How i keep my private keys safe without hardware wallet

[Mianae]

To be safe is to avoid any form of exposure. Even hardware wallets can be compromised when it's details gets exposed. If you stay around people, your goal should be a maintain a very high personal safety not necessarily using offline mode of safe keeping.

[UniversityCoin]

Where ever you keep your private keys, it is fine, just don't keep it on online storage like email or cloud or something.
Keep your private keys stored offline, and encrypt it with password. With this way, even if there is someone steal your files contains private keys,
they will need time to brute force the encrypted files.

And even better to store these encrypted files on removable media, then hackers will not be able to get to it if they break into your computer. Another storage option is an old computer or laptop that does not have a physical Internet connection.

[Chrystora123]

So I will suggest you keep your private key safe by writing them and printing them out or putting them down on your Flash drive and make sure you don't share your flash drive with anyone so as not to be compromise.

flash drives are very susceptible to lose, we can't say that flash drives will last forever with me.. my personal experience, I accidentally lost my flash drive, so I don't really agree with flash drives.
my advice, it would be safer if you saved it in your other email which you never used to register on any site, then connect the email with your smartphone connection.

[Chikito]

my advice, it would be safer if you saved it in your other email which you never used to register on any site, then connect the email with your smartphone connection.

NO, It wouldn't safe to keeps your private key on email. It's very high risk to be hacked than keep it on a flash disk.
https://www.shoutmeloud.com/how-do-hackers-hack-your-passwords.html
https://www.avg.com/en/signal/6-ways-your-email-account-can-be-hacked

Write your private key offline on steel I thing good idea

Recording book/Paper was good but when the water dries it or fire, so you lost it.

[Gotumoot]

To make sure that all my copies of my private keys are safe I print and keep them with my important documents. And I delete all my copy on the pc so that even if it gets infected by a hacker virus they do not have access to important information.

Hackers are good at these methods so we should be careful and secure our wallet private keys.

[Byakuga]

Carve your private keys or recovery phrases on a wood and flip the wood upside down in your wardrobe, this is what i do with mine and i put my shoes on the wood in form a shoe rack, i have been using three wallets since 2016 now and i have not lost a coin or token

[Rodeo02]

1. give to your girlfriend tell her,if u give that Private key to someone, we will be finished. ( never do that btw.)

She's still your girlfriend and not yet your wife so better not to give details like this unless you really trust her. I don't have trust issues with girlfriends or what but as long as you haven't tied the knot, you should keep it on your own.

It's the same way of your explanation about giving your PK to someone.

There's a possibility that your gf will leave you after taking the funds on your PK.

totally agreee, why not giving it to your sisters or brother instead of girlfriend.
But for me its better to print the private key add frame  and put it in your room  that way it will not look like a private key . those people who can only notice this one is the one who has background in crypto.

[Kejahatan]

1. give to your girlfriend tell her,if u give that Private key to someone, we will be finished. ( never do that btw.)

She's still your girlfriend and not yet your wife so better not to give details like this unless you really trust her. I don't have trust issues with girlfriends or what but as long as you haven't tied the knot, you should keep it on your own.

It's the same way of your explanation about giving your PK to someone.

There's a possibility that your gf will leave you after taking the funds on your PK.

totally agreee, why not giving it to your sisters or brother instead of girlfriend.
But for me its better to print the private key add frame  and put it in your room  that way it will not look like a private key . those people who can only notice this one is the one who has background in crypto.

hi, may i visit your room ?

all jokes aside, i have my backup seed written down on my bible

[otto93]

How about you passing on and no o knows about your private keys?, what happens to your funds in exchanges, it means everything you laboured for is gone, I personally write down all my private keys in a book that I always keep at a safe place.

[Rodeo02]

hi, may i visit your room ?

all jokes aside, i have my backup seed written down on my bible

No sorry, only trusted persons can enter my room since there are many important things  here   .

[Xxmodded]

This is how i keep my private keys safe since i can't afford to buy a hardware wallet.
1. A complete new harddisk
I bought a new harddisk and install window 7 on it and copy all my private keys in there, i don't bother to leave this harddisk in the pc, after the copy is completed i remove the harddisk and keep it.

2.My Recording book
I have a long hard shelled book that i use for keeping records of all the airdrops and bounties i promoted because sometimes i used to forget easily so i write down my recovery seeds in this book as well

3. Flash Drive
I have a good 8gig flash drive as well that i use to copy software and files from one pc to another so i format this flash drive and copy my private keys and recovery seeds in it.

At first no one knew i am into crypto stuffs and secondly i don't share my room with anyone cos i am living alone, those who have people around them with face problems like friends going behind your back checking through your stuffs or even stealing your things, hardware wallet is still the best though.

Safe your private key on flash drive is better than you safe in your computer, but never give to any one else or you family using flash disk with other computer, most important if access to myetherwallet with correct site, always check double on myetehrwallet social media about what the correct link of myetherwallet before you access and log in your account.

[103deltafox]

I think you should rather go for a hardware wallet because it is more safe and secured. Well if you are using a web wallet or other means to store your token, I think you can save the keys on a flash drive or save them Written on a paper offline. For web wallet, be very careful of the link you click to avoid painful memory. 

[gandame]

This is how i keep my private keys safe since i can't afford to buy a hardware wallet.
1. A complete new harddisk
I bought a new harddisk and install window 7 on it and copy all my private keys in there, i don't bother to leave this harddisk in the pc, after the copy is completed i remove the harddisk and keep it.

2.My Recording book
I have a long hard shelled book that i use for keeping records of all the airdrops and bounties i promoted because sometimes i used to forget easily so i write down my recovery seeds in this book as well

3. Flash Drive
I have a good 8gig flash drive as well that i use to copy software and files from one pc to another so i format this flash drive and copy my private keys and recovery seeds in it.

At first no one knew i am into crypto stuffs and secondly i don't share my room with anyone cos i am living alone, those who have people around them with face problems like friends going behind your back checking through your stuffs or even stealing your things, hardware wallet is still the best though.

I think you should go for number two recording book because it must safer there than hard disk and flash drive.
Recording book you save all your secret password email and anything else.
So choose wisely so that in the end you do not regret.

[TitanGEL]

I think you should rather go for a hardware wallet because it is more safe and secured. Well if you are using a web wallet or other means to store your token, I think you can save the keys on a flash drive or save them Written on a paper offline. For web wallet, be very careful of the link you click to avoid painful memory. 

There are also online wallets that can secure our tokens like mew. I'm using mew in 2 years and I still not experiencing any bad situations. My funds are still there and for me it is safe to store our coins.

[Metall303]

I think you should rather go for a hardware wallet because it is more safe and secured. Well if you are using a web wallet or other means to store your token, I think you can save the keys on a flash drive or save them Written on a paper offline. For web wallet, be very careful of the link you click to avoid painful memory. 

it’s best for you not to click on any links from unknown websites, and then it will be easier for you to live in this market.

[Raymzopai]

The best way i keep my private key is writing it down somewhere on a notebook and keeping it safely in my wardrobe at home. i have also abstain from getting to search or click any form of Ads online. Though Hardware is the best method but i personally have been able to keep my private keys safe by making sure i safe them in my flashdrive and keeping it from friends.

[TheICE007]

Well, I think keeping them in a flash drive I mean the private key is cool and safe, also you could save them ofline in a paper. Remember that when using a web wallet, you really need to be mindful of the links you click on, this is to avoid pains in the future. Like everyone would say ,hardware wallet is still the safest

[btcdie]

no need to bother if your family are all honest people. just save it on 3 different flashdisks and place it in a place that you think is safe. check every third month of the flashdisk, is it still functioning / not. to minimize undesirable events, my private key is carved into steel that is strong and resistant to any weather. after that I store it in a safe / planted in the soil with a strong layer.

_____________
but it's easier to store in a hardware wallet.. only around $50

[Avirunes]

I find two ways as a very secured ones (but I am not sure if they really are).

1) By using virtualization software like Virtual Box or VMware, one can easily install a fresh OS and install wallet and keep up coins there.

2) Other thing that I use a lot is that I keep my private keys inside a notepad and change the file format and mix up with some other files (not much). But you have to be careful with the name since you have to keep that in mind to open it back again.

I think 1st one many guys have done that.

[iamaruf]

I am hoolding bitcoin and Eth. And i don't use that wallet for regular trade . I just printed my private key in a paper and locked in my locker. I Don’t keep my wallet in external hard disk or pendrive ( for holding long time) because if it crash i will lost my private key.now i am not afraid because there is no way to hack or crash my disk or pendrive