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diff --git a/doc/README b/doc/README index a4df4c227b..421c83cd53 100644 --- a/doc/README +++ b/doc/README @@ -24,6 +24,44 @@ Unpack the files into a directory and run: bin/64/bitcoin (GUI, 64-bit) bin/64/bitcoind (headless, 64-bit) + +Wallet Encryption +----------------- +Bitcoin supports native wallet encryption so that people who steal your wallet +file don't automatically get access to all of your Bitcoins. In order to enable +this feature, chose "Encrypt Wallet" from the Options menu. You will be prompted +to enter a passphrase, which will be used as the key to encrypt your wallet and +will be needed every time you wish to send Bitcoins. If you lose this passphrase, +you will lose access to spend all of the bitcoins in your wallet, no one, not even +the Bitcoin developers can recover your Bitcoins. This means you are responsible +for your own security, store your password in a secure location and do not forget +it. + +Remember that the encryption built into bitcoin only encrypts the actual keys +which are required to send your bitcoins, not the full wallet. This means that +someone who steals your wallet file will be able to see all the addresses which +belong to you, as well as the relevant transactions, you are only protected from +someone spending your coins. + +It is recommended that you backup your wallet file before you encrypt your wallet. +To do this, close the Bitcoin client and copy the wallet.dat file from ~/.bitcoin/ +on Linux, /Users/(user name)/Application Support/Bitcoin/ on Mac OSX, and +%APPDATA%/Bitcoin/ on Windows (that is /Users/(user name)/AppData/Roaming/Bitcoin on +Windows Vista and 7 and /Documents and Settings/(user name)/Application Data/Bitcoin +on Windows XP). Once you have copied that file to a safe location, reopen the +Bitcoin client and Encrypt your wallet. If everything goes fine, delete the backup +and enjoy your encrypted wallet. Note that once you encrypt your wallet, you will +never be able to go back to a version of the Bitcoin client older than 0.4. + +Keep in mind that you are always responsible for you own security. All it takes is a +slightly more advanced wallet-stealing trojan which installs a keylogger to steal +your wallet passphrase as you enter it in addition to your wallet file and you have +lost all your Bitcoins. Wallet encryption cannot keep you safe if you do not practice +good security, such as running up-to-date antivirus software, only entering your +wallet passphrase in the Bitcoin client and using the same passphrase only as your +wallet passphrase. + + See the documentation at the bitcoin wiki: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Main_Page |