[NOW AVAILABLE] BTChip / Ledger HW1 : Bitcoin Hardware Wallet in a USB smartcard

[Muhammed Zakir]

When I put the key into a USB port on my Windows 8.1 machine I hear the computer beep but I cannot find the device in device manager and it is not on the list for the hardware ejector. Is it listed somewhere and possible to eject? Or is it just okay to remove it without being able to stop it first?

There is no need of drivers in Win8 but you might want to try installing win drivers. Just try it or wait for btchip to come.

   ~~MZ~~

[jackbox]

When I put the key into a USB port on my Windows 8.1 machine I hear the computer beep but I cannot find the device in device manager and it is not on the list for the hardware ejector. Is it listed somewhere and possible to eject? Or is it just okay to remove it without being able to stop it first?

There is no need of drivers in Win8 but you might want to try installing win drivers. Just try it or wait for btchip to come.

   ~~MZ~~

What do you mean "wait for btchip to come?" I already have the chips. I want to know if safe to unplug from usb without ejecting it first. I cannot find a way to eject it like you can for a usb drive or other usb devices. Cannot find it in device mgr either but it works with green wallet.

[btchip]

yes, it is safe to unplug it when you feel like it. This is only a problem for mass storage sticks because the system might have some write cache.

[jackbox]

I have a question about setup with Green Address wallet. I went through procedure to setup my BTCHIP HW1. It generated a mnemonic and I told it to write it to the card. All seemed to work okay but after that setting up the HW1 it showed me another mnemonic and told me to keep that one also. I was puzzled why I had two and which one was good so I save both. Then when it told me to confirm the mnemonic by entering five words, the five words that worked were from the first mnemonic written to the HW1. But if I use Green Address wallet without the HW1 and use the second mnemonic and password I entered I get the same wallet addresses. Is this normal behavior or did I do something wrong. I find it strange that two very different mnemonic can result in the exact same wallet.

[troy112]

One chip holds only 1 address seed or it can hold more than 1??

[Muhammed Zakir]

What do you mean "wait for btchip to come?" I already have the chips. I want to know if safe to unplug from usb without ejecting it first. I cannot find a way to eject it like you can for a usb drive or other usb devices. Cannot find it in device mgr either but it works with green wallet.

I mean user 'btchip'.

One chip holds only 1 address seed or it can hold more than 1??

I think it can only hold 1 mnemonic. You will need to wipe to get a new mnemonic.

   ~~MZ~~

[btchip]

I have a question about setup with Green Address wallet. I went through procedure to setup my BTCHIP HW1. It generated a mnemonic and I told it to write it to the card.

This part looks allright

All seemed to work okay but after that setting up the HW1 it showed me another mnemonic and told me to keep that one also. I was puzzled why I had two and which one was good so I save both. Then when it told me to confirm the mnemonic by entering five words, the five words that worked were from the first mnemonic written to the HW1.

This is the weird part, I don't understand where this second mnemonic is coming from. It looks like you restarted the setup part at some point.

But if I use Green Address wallet without the HW1 and use the second mnemonic and password I entered I get the same wallet addresses. Is this normal behavior or did I do something wrong. I find it strange that two very different mnemonic can result in the exact same wallet.

Yes, it should not happen. My guess is that you're still using a password associated to the first mnemonic (which is also written to the chip) so the second mnemonic is never used. That doesn't explain what is is though - maybe you can retrace everything you did.

One chip holds only 1 address seed or it can hold more than 1??

only a single seed

I think it can only hold 1 mnemonic. You will need to wipe to get a new mnemonic.

   ~~MZ~~

correct

[jackbox]

I have a question about setup with Green Address wallet. I went through procedure to setup my BTCHIP HW1. It generated a mnemonic and I told it to write it to the card.

This part looks allright

All seemed to work okay but after that setting up the HW1 it showed me another mnemonic and told me to keep that one also. I was puzzled why I had two and which one was good so I save both. Then when it told me to confirm the mnemonic by entering five words, the five words that worked were from the first mnemonic written to the HW1.

This is the weird part, I don't understand where this second mnemonic is coming from. It looks like you restarted the setup part at some point.

But if I use Green Address wallet without the HW1 and use the second mnemonic and password I entered I get the same wallet addresses. Is this normal behavior or did I do something wrong. I find it strange that two very different mnemonic can result in the exact same wallet.

Yes, it should not happen. My guess is that you're still using a password associated to the first mnemonic (which is also written to the chip) so the second mnemonic is never used. That doesn't explain what is is though - maybe you can retrace everything you did.

One chip holds only 1 address seed or it can hold more than 1??

only a single seed

I think it can only hold 1 mnemonic. You will need to wipe to get a new mnemonic.

   ~~MZ~~

correct

No. Because if I use the second mnemonic without the HW1 it tells me to enter password for encrypted mnemonic and opens same wallet. HW1 with pin opens same wallet. I just did wallet setup step by step and after saving first mnemonic to card showed me a second one. Not a second wallet. They open the same wallet.

[btchip]

ok - think I got it now.

The chip stores your unencrypted mnemonic - it doesn't need to encrypt it as everything related to private keys is processed internally.

If you encrypt your mnemonic, you'll end up with a different mnemonic, which decodes to the same seed as the first mnemonic after you provide the password.

so the chip, the unencrypted mnemonic, and the encrypted mnemonic + associated password are generating the same wallet.

[jackbox]

ok - think I got it now.

The chip stores your unencrypted mnemonic - it doesn't need to encrypt it as everything related to private keys is processed internally.

If you encrypt your mnemonic, you'll end up with a different mnemonic, which decodes to the same seed as the first mnemonic after you provide the password.

so the chip, the unencrypted mnemonic, and the encrypted mnemonic + associated password are generating the same wallet.

Yea, that is what I am pretty sure it is doing; but never heard of this happening with anyone else. It didn't ask me if I wanted another mnemonic to encrypt the original with a password, it just did it and showed me a second mnemonic. Was very confusing because then it asked me to confirm the mnemonic with five words and the second one was wrong, had to use the first one. Good thing I backed up both of them. 

[Muhammed Zakir]

Need help installing cython-hidapi.

CMD output - Windows7.

Code:

C:\Users\usrname\Downloads\Compressed\cython-hidapi-master>python setup.py install

running install
running build
running build_ext
skipping 'hid.c' Cython extension (up-to-date)
building 'hid' extension
error: Unable to find vcvarsall.bat

C:\Users\usrname\Downloads\Compressed\cython-hidapi-master>

   ~~MZ~~

[btchip]

It looks like Visual Studio is missing - maybe a free version can work

[Muhammed Zakir]

It looks like Visual Studio is missing - maybe a free version can work

   ~~MZ~~

[btchip]

ok, so a system path issue maybe - vcvarsall.bat should be located in your path when building

[jackbox]

I was using my btchip HW1 with Green Address both Chrome and Android. All of the sudden the Android one refused to accept it and told me to upgrade the firmware. The Chrome one did not say that but did not seem to be functioning properly. After a very long and frustrating time I finally got the device reset, updated and restored seed. Need better instructions on this process for people. I just goT them within two weeks. Why do they come with old firmware? Can't they be updated before being mailed?

[btchip]

I was using my btchip HW1 with Green Address both Chrome and Android. All of the sudden the Android one refused to accept it and told me to upgrade the firmware. The Chrome one did not say that but did not seem to be functioning properly.

I'm not that sure about the "all of a sudden" part as there have been no updates in the applications recently.

I'd need more details to understand the process flow and how/when this occurred

After a very long and frustrating time I finally got the device reset, updated and restored seed. Need better instructions on this process for people. I just goT them within two weeks. Why do they come with old firmware? Can't they be updated before being mailed?

I'd need more details about the issues you had when updating the firmware to improve it.

Cards are usually shipped with the latest firmware, but there have been a lot of updates recently. They're not forced on the users though, so I don't really understand the problem.

[jackbox]

I was using my btchip HW1 with Green Address both Chrome and Android. All of the sudden the Android one refused to accept it and told me to upgrade the firmware. The Chrome one did not say that but did not seem to be functioning properly.

I'm not that sure about the "all of a sudden" part as there have been no updates in the applications recently.

I'd need more details to understand the process flow and how/when this occurred

After a very long and frustrating time I finally got the device reset, updated and restored seed. Need better instructions on this process for people. I just goT them within two weeks. Why do they come with old firmware? Can't they be updated before being mailed?

I'd need more details about the issues you had when updating the firmware to improve it.

Cards are usually shipped with the latest firmware, but there have been a lot of updates recently. They're not forced on the users though, so I don't really understand the problem.

I used it yesterday with no problem. Today the Android app said I had to update to at least version 1.4.8 and would refuse to even let me input PIN number. Also to reset must be done on Chrome only, not app. And I hate to enter incorrect pin, remove card, insert card, incorrect pin again, remove card and incorrect pin again. That song and dance is not explained anywhere. Also, after installing the two required chrome extensions, the first time updater said could not read my version number. I had to remove it and start over and then it worked. Also, why does updating it require it to be removed and inserted so many times?

[btchip]

I used it yesterday with no problem. Today the Android app said I had to update to at least version 1.4.8 and would refuse to even let me input PIN number.

This is the part I don't get. If it happens again please let me know and I'll give you some tools to investigate before you update.

Also to reset must be done on Chrome only, not app.

It should also work from the Android app once it's updated. For the time being it only works with older versions

And I hate to enter incorrect pin, remove card, insert card, incorrect pin again, remove card and incorrect pin again. That song and dance is not explained anywhere.

I'll mention it in bolder later in the firmware update page, but this is a security measure against malware trying to DoS the card by sending wrong PINs in a row. It could be made easier by sending the wrong PINs for you.

Also, after installing the two required chrome extensions, the first time updater said could not read my version number.

Might happen right after the chrome extensions are installed if you don't reload the page, or if another process is open and tries to access the dongle.

I had to remove it and start over and then it worked. Also, why does updating it require it to be removed and inserted so many times?

the dongle cycles through 3 different operating systems during the update, it tries to reboot automatically between each steps but there could be race conditions in this process and the updater errs on the side of caution if the dongle doesn't answer fast enough.

[jackbox]

I used it yesterday with no problem. Today the Android app said I had to update to at least version 1.4.8 and would refuse to even let me input PIN number.

This is the part I don't get. If it happens again please let me know and I'll give you some tools to investigate before you update.

Okay, will do.

Also to reset must be done on Chrome only, not app.

Yes, after the update it works once again on both Android and Chrome apps.

BTW, did you get my PM yesterday?

[btchip]

Okay, will do.

Thanks. I'll publish a self test page soon.

Yes, after the update it works once again on both Android and Chrome apps.

BTW, did you get my PM yesterday?

yes, happy to see that postal service is behaving