Wallet Files, Metadata and Passphrase Details
Reading level: Advanced guide. Keep the original recovery information and wallet files before changing the recovery or file setup.
Use this reference when copying local wallet data or investigating what a backup preserves. Start with the basic backup guide for the recovery information every software wallet needs.
What to keep
Section titled “What to keep”| Backup item | Purpose | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery words, in order | Recreate the wallet’s keys | Need the original passphrase when one was used |
| Original passphrase, including capitalization and characters | Select the correct BIP39 wallet and unlock its protected secret | Cannot be reset by Ginger |
Wallet .json file |
Preserve the wallet’s stored key and synchronization information | An encrypted file still requires its credentials; 2FA can add a service dependency |
Matching .attr file |
Preserve local labels and wallet-specific attributes | Contains sensitive metadata; recovery words do not restore it |
| Hardware device recovery backup | Recover keys using the hardware manufacturer’s process | Keep it off the desktop computer |
The local automatic backup directory is on the same computer. It can help after a damaged wallet file, but it does not protect against loss of the whole disk, theft, or ransomware.
Make a file backup
Section titled “Make a file backup”Use Ginger’s search to open Data Folder. Note the location, then close Ginger normally before copying files. In a normal mainnet data folder, Wallets contains wallet .json files and associated .attr files, and WalletBackups contains automatic wallet backups. Other networks use separate subdirectories.
Copy the relevant files to protected backup storage, preserving names and the association between each JSON and ATTR file. A copy of the data folder is privacy-sensitive even if you set a passphrase: addresses, labels, logs, configuration, and order metadata can reveal activity. Do not upload it to an issue tracker or email it to support.
With 2FA enabled, preserve 2fa_info.gws too, but do not mistake it for an independent recovery key. It records an identifier used with Ginger’s 2FA service. Recovery words and the original passphrase remain the route that does not depend on decrypting that particular local wallet file.
Choose and preserve a passphrase
Section titled “Choose and preserve a passphrase”Use a passphrase that is difficult for another person to guess and that you can reproduce exactly. Randomly selected words from a defined word list, or a strong password generated by a trusted password manager, can avoid the predictability of names, dates, quotations, and ordinary sentences. Human-chosen “random-looking” substitutions are often less unpredictable than they appear.
Entropy describes unpredictability under a particular generation process; length alone does not establish it. Six words chosen uniformly from a large list and six words selected from a favorite lyric do not have the same guessing resistance. This manual does not promise that a particular character count defeats every attack.
Record the generated result accurately and confirm that your recovery plan preserves it. Avoid leading or trailing spaces: Ginger’s entry validation can trim or reject them. A password manager can help retain a strong passphrase, but plan how to access that manager after the same computer is lost. Storing words and passphrase together creates a single point of compromise; separating them creates an extra recovery dependency. Choose an arrangement you can actually maintain.
For a Ginger software wallet, the passphrase also protects the stored encrypted secret. This is why neither a file thief nor a recovery attempt should be assumed to succeed without it. Do not casually change the passphrase in another wallet application: a different BIP39 passphrase selects different keys, rather than simply renaming the old wallet’s login password.
For account compatibility, file import or a scan that missed addresses, use advanced recovery options.
A single private key is not the full recovery backup
Section titled “A single private key is not the full recovery backup”A pre-funded physical coin whose maker generated the key requires trust that the maker did not retain it. A printed single private key or a manufacturer’s secret is not Ginger’s complete recovery-word backup. Preserve the words and original passphrase for the software wallet rather than assuming one exported key covers all its addresses.