Bitcoin Forum

I'm looking for something that's safe of course.
Working with Windows.

Thanks

There’s the electrum wallet which is one of the best software available. But if you’re looking for something safe then I will advise you go for something like a cold wallet either the hardware wallets or an airgapped wallet. An airgapped wallet can be set up with electrum but be sure that the device has never come online before and would not. It is also worth mentioning that window OS are not much advisable compared to Linux because of malware issues usually too frequent with Windows.

another good PC wallet for bitcoin is the bitcoin core; which is suitable for privacy sake and sparrow wallet

Either electrum or Bitcoin core works for me.

How safe it is depends on how you use it, starting with verifying it when downloading, here's how to - https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5240594.msg54223763#msg54223763

Electrum or Sparrow. They are both good wallet.

https://electrum.org/
https://sparrowwallet.com/

Bitcoin Core for privacy sake and should be connected with Tor. But you can also use wallet like Electrum or Sparrow to connect to your own server or node for privacy sake.

Running your own node will take almost 500 gigabyte of data to download the full blockchain. Also it may take up to 10 gigabyte of data daily to keep updating the blockchain.

A lot of us on here likely use Electrum as our go-to desktop wallet.  And, it does the job pretty well for bitcoin.  but maybe you're after some other features Electrum doesn't have, like being able to hold altcoins too. and  If that's you, then Electrum just wont cut it anymore and you gotta scout out another option instead.   

Why not change your operating system to Linux it is better due to the fact that it is more open source than windows.

Electrum would be a great wallet to use as mentioned by Charles-Tim. Since the matter of security cannot be over emphasized I suggest you make that your PC setup an air gapped one to reduce chances of hack especially if the amount of Bitcoin you are hodling is large

As Charles-Tim said, Sparrow is a great wallet. It has multiple features that you will find useful.

1. Built-in coinjoin using whirlpool.
2. Very good UI.
3. Timelock, RBF, CPFP and much more.
4. Brilliant documentation online. One of the easiest to read.
5. Great support, especially on Telegram.
6. Great development, fully open-source.

Finally, my favorite thing: connection to your own node without the need for an electrum server. Simply connects to Bitcoin Core with literally 2 clicks.

I have no relation with Sparrow of course, but I really love it.

Electrum is fantastic too!

I use the Electrum wallet to carry out daily transactions but to store larger and longer bitcoins then use a cold wallet so it will be safer than a hotwallet.

Windows? I also use this OS on the PC that I own and it remains safe, as long as you pay attention to how secure the PC is so that it doesn't get attacked by any viruses and you have to be aware of that.

Actually there are many wallets that support Windows.

If you are not willing to change the OS you use to something safer like Linux, and it seems you do not as you specified that you wanted a wallet that works with Windows, then you need to get a hardware wallet, hardware wallets are ideal for someone like you that is using an insecure OS like Windows but still want to secure their coins to the best of their abilities, with Ledger and Trezor being the two most popular options in the market of hardware wallets.

The subject of the thread actually shows that the OP is only interested in bitcoin only wallet as he stated if there but if he is actually considering the Altcoins then there is the unstoppable wallet I think.


Yes the windows is actually not a great OS for bitcoin wallets but even with Linux I don’t think the OP is secure as long as it is an online wallet. For maximum security the hardware should be the best option for OP because even airgap wallet set up needs it knowledge and if the OP isn’t that knowledgeable in that regards, the set up might have some flaws.

Together with the safest wallet that will be recommended to you, do not fail on your own side to be safety conscious since you now have a laptop with your bitcoin wallet, and now at risk of being hacked.
- Be careful of the links you click on the internet and links sent via emails'
- Learn to turn off your computer occasionally because
^{source (http://hhttps://www.businessnewsdaily.com/11213-secure-computer-from-hackers.html)}

- Use encryption to hide information from hackers.
Even if cybercriminals gain access to your network and files, computer encryption can prevent them from accessing that information. You can encrypt your Windows or macOS hard drive.
^{source (http://hhttps://www.businessnewsdaily.com/11213-secure-computer-from-hackers.html)}


- Try to always be informed about new methods used by cybercriminals, so you can always be a step ahead.

Choose your wallet, for Windows. Use filter for Windows )Desktop wallet) and find it.
https://bitcoin.org/en/choose-your-wallet

New or Experienced. I choose New filter for you.
Coin control, Fee, Bech32, Segwit support.

You will have this filter page and get the wallet: Electrum.
https://bitcoin.org/en/choose-your-wallet?step=5&platform=windows&user=beginner&important=control,fees&features=bech32,segwit

[GUIDE] How to Safely Download and Verify Electrum (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5240594.0)

Electrum would be best, but security depends on you and how you want to secure it. Electrum is easy to use since you don't have to download the whole Bitcoin blockchain, but it's non-custodial. Just make sure you are downloading the original version from the official sources. Even when updates are necessary, just use the official source instead of notifications inside apps. A better option is to buy a hardware wallet, which is more secure if you can afford it. Don't forget about a strong backup offline.

windows should be bought officially . then you can go with any widely known wallet.

Guy Electrum is best for all the devices to save Bitcoin but the transaction fee is one trying to discourage people to use it. Most people now are using Centralized exchange to receive pay and trade. Bluewallet will also be a good one to use though I have not used it but in most of the the books and articles I have read it is bluewallet that they are using for example. But the most popular desktop wallet is Electrum.

Electrum is a beginners friendly app or software.

Tx fees has nothing to do with the wallet you use to make the tx, all the wallet does is estimate what could be an appropriate fee, but since some wallets are 'bad' at estimating the fee, you should check mempool.space before making your tx. You pay tx fees to the miners and this fee is not set or fixed by any particular person or any wallet software, it is the 'network' that determines the fee, in the sense that if the mempool is congested fee rate will rise, but if it is less congested fee rate will drop.
Anyone using a custodial wallet to store their funds doesn't understand BTC and how it should be used, not to talk of the risks in using a custodial wallet to store funds, i guess people do not just learn.

Centralized Exchanges are not Wallets.  They are custodial options for your Coins and surely do not make for the BEST Bitcoin Wallets.

The best Bitcoin Wallet is one that has the features you like and need with an User Interface you can understand.  But the most important part of it all is the Wallet being NON Custodial.  Do not hold your Coins on a Centralized Exchange.  This can end up badly.  It happened many times before.  Try not to be another victim.

I see a lot of forum members are recommending electrum and it is very understandable. I've been using Electrum for several years now, I have to say that it is a reliable PC wallet. the only issue I had with it was sometimes it would not open despite the task manager showing that it was running, but that was in the past and the issue has now been fixed(the issue was I didn't update my electrum to the newest version for a while).

At the top of every section, you see the "News" side of this page and it says Bitcoin core's latest version. That's already one.

Next is another famous wallet which is Electrum. Now, the struggle of other newbies is they don't download from the official website. An advise is to visit bitcoin.org and from there, the official website is written if you don't know it yet.

If you'll search through google, make sure you check the correct spelling and letters.

Electrum wallet still works perfectly fine for most users that just wants to keep the basic functionality of a wallet without having to download the whole blockchain. Your wallet is only as secure as your device, and if you use your device for something that is questionable security-wise, then you are asking for your wallet to be compromised. Better use a device that you don't download a lot of stuff and keep it there. Also, use a strong password for your wallet file, too, for it to not be compromised should someone else get your file through any means.

I have read so many concerning bitcoin and when a question of this kind comes concerning a preferable wallet that can be use to keep your bitcoin, some said its non custodial wallet that is more good for someone to keep the bitcoin so that the person will not have a missing coin for his wallet, because I do hear that some people do misplaced their bitcoin in the wallet and I began to think how possible its for someone to loss he or her bitcoin in her wallet, maybe some of the wallet lacks a security and that is why many people do recommend a wallet that you can not penetrate to its security, that means none custodial wallet is also an Electrum wallet, if I'm mistaken someone should correct, I stand to be corrected because we are still learning

Just use a wallet that people have been using for a long time. Electrum is one of the wallets that used by people here since 2011. Electrum also has a special board (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=98.0) here which you can ask for anything problem there. I used electrum since I was registered here, and keep my bitcoin (from signature) there without a problem. Just follow what people suggest such as How to Safely Download and Verify Electrum (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5240594.0), then, you will be save. 

Using a self custodial wallet does not automatically mean that your funds are safe, and it is worth mentioning that there are so many self custodial wallets that are not recommended, for example: Trust wallet or Atomic wallet, asides from being self custodial, you should make sure your wallet has an open source code.
There is no 100% security, your funds will be better secured if you have good opsec and store it in a safe enviroment. If you use a recommended wallet online or in an unsafe enviroment, your funds in it is still prone to hacking.

Maybe those who use exchange wallets to receive salary from signatures or trading want to easily cash out to fiat then they use exchanges, but if for long-term investment then avoid exchanges it will be dangerous if the exchange gets problems in the future.

Yes Eletcrum is windows user friendly, my OS uses both to see some transactions received from signature campaigns but for real BTC investment then use hardware (trezor) so one day I will move from electrum to hardware for security.

As for Bluewallet wallet it is only for android OS and IOS not available for desktop version, while OP is looking for windows version then it is better electrum.

I understand your plight and why people go ahead and store their funds on centralized exchanges. It is better to wait for your transaction to be confirmed while using a non-custodian wallet than receiving funds or storing funds in a centralized exchange because you want to run away from high transaction fees. It is just better to wait than fall victim of losing your funds to a centralized exchange.


Many people know about it but you can’t convince all. Some people are use to been negligence of their funds, while some see it as a bearable risk to be taken, it is definitely a risk not to be taken. It doesn’t spell well about a bitcoin professional, or someone claiming to know well about bitcoin. Prevention is always and will always be better than cure.

I would vouch for Electrum on this as well.

A very light wallet, memory wise and also fast and easy to use. I think it's quite popular and well-known so you wouldn't make a mistake choosing Electrum
Of course you have many good alternatives but my expereience with Electrum was good and I think it has everything you need.

The problem with that is OP needs to set up the whole environment for Linux right? And if OP doesn't have the basic knowledge about Linux then he's going to have a problem. Although I do agree that Electrum is the best one to use for PC and that air gap would be a necessity. Also, OP needs to understand that the PC should be brand new because you never know what's lurking in that 2nd hand PC that you've brought online or wherever you've bought that PC.

those who still hold Bitcoin and other assets on exchanges are beginners. or maybe there is a need for trading in a short time. I'm sure to this day there are still traders who do it. but those who are experienced will of course withdraw their assets to their personal wallet after completing their needs on the exchange.

now I use Electrum on my PC. It is quite light and very easy to operate. I have tried several wallets but I think Electrum is the most suitable for me.
but I'm sure some people still use wallets such as Trust Wallet or Safepal which have a relationship with an exchange.

Yes, I use them too, besides the ones you mentioned. Electrum Wallet also has a lot of additional security features to keep the Bitcoins I own safe, and this makes it one of the most secure software wallets out there, in my opinion.
And Electrum wallet is very popular and most people use Electrum, but it all depends on the comfort and security they use and also what they need because there are many other good ones besides Electrum which I think is the best.

Do this.  Buy a cheap laptop like this

https://www.ebay.com/itm/256107606309?

open it. load this program

https://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

do not open it
 until you unplug the lap top from the internet.

then find the windows key copy the key  on paper and photo the key with your cell phone.

then you can fully reinstall a completely new windows on the ssd.

put in the key and you have clean windows. I personally would open and pull that ssd and drop in a new ssd.

not sure if this laptop is a sata ssd or an m2 ssd.

I would then load linux to it.

Think of that laptop as a high end wallet.  but cost is well under 200 bucks.

This is not true, BlueWallet is a desktop wallet, but it is available on MacOS, though it is not available on windows, and like you said it is available on mobile for both Android and IOS.
Electrum wallet is self custodial and a well reviewed open source wallet, making it a recommended option to hold BTC, but take note that your wallet is only as secure as the device that you use it on, meaning if you use your Electrum wallet in an unsafe environment, your funds are prone to hacking. Electrum also has features such as setting up a multisig wallet or extending your seed phrase with a passphrase for better security of your funds.

I agree with the hardware wallet route, particularly Trezor accessed via their Web App,
there is also a downloadable desktop app too.

I know everyone has vouched for Electrum but I think a Trezor offers a bit more flexibility
in that the wallet is portable and nothing is actually stored on the PC eventhough accessing
the wallet is through the desktop.

So here's mine.

PC/Bitcoin
•Electrum

Multi-coins(chain based)
•Metamask
•Trustwallet

As long it would be non custodial and you do have the possession of its keys.

Hardware wallet
•Tangem


Reminders: No matter how good those wallets are, or you do possess its keys it would be totally useless
if you arent that mindful or careless with your phrase or keys then you are really that still in risks.
Sometimes people are way too careless with their keys, its neither they had forgotten or simply they had just been exposed into other people.
They would really be just become that mindful when the damage has been done already.

If by missing of bitcoin you mean the wallet is hacked then you’re correct even with a non custodial wallet that gives you your key or seed phrase you can still lose your funds. One of the easiest ways of losing funds while using a wallet is by saving your keys or seed on online places like password mangers or email, or storing your funds on device that goes online always (always connected to the internet) this way you can easily expose your keys or seeds to hackers either through phishing or malware. Another example is when storing it offline you store it in a place where it could get exposed once another person gets access to the seed phrase or key they have access to wallet.


Yes for long term bitcoin holding you can simply use cold wallet like Trezor. But electrum it self can be set up to be like an hardware wallets that is when you airgapped them. The device used must have not touch the the internet before and would never do that. This way you can have a wallet as equal as the hardware wallets if it is set up properly

You can use electrum but if you want to be super safe you will need to do a cold storage type of setup. Basically take an old laptop you never use , take out the blue tooth and WiFi adapter inside it, install electrum on both your online and offline PC.

What you do is make a wallet on the offline Pc and use it as a watching address on the online PC. When you want to make a transaction, make a transaction on the online Pc and then send it by usb physically to the offline Pc to sign and then back to the online Pc to broadcast.

Go on YouTube or go to electrum threads and it will teach you how to do this. It’s free pretty much since you probably got an old laptop somewhere.

I will rather go with Electrum wallet, because I don't want to download and sync the whole blockchain data, that's going to be costly for someone with limited internet data, with Electrum wallet there is no need, and it's a non-custodial wallet too.

The safety of your wallet depends on how you secured its private key or phrases, make sure that you don't share it with anyone, keep it offline in a safe location, avoid cloud storage and email account.

Just so you know, hardware wallet is still much safer than PC wallets and smartphone crypto wallets, if you have some money you should order for a hardware wallet.

What do you mean? There is no need to download the whole blockchain for any wallet. You must download the whole blockchain if you want to connect to your own node, which is not a must in order for it to work, but it is a must if you want to be private and don't share address data with another one's node. I understand the limited internet data or the disk space issue, but I would go for a node no matter how many days it would take to sync the chain.

Aside my knowledge of your intentional wallet exchange features, then I must recommend you with Electrum because it is best safer to my ends at usage.
I should be on the taking that you decides basically on the wallets popularities because that is where you can figure some reliances.

I also learnt that PC windows are considered to supporting some of these exchange wallets so if you could find a reliable exchange and your PCs window is seemed a barrier then you should install the appropriate one instead of missing out to your reliability all because of a PCs windows differences.

Hey there! It seems like this isn't the right place to talk about Bitcoin wallets. There's a specific subforum for that called "Wallet Software" (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=37.0) You might want to move this topic there. Alternatively, you could try "Beginners & Help" (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=39.0) since beginners often ask questions like these.

Btw, if you're looking for Bitcoin wallet recommendations for Windows, you can check out https://bitcoin.org/en/choose-your-wallet. Just pick a few options that suit your needs, and the site will recommend the best wallet for you.

Personally, I'd recommend Electrum. It has better specs and features compared to other wallets out there. There's also a sub space in this forum to discuss everything about Electrum (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=98.0), making it easier for you to get help if you run into any issues. Plus, you'll find some handy security tips shared by other members here.

Electrum and Sparrow are the go-to, as other people have already mentioned. The built-in wallet inside Bitcoin Core also works.

Besides that, there is also Unstoppable wallet for mobile but since you asked for PC wallets, I'm going to leave at out.

PS: For your own safety, try to only access it on a Linux system as described here:


There's way too much malware floating around on Windows to trust it with anything sensitive like your crypto.

Electrum, Bitcoin core, sparrow, blue wallet and so on, the problem isn't using this wallet but how vulnerable windows operating OS can be, I don't like windows for this reason, running a crypto wallet on a PC that you use for browsing or connecting to online is risky, anything can happen, mistakes can be made.

I prefer running a Linux OS and a crypto wallet, this OS is better in privacy and security terms, and also I will like to advice you to use your PC less when running a wallet on the PC, make sure you use a separate PC for browsing and downloading stuffs online, even a small jpeg downloaded can infect your PC with malware.

Why not just get a hardware wallet OP? I believe this will set you up for good, no need to be careful visiting links and website, your coins will be stored offline and you can use your PC for everything you want.

People gave some suggestions and Electrum definitely got the most votes. But you need to know one thing that the safety of your bitcoins is not completely determined by any wallet but by you . Even if you own hardware wallets , if you don't know how to secure them and use them carelessly, your bitcoins will not be safe. Especially if you plan to store bitcoins on a computer that is constantly connected online. You should save up and buy yourself a hardware wallet, which I recommend you consider.

https://i.ibb.co/rsCf5RJ/a.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/8mJ9Zfr/b.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/3rN6CqX/wl-1.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/Scs0yKP/wl-2.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/pZk3KHZ/wl-3.jpg

https://bitcoin.org/en/choose-your-wallet

It's hilarious watching so many people recommend switching over from one OS to another OS just because of a Bitcoin wallet. Every OS is plagued by malware and other issues to a certain extent.

Stick to Windows op since its security options are great overall and go with Electrum which gets the job done.

Wasabi Wallet is available for Windows and it provides the best privacy in Bitcoin.  Your xpub address is never leaked thanks to client side block filters, your IP address is never leaked thanks to Tor being enabled by default, and your on chain transactions can't be tracked thanks to the innovative WabiSabi coinjoin protocol.

I recommend bitcoin core itself if you have the necessary system to run it and there's no problem at all today because the PCs are updated and cheap unlike before. If you want convenient and easy to use or fastest, you can use Electrum, I've been using it for the last years and I never found any problem with it. Just use your common sense and learn all the necessary things to prevent yourself to be hack or to be fooled by those people who let you install malware in the form of useful apps.

You are right, it is undeniable that the Linux operating system is an open source operating system and is more secure than windows but that does not mean that it will not be attacked or immune to viruses and we will be completely safe. Whether Bitcoin or our data is safe or not, it all depends on our usage.
I have been using Windows for over 15 years and am using Electrum on my computer and I have never had any problems. So OP doesn't need to switch to another operating system and instead learn how to secure bitcoin and computer security.

Just as others are pointing you to the Electrum and Sparrow, I'd say they are both good wallet software for PCs, but after you have set up your wallet and have your address and secret phrases, if you are not going to be using the wallet as a hot Bitcoin wallet, then it's wise to also allow the wallet to be on your PC, which you normally use to log on to the internet. Hackers are always active in launching attacks, so if you want to keep a cold wallet, there is no need to keep the wallet logged in on your device. After creating the wallet, just keep your secret phrase safe, and then your public wallet should be kept in a place you can easily reach it any time you want to make a deposit to that address.

As many others have mentioned, Electrum seem to be the most popular purely digital based wallet.  I've used it in conjunction with my hardware wallets as well, though for me the easiest /safest strategy is simply using a Trezor hardware wallet.  I know ColdCards are quite popular as well if you're looking for a bitcoin only type of wallet. 

Also, I like the Trezor T model best.  It's got a nice little touchscreen on it.

If you are looking for a secure cold wallet for PC then you can use Electrum. This wallet is definitely very safe for your money, and there are other Windows wallets that are just as secure to use. Moreover, if you need a wallet to keep your money very safe, then you can use hardware wallets, they are more secure. So if you are using hardware wallet it will be best and I suggest you to use it as it is not likely to get hacked. And if you want to setup Electrum wallet on Windows then of course you should do it offline it will be most safe for you. If you set up your device offline then malware virus can attack you which can be fatal for wallet, that's why you don't do it online is risky online. So you should keep this in mind never take online help to setup Electrum wallet otherwise there may be various problems.

And if we use smartphones and if Android and iOS are not safe to use bitcoin wallet then which operating system should we switch to? :D :D Currently, Windows is still the most popular operating system. If it's true as people say, isn't every computer using Windows in danger? I used to use win XP and am currently using win11 but have never been attacked, is it because I'm lucky or have hackers abandoned me? It all depends on how we use it, our safety does not depend on any operating system, don't blame the operating system when we protect our bitcoins poorly.

it has been said of all above that I am for Electrum as i have been using this for years now(but with my small amount of course because i certainly use off line wallet) so either Electrum or best advise is to use ledger for more safer , just transfer in your online wallet once there is a need to trade or something similar to use.
well its good point that needs for him to address .

I don't know if it's been pointed out already but OP, you need to have a clean computer for an added layer of protection, you never know what's lurking in your computer so you either clean your old computer and you find all the stuff that shouldn't be there yourself or you buy or build a new one but if you build your computer on Linux, I think even if you don't do much of a clean up, you will probably be good. Linux is pretty intensive for a casual computer user but it's the best option next to Windows so do try the recommendation of the other replies to do it in Linux. For the wallet, it's always going to be Electrum.

The elctrum wallet is still the best to use, even if there is no ledger or hardware wallet that can be purchased. In my experience, since 2017 I have been using it, and so far I have not really faced any problems with it as long as you know how to use it correctly.

As long as you always update your electrum apps on desktop, don't use them on mobile because they are always prone to hackers. Mobile apps on electrum, unlike those on desktop, seem to be safer, according to the time I experienced.

I suggest you to use Electron wallet, as you can see everyone's here in thread replies are also suggesting this wallet because it is the most popular bitcoin wallet, also it is very easy and convenient to use without any hard wallet needed, But if you really need a secured and looking for a safest way to keep your coins, I suggest you to use a hardware wallet because it has a high level of security since it is not connected in the internet which we all know that the potential hacking attack is happens often if you're using an online wallet.

I don't understand, why using Electrum on a mobile device is more vulnerable to hacker attacks than a desktop or laptop? I'm not using Electrum but I am using Bluewallet for iOS and I feel they are more secure when I use them on my computer. I think there is no difference whether it is a computer or phone version, what matters is how safely we use our devices. If you don't install unofficial apps or visit strange links, you should be safe. If you want maximum safety, you should use an airgapped device.

I like electrum. I like trezor.

They work well and are fairly safe.

electrum is one of the reliable wallet for pc, i used it and it was familiar to me so i suggested it. and if asking about security that all of depends on you how much you are careful to use your pc. if you have good amount in bitcoins you can use Trezor Hardware Wallet,

Even if this is better than the alternative this is not enough, even if you were to download Windows from the official source and you bought the license to use it, Windows itself is simply too insecure and hackers are always trying to find vulnerabilities on it as it is the most popular desktop OS used by people in general, and if someone wants to keep using Windows then they need to get a hardware wallet, which are relatively inexpensive compared to the price a person may have to pay if they get hacked.

I have been using electrum ever since, and I do not find any problem using it.  Aside from Electrum, there are also several wallets that can be used on PCs with windows operation like the one in this list[1].  These wallets are also available in MAC and Linux systems.  Btw, I suggest that you visit the link to check for the wallet features like the availability of 2fa, being a full node, lightining network ready and so on.

---

[1] https://bitcoin.org/en/wallets/desktop/windows/?platform=windows&step=5

Even as simple as the normal wallets, like trust wallet, I think it is safe because anything going wrong depends on you. Every wallet gives you your private key which they ask you to store as you will lose your funds once you lose it. By losing it, it doesn’t have to be vanished but losing it to someone is enough to lose your funds. There are people who have used simple wallets the whole time and have never faced any security issues, yes they are.

Slightly true. Of course, there are still normal wallets in app stores that are indeed legitimate wallets or applications, but the thing is, we can't be sure if their security is super safe or not. Some wallets are targets by malicious hackers because they know that they can hit a jackpot of a wallet that has weak security, which is a chance that they are looking and targeting, so it's still better to find a trusted, reliable, and strong security, not just any wallet, and match it with a security done by a user, which is guaranteed to be safer storage of assets. So it's reliable to look for reviews and ratings before choosing a wallet, and also search first for their legitimacy and security level to ensure the safety of the assets. 

Electrum is the best wallet of all time. It’s the safest windows wallet possible and believe me 90% of the Bitcoin users using this for past many years. It’s just the best and gives complete access to your funds unlike other online wallets. There are some few windows wallets available like exodus which provides more features, but regarding the trust and security, then no one can surpass electrum in this. Try Electrum and and keep your coins safely.

Well majority of the comments here choose Electrum Desktop wallet well it's a very good wallet, however you have to be very careful when using it for transactions and protect your PC with a very strong Antivirus else it's very risky, let me share one of the experience of using Electrum wallet on my laptop unknowingly I was exposed and  vulnerable to some phishing links it took my extra effort to be aware of the attack on laptop I discovered that whenever I wanted to send Bitcoin to another person after coping the receiver BTC Address while pasting on my Electrum wallet I discovered that it's another unknown BTC Address was pasted hadn't it been I was unaware or notice it I would have send the Bitcoin to an hacker so be careful when performing your BTC transactions.

Just going to add on to what many already suggested. Electrum. By far the best to start on. Lightweight and functional, you will really get to grips with using Bitcoin in various ways. Even with defaults you're se up in seconds, with all functionalities ready. It helps you understand basics like coin control, fees, RBF, even signing from your address.

Start there and move on to other wallets when you know what you need. I really can't say enough how good it is fir the beginner, and how quick it is to patch (rare) vulnerabilities.

Electrum wallet is my mainstay desktop wallet for transactions and storage, but remember to be safer, use original Windows, not uncertified ones, and also use a strong password for your wallet file, so it's not easily compromised.

no you don't just use a laptop for 1 purpose run electrum on it.

use laptops are cheap enough. 

Electrum wallet seems to still be the best choice for me I've used Electrum for as long as I know and I haven't had any issues with it so far. Experienced multiple transfers from different hardwares as I tend to upgrade frequently and I still have yet to experience any problem so far. It's also quite the feature-packed wallet as it has everything you need as a wallet user. If you're using a hot wallet on the other hand, try using trustwallet cause it's just as secure (at least for me) and you can access it through your phone at the same time so you can get to those fast-paced transactions which you might need every now and again, just be wary of your password and seed phrase as it's still as vulnerable as anything that can be hacked.

With Antiviruses, I wouldn't bother using anything else other than microsoft defender. I don't trust these aftermarket antiviruses enough to allow them to be downloaded on the same PC where my coins are downloaded. Plus nine times out of ten every other thing you need from an antivirus is readily available with microsoft defender, and these aftermarket antiviruses are just nothing but bloatware to your PC which may sometimes even slow it down.

Using a cold wallet is good when holding BTC, you can check out Bitget wallet it works perfectly on PC and can also use the extension on browsers.

Ok, Electrum (https://electrum.org/), Sparrow (https://sparrowwallet.com/) and Bitcoin Core (https://bitcoin.org/en/bitcoin-core/) are top notch. I really don't see any other option anywhere near them. I have opened this topic (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5449406.0) in the past, in case it helps, to compare Electrum with Sparrow.

Hardware wallets are no longer safe since Ledger claim that they can extract your seed if they want with just an update and even if you didnt update your wallet they
may do it without your permission in the moment you connect to internet i think Electrum or bitcoincore on airgaped computer or phone will be the best way to go

Hi. Hardware wallets are perfectly fine if used properly. Ledger wallets are not. But thankfully, they are not the only ones available out there.

FTFY.. and yes, Ledger is one company who seems to have been screwing up in a lot of ways in recent times, and even showing that it is likely better to not be trusting closed-sourced wallets.. and I am not going to claim to know the exact solution because I do personally rely on the abilities of others to review open source code and open source systems.

Electrum wallet has to be the best software wallet out there alongside with sparrow wallet. But most of the people choose to use electrum as their fast priority. It is already a great Bitcoin wallet but you can add an extra layer of protection if you can make the device air gapped. I have come to learn about this very recently but it is something so good that the security becomes really unbreakable.
As long as you don't compromise your secret key phrase, you are safe as well as your assets. It is cheaper than hardware wallets as you can build one using low and PC brought from many marketplaces. All you need to do is make sure that the device cannot connect to the internet.

Ahh, I would vote for the hardware wallet. It is one time investment that can actually help you with your coins in perfect way possible. Like you can make your safe passage of storing for as long as you want because with software wallet we all get bad experiences all the time. I am not saying they are completely bad but having device with your software wallet installed on it can get compromised in no time. There is internet connectivity, phishing attempts, updates that could lead to more bugs and what not. All of them may not happen but something can always turn out to be disturbing with software wallets. In case of hard Wallet they are safe, they are only connected when you connect them with external networks. This makes it as extra layer of security. They can be kept secure in safe place without any external connectedness thus making them more safer from phishing attempts. If you still want then you can go for Bitcoin core or trust wallet from my side.

I'd say it depends on the amount of money you're holding. Personally I find Electrum to be the best desktop wallet. I've been using it for many years with no issues.
The second best is the wallet that I use on my phone and that's BlueWallet. While Electrum is nice on windows, I find it to be harder to use on mobile. Blue is open source and encrypted, so whether you use this or that is up to your preferences but both will be safe and stable.

If you don't hold a lot of money and use bitcoin for payments you could do fine with many different wallets, like coinomi, or even exchange wallets like the one provided by coinbase. Just remember these are not for holding. If you want to store more than 1 btc for a year or so, get a hardware wallet.

Hands down Electrum is the absolute best wallet. It is open source and I can only recommend using open source wallets, otherwise you are gambling on the hope that your trust will not be betrayed- and it will be. Just look at how shady Ledger has become. If they won't trust you enough to show the code, then why should you trust their app enough to let it hold your money?

Furthermore, Electrum has been tested and tried since 2011. That alone should give you a sense of deep security.