I hope the full Bitcoin client implements a more faulty tolerant database engine before bigger blocks are released otherwise it becomes tedious to maintain.

Put all private keys in privkeys.txt, one private key per line.

On Linux:
vi btcimport.sh and turn the last "false" to "true" in order to reindex after the last import
Then ./btcimport.sh

On Windows:
notepad btcimport.bat and turn the last "false" to "true" in order to reindex after the last import
on prompt, run btcimport.bat

I tested the generation script only - haven't tried to run the importprivkey bash/batch script itsself, it's possible that you have to adapt the script for your system.

1. Microsoft will still keep the majority of users because most users will accept this or even doesn't care. Look at some smartphones like iPhone, look at the tablets: the concept of dictating the user what to do with his own machine works pretty well.
2. As long as TPM doesn't get enforced that way; yes, Linux could get a boost from geeks abandoning Windows because of this but Linux won't take over because most users don't care.

No matter if Windows 10 is spyware or not, I don't think Microsoft has an incentive to steal an user's wallet but once when you're storing the wallet in the cloud unencrypted by your own, an employee could snatch the private key without you having any proof.

Since Windows 8, a paradigm change was introduced in a subtle way which is more than just spying around. It's the fact that Windows 8 and Windows 10 imports the well-accepted "app" concept for smartphones to the desktop, which includes mandatory phone-home and enforced signatures (it means: not being able to install arbitrary (unsigned) programs called "apps").
Despite the ability to turn off enforced signatures for apps in Windows 10 for now (it's called "developer mode"), Microsoft could take the next step soon, trying to apply the enforced signature concept to classic programs once it's widely accepted as well on desktop PCs.
Once when 99% of the users doesn't want to being able to run unsigned software, Microsoft could do the final step in removing the opt-out option for enforced signatures without having to deal with complaints, requiring you to jailbreak your own desktop PC in order to run unapproved software.

This concept could be enforced even on Linux if the future hardware components are forcing you to use TPM (Trusted Computing Module) - hopefully this will never happen.

Most of the security is coming from brain.exe using a suitable security concept.

I think of like this (note: all values are guessed for showcase, everyone who wants to adopt it should tune it to his/her own need):

Impact in case of compromise -	Paradigm -	Security measurements -	Estimated risk to get compromised anyways (per 3 month span) -	|Example usage
Very high.	Dedicated hardware. Only required software running (KISS principe). Open source when possible.	No direct internet connection. Full system encryption. Checking all available signatures. Advanced backup strategy.	0.05%	Large offline wallets
High.	Dedicated system for a specific task. Only well-known software running. Open source prefered.	Limited and whitelist internet connection. Full system encryption. Checking hashes if provided on the site. Flash, JavaApplets, and WebFonts disabled, JavaScript limited. Basic backup strategy.	0.5%	Gambling site backend administration.
Medium.	System for doing common tasks. Only known software running, no experiments. No really sensitive data on system.	Partial limited and monitored internet connection. Partial or full encryption. Flash, JavaApplets only upon request (ClickToPlay). WebFonts disabled, JavaScript and Ads constrained. Decent slim antivirus. Basic backup strategy.	5% (7.5% without antivirus)	Online banking with 2FA.
Low.	No sensitive data at all.	Antivirus for reducing system reinstalls per year. Desktopfirewall for reducing risk of being a vic-socks.	50% (99% without antivirus)	Warez, moviez & gaming only PC.

I have a strategy similar to this with partial usage of virtualization. When using Windows, I use Microsoft Security Essentials which is sufficient because malware bypassing this couldn't do too much harm.

Don't forget to keep records of everything. The taxing and AML office could ask you where all the money is coming from.

Windows defender in conjunction with brain.exe is sufficient.

brain.exe is the most important protection that runs in your brain, because when the malware is modified with a FUD crypter, no antivirus will protect you.
Don't bother installing a bundle like Norton; it just slows down your computer.

I would not think about it if someone pays $7 or even $70 for a cam show.
But $700 is already looking crazy for me and $7000 is a amount which I think there's a bigger story behind this.

My two guesses are:
a. the guy didn't know about the costs before "accepting" the contract.
b. amorousness is involved.

I use Windows where it just has to work.

• Laptop: I can't aford to fiddle around just to get things work when I'm on travel. Some free-standing lodges away from popular tourist destinations I visited only have mobile connected internet. The mobile connection is usually etablished with an USB stick which primarily runs on Windows.
• Gaming.
• When dealing with work related stuff: I need 100% compatibility with *.docx *.xlsx *.pptx *.vsd files, not 99,9%.

I use Linux where I want confidence and privacy: for personal things.

Don't join a dating site. Why:

• Often, a dating site has much many males than females
• Even a verified but ugly women gets more private messages then she's able to answer properly
• Danger of loosing money due to the boys who are doing ewhoring
• Sometimes even the operators are faking "verified" girl profiles in order to get you stay there ...
• ... until you get locked out off your account if you don't pay for "premium" features, just before your first "date"
• Finally: no girl really needs a dating site to find a nice guy

It's possible in some stores in some countries to register an USB wifi device to a random address.
When done, the criminal could go on with his live CD launched MAC altered laptop and lock in himself in the public toilet of a large train station and start his ransom over additional anonymous VPN protection.
Selling bitcoins is easy for criminals too, mixer then localbitcoins.
This is how a criminal can get away with his ransom and this is one valid point how bitcoin gets his reputation straight into the hell.

Where your friend is located?
In some countries the prisoner has to burden the costs for the imprisonment if too much money is left on the bank account. If this is true for your friend, keeping (too much) fiat money is the wrong choice.

1. Martyrs ( 2008, Uncut, Genre: Horror slasher with psych terror )
2. Requiem for a dream ( 2000, Uncut, Genre: Drama )
3. The silence of the lambs ( 1991, Genre: Psych thriller )

The movie Fight club ( 1999, Genre: Crime & Drama ) was also a good one but it didn't get it in the top 3 because the approach Tyler Durden has chosen to make the world better looks too naive and infantile for me.

The worst windows versions I used for at least 1 week:

1. Windows 98 (both FE and SE)
This drove me nuts as hell. Had this OS at work and it crashed almost every day. It was easy to mess up, properly booting up an old system required 5 tries on average.

2. Windows XP SP0
I tried XP as a dual boot system besides my Windows 2000 which I really liked. The shiny new Windows XP which hadn't any service pack yet felt more colorful and more enhanced than Windows 2000 but XP SP0 was slow, was overloaded and blue screened at random.

3. Windows Server 2012 (first releases; 2012 looks like Windows 8 )
I never connected in full screen mode because I didn't want the window to occupy my whole screen. The early versions had the start button missing which brought me fiddly times to get the mouse in the left bottom corner just in order to open the start menu. No, I couldn't use the "windows key" on my keyboard because it worked in full screen only. In windowed mode, it just opens the start menu on the host computer.


Best windows versions: Windows 2000, Windows XP SP3, Windows 7.

I think the best and easiest for you is to start with is Virtual Box and Whonix for use in virtual machines (Gateway and Workstation). You can use VPN on the host computer and NAT your virtualized Whonix gateway over VPN. I haven't tested it but it's a good start and should work (I can't get too deep in detail because I use another customized solution).

After you got a bit familiar, don't stop being curious how this whole thing works. Read on: iptables, compiling sources, handling packages, configuring routes and network interfaces, proper up and down script handling, configuring and running VPN and Tor clients. The more you understand the more you control the tech.

Keep in mind, anonymity is more than just a piece of software, anonymity is a concept where you have to think about it. As an example, as soon as you log in to an account which is linked to your full name, using Tor can do harmful things.

Some thumb of rules and hints:

• You shouldn't use anonymization when using online banking or doing things which are linked with your full name (e.g. pizza services) because your identity is known anyways.
• Don't use the same (virtual) system for anonymous and non-anonymous activities because of potential finger printing techniques.
• When using nick handles in the internet: you can't anonymize a nick handle, you only can deanonymize a nick handle. If you think your anonymous nick handle is accidentally compromised and linked with your full name in any way, abandon it which includes abandoning all email addresses and messenger accounts you used with the handle.

If you like to, of course because Linux is flexible but this isn't the point. It's more about separation by relocating a critical component (which is reponsible for the anonymization) away from your potentially vulnerable working environment where your browser runs.
If any application (which includes your browser) inside your anonymized working environment misbehaves or breaks, you will stay safe and anonymous if you delegate the task of anonymization to another machine. Without separation, a broken application could also break the anonymization.

Some applications are internally very complex, like browsers, and thus complex applications are notorious prone to serious security bugs, if exploited, the malware could simply turn off the anonymization. This is why I think that's a very bad idea to run the application which is subject to be anonymized on the same machine which is responsible for maintaining the anonymity.

I suggest you to use virtual machines at least, use physical machines if you fear facing an exploit which is capable to break out of the virtual machine.
Box #1 is responsible for the routing&anonymity only.
Box #2 is for non-anonymous stuff only (online banking, pizza service).
Box #3 is for anonymous stuff only.

Note: To acquire a tainted coin, the previous owner just needs to use a mixer before transfering it to an exchanger.
That's why crime tainted coins can originate from a "clean" exchanger as well as from a mixer.

When doing bitcoin ↔ fiat conversion, sometimes I used to set up a face-to-face meeting and had some nice cappuccino&smalltalk moments, but I never had any problems except the block confirmation times was sometimes a bit longer than expected.

• If I buy bitcoins for speculation purpose and non-anonymous payments (because my full name is involved), I'm using online banking without hiding my identity. I almost never mix any cryptos I acquired with online banking. I never use any anonymization when dealing with.
• If I plan to use crypto anonymously, I get it by settling a meeting as explained above. I never touch these cryptos without using an anonymization service. Prior to doing a payment, when reorganizing my stashes, when selling: I'm always using a mixer if not already done.
• I never throw non-anonymous cryptos and anonymous cryptos in one pot.
• I'm using a dedicated virtual machine for anonymous browsing and anonymous bitcoin activity which is network firewalled in that way no traffic can escape without using the anonymization interface. This virtual machine can't communicate with any machine in my LAN.
• I never typed in my full name inside this virtual machine at any time. I never had me logged in into any full-name registered email, bank account, messenger, exchanger account inside this virtual machine at any time.

I would like to try PIA but it's US based, a country I cannot trust because it's the country of NSA and gag orders
I'll stay with Perfect Privacy because it's reliable and fast.

You can use "o" instead. I think both 123456789o123... and 123456789123... would be a canidate for the hall of fame