Currently MultiBit supports the KeepKey and Trezor hardware wallets.
There are several ways to restore a KeepKey / Trezor depending on the nature of the problem. Please select from the sections below.
MultiBit makes continuous encrypted backups in case of disk failure or other data loss. If, after unlocking your wallet, the report screen is showing that it could not be opened then you may have a disk problem.
The recovery procedure is as follows:
To restore your hardware wallet and recover your bitcoin without the device you must have your wallet words.
With your wallet words, you can recover your bitcoin. You must keep your wallet words safe, because anyone who knows your wallet words can steal your bitcoin.
MultiBit supports restoring a KeepKey / Trezor hardware wallet as a "soft" wallet using its wallet words. This means that all the keys that were held on the KeepKey / Trezor are duplicated on the desktop machine running MultiBit. This is a reduction in security from a "hard" wallet where the private keys never touch the desktop machine. We strongly recommend that you buy a replacement KeepKey as soon as possible.
The recovery procedure is as follows:
At this stage you have recovered your bitcoins. However, your KeepKey / Trezor remains lost or stolen and so someone else may be able to gain access to your bitcoins if they manage to break the security of your device. Consequently you will need to move your bitcoins to safety as soon as possible. The "Empty wallet" tool is designed for this purpose.
If you have already obtained a replacement KeepKey / Trezor device then you can use this to create a suitable receiving address to provide to the Empty Wallet tool. If not then you should create a separate MultiBit "soft" wallet immediately and use that to create a suitable receiving address.