Bitcoin Forum

I periodically re-install my computers from scratch. Right now I have transferred all my money to a paper wallet, which means that the wallets in my computers are empty.

Is there any reason for keeping a copy of the empty wallet in my computer when I re-install?

On the one side, if someone transfers (by mistake) bitcoins to one of the addresses I have generated with the empty wallet, that money will be lost forever. That's a reason to keep the wallet.

On the other side, as the wallet was in an online computer, there is a very small probability that it had been compromised. If this is the case, starting with a fresh new wallet seems a good idea.

Any thoughts? Do you keep your old wallets forever of you periodically generate new ones?

Thanks in advance ...

Start with a new one and backup the old one somewhere. Win/Win.
Maybe add all the old generated address as watch only on blockchain.info and if you notice a transaction then you can import the corresponding private key and move the coin in your new wallet.

I am not sure that I understand it correctly.


But usually I think that it is better to use an online wallet (more convenient, do not need to download the whole blockchain, safer if you use double authent.). So I would probably start a new online wallet on blockchain.info.

Apart from 2FA it's not safer than bitcoin-qt quite the opposite actually.

You're right. That's what I am going to do. Keeping a copy of the old one and generating a new one.

Backup them. Who knows? You may have some locked up on a faucet or something.