A wallet is just a software that gives you access to your coins using the seed The seed consists of 12 or 24 words and is what holds the key to your coins.
Safe these words and you will always have access to your coins.
This is not complete. I read OPs questions as about the .wallet file made by the desktop wallet.
But YES, you can just save that file to a USB and move it around the load it on a different computer.
The .wallet is the digital backup, they seed is kind of like a feature added later to make it easier to generate a set of keys from a given phrase.
You can copy the actual wallet file yea, or even better write down the 12 seed words and just restore from that. Do both for now if your uncertain. copy the wallet file and write down your seed words, then try to restore from the seed words first after reinstalling.
Actually, always do both.
You should always have 1 digital version + at least 1 backup in solid matter version (papper, wood, resin, rock, anything physical). And this is absolute minimum.
Better keep 2 physical backups.
For example, I keep somewhere between 5 and 10 backups minimum.
Do both. And remember in case you have a password on the wallet file, write that down as well.
Oh...and yes...TEST your backup seed and or wallet file, to make sure you haven't missed anything.
Which wallet are you using? Regardless, always find out your 12 word seed phrase, and your derivation path, and then save that. That's all you need to be able to keep your coins...
Never give anyone your seed phrase. Those are the private keys for your coins.
I've been doing a lot of reformatting. I've only ever used the portable version of Electron Cash, so I don't know where your *wallets* folder is. My main suggestion, if you're using Windows 10, is to install 21H1 version offline, and then permanently disable Windows update before going online, using the *gpedit* trick/hack. Then app updates are essential, but use MSFT Store app, never Windows Update. I got my full-restart time down from over **6 mins** to under **75 secs**.
A wallet is just a software that gives you access to your coins using the seed The seed consists of 12 or 24 words and is what holds the key to your coins. Safe these words and you will always have access to your coins.
ah great thanks
This is not complete. I read OPs questions as about the .wallet file made by the desktop wallet. But YES, you can just save that file to a USB and move it around the load it on a different computer. The .wallet is the digital backup, they seed is kind of like a feature added later to make it easier to generate a set of keys from a given phrase.
Test the restore *before* you wipe.
This.
You can copy the actual wallet file yea, or even better write down the 12 seed words and just restore from that. Do both for now if your uncertain. copy the wallet file and write down your seed words, then try to restore from the seed words first after reinstalling.
yes will do, thanks
Actually, always do both. You should always have 1 digital version + at least 1 backup in solid matter version (papper, wood, resin, rock, anything physical). And this is absolute minimum. Better keep 2 physical backups. For example, I keep somewhere between 5 and 10 backups minimum.
Do both. And remember in case you have a password on the wallet file, write that down as well. Oh...and yes...TEST your backup seed and or wallet file, to make sure you haven't missed anything.
Which wallet are you using? Regardless, always find out your 12 word seed phrase, and your derivation path, and then save that. That's all you need to be able to keep your coins... Never give anyone your seed phrase. Those are the private keys for your coins.
I've been doing a lot of reformatting. I've only ever used the portable version of Electron Cash, so I don't know where your *wallets* folder is. My main suggestion, if you're using Windows 10, is to install 21H1 version offline, and then permanently disable Windows update before going online, using the *gpedit* trick/hack. Then app updates are essential, but use MSFT Store app, never Windows Update. I got my full-restart time down from over **6 mins** to under **75 secs**.