Start with a recorded backup
Create or identify a recovery point for your project. Inspect its source, destination, date, and backup history before treating it as usable.
VaultSync / Practical guides
Verify backups and test what you can actually restore
A green backup status is useful, but it does not answer every recovery question. VaultSync separates stored-byte verification from restore planning and guided recovery drills, so you can see which checks were actually performed and which assumptions remain.
Step by step
A practical backup workflow
Understand the difference between backup completion, integrity verification, simulated restoration, and an isolated restore test with VaultSync.
Verify supported stored bytes
Run a verification operation to compare available backup data against recorded hashes. That proves something specific about the checked bytes, not every dependency of your environment.
Preview the restore impact
Use restore-plan simulation and available recovery information to understand which files and paths the selected operation would affect.
Run an isolated test restore
Use a guided isolated drill where supported, examine the result and evidence, and test the recovered files in the application that needs them.
Before you rely on it
Know the limits of the backup.
Verification, simulation, and a successful isolated drill establish different levels of evidence. None should be described as guaranteed future recoverability.
A sampled or bounded drill covers only the data actually tested. Check the result details before making a claim about an entire backup.
The application does not offer full-disk imaging or bare-metal recovery in the current stable release.
Common questions
What to check before starting
Is a successful SHA-256 check equal to a working restore?
No. It can establish that checked stored bytes match expected hashes. File permissions, credentials, application state, external dependencies, and the restore environment can still matter.
What is the strongest practical test?
Recover representative data into a separate location, validate its integrity, and open or use it in the application that actually depends on it.
Explore further
Related VaultSync guides
Practical guide
Development projects
Protect development projects with a free, open-source desktop backup app. Choose sensible exclusions, create restore points, and verify stored data.
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NAS and network storage
Use VaultSync for folder-level backups to local storage, SMB shares, and supported pre-mounted NAS destinations, with verification and restore checks.
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