn't a good idea... The company can close anytime, and there might be a hack in the system. Who knows?

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