Can a factory reset computer be used for cold storage?

[KidPoker]

Whats the best DBAN method to use? PRNG stream?

[shorena]

-snip-

Thats extremely far fetched. What are the chances?

A laptop with wifi turned off (dont even need to remove the actual card for fuck sakes) will be safe unless you are someone like fucking Asagne or something.

100% is extreme, yes.

Whats the best DBAN method to use? PRNG stream?

For a magnetical HDD it does not matter nowadays. The old 7 times "rule" was made for disks with a wider track. Thus you can overwrite the disk with any data, 0's, 1's, random bits, your favorite dog pictures.

Edit: you could test how good DBAN works with DEFT [1]


[1] http://www.deftlinux.net/

[Dabs]

I use DBAN with plain zeros. It's a little bit faster.

In fact, if my whole offline drive is full disk encrypted (with truecrypt or diskcryptor), I just use DBAN on Zeros, wait until it reaches 1%, and then stop it.

Then I do the partitions, format, install, etc.

[KidPoker]

Once I've installed the new ubuntu OS how in the world do I manage to install Armory without connecting to the internet. I've just spent the last 3 hours trying to figure this out again. It's driving me crazy. I don't understand why this isnt a widespread issue. Surely a lot of people use ubuntu for cold storage? Connecting to the net to install the package defeats the whole point of having never touched the net.

[Dabs]

Download the package or installation files first. Put it on USB. Verify the GPG signatures or SHA1/MD5 hashes.

[KidPoker]

Download the package or installation files first. Put it on USB. Verify the GPG signatures or SHA1/MD5 hashes.

I need to connect to the internet to download the package and installation files from ubuntu software centre. I've spent hours looking at alternative methods like using synaptic and stuff to get an online computer to download the packages for you and transfer them via usb but they all require to be installed on the offline computer first, thus defeating the point!

[Dabs]

Get it from here:
https://bitcoinarmory.com/download/

[jjacob]

I need to buy a new laptop anyway so I was wondering if I completely wipe my current laptop (It's a sony vaio) could I then use it as my cold storage laptop? I plan to make a large investment in bitcoins very soon and was wondering if factory resetting my current laptop would be sufficient in terms of security? Cheers.

Yes, but make sure that you don't connect it to the internet in the future.

[Iuvenalis]

disconnect from the internet, make a paper wallet and reinstall a new copy of windows.

[Coef]

On your laptop,  you can install a fresh copy of windows onto. With a copy replicated with an external hard drive on an offline computer . When  you restore this backup, you could still use the wallet. 

disconnect from the internet, make a paper wallet and reinstall a new copy of windows.

Why would you use windows when you can use a much safer and open-source linux OS?

[leen93]

u could just make a paper wallet? a bit easier 

[FUR11]

It's important to wipe the hard disk and install a clean OS. If you want to be really safe, boot the computer by using a Linux live CD, create you wallet and write down the private key of your wallet by hand(!!!) Never connect the PC to the Internet while doing so, only after it has been shut down.

[jinxx]

just curious whats the purpose when you have paper wallets...

[Dabs]

just curious whats the purpose when you have paper wallets...

No one else can get the bitcoins stored on those paper wallets. That's one purpose.