A test shows our backup is corrupt: no panic moves
Breathe. A corrupt warning can be one file or the whole archive. Diagnose first, decide later. Do not overwrite or recreate immediately.
Try this first
- 1Do not stop new backup runs, but do not let them write over the corrupt data. Retention often pushes older working copies out if you are not careful.
- 2First try an older snapshot or version; often only the latest run is broken.
- 3Read the logs and checksum warnings literally. Sometimes it is one file on the backup medium, sometimes the catalog itself is broken.
- 4Copy the corrupt backup to a separate location before trying to repair anything. Tooling like 'verify' or 'rebuild catalog' can in rare cases break more.
When to bring us in
Backup corruption is one of those moments to call before you click. We have tools and procedures to extract data from half-broken backups. One wrong 'rebuild' and you start from zero.
See also
- We have backups but we do not know if they workA backup that cannot be restored is not a backup. Testing matters as much as taking the backup.
- Suspected ransomware: what to do RIGHT NOWThe first 30 minutes are critical. One wrong move spreads the damage. Read before acting.
- Someone accidentally deleted an important folderUsually fine to recover. The trick: do not save anything new on that drive until you know how.
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