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diff --git a/doc/README b/doc/README index f66153a919..f72bca01f7 100644 --- a/doc/README +++ b/doc/README @@ -27,39 +27,44 @@ Unpack the files into a directory and run: 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. +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. +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. +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. +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: |