Just want to share a quick personal story on how I have had some small issues with my Keepkey. I have been using the Keepkey Hardware wallet for a number of months now. I overall have been very confident in its ability to hold my precious crypto safely. Until, a couple weeks back I had some issues which almost made me loose my shit!
I had been trading crypto directly from the KeepKey using Shapeshift. After successfully completing a trade I went back in a few hours later just to make sure everything was on the up and up. As soon as I plugged my KeepKey In. I was stuck with terror. My Keepkey was asking me to begin the initial setup! WTF! Initial Setup? I couldnt believe it, nothing had changed over the last few hours and nothing was there! Of course, at this point I am shitting bricks! Thinking of any possible way someone could have gotten my key. Was KeepKey somehow faulty? Did I have a malware virus that wiped me clean? Maybe it was that porn site I visited a few days ago! Everything went through my mind. LOL.
Hands almost shaking uncontrollably. I walked to my dresser to get my private key out. I had it stored away safely, as well as had given a copy to a few of my most trusted family members. I sat, slowly putting in the 12 word phrase, letter by letter...making sure I put in the corresponding letter and not the actual letter. ENTER.
No Luck! " Keepkey not recovered" ....holy fuck! Did I just loose ALL my crypto!?...I try it again same thing! By this time I am emailing Keepkey, posting to forums and shitting bricks simultaneously. I try it at least 4 more timeS! no luck! Pacing around my house, shaking like a freezing puppy. Idk what the hell to do.
I sit down and give it one more shot. Well, more than one more haha...I would still be trying today if it didnt work. But finally after the 6th or 7th time. I finally got in! Fack! that almost had me loose it. Idk what I wouldve done...would i just begin to acquire more crypto? Or would I be so jaded I would never want to think about coins again?! Luckily, I didnt have to find out.
But moral of the Story. Make sure you have your Passphrase handy, because even if you NEVER loose your wallet...there may be a time where you will need it anyway!
I won't be buying a KeepKey wallet anytime soon. Thanks for sharing the horror story
Have you tried contacting KeepKey support? If I had to guess, that sounds like a bad cable, but it could be a hardware failure. Support can help you figure out which.
The "moral of the story" is absolutely correct! The wallet mnemonic IS the wallet. The hardware is just a keystore. The key is what really matters.