A verified restore workflow.

Start by protecting the evidence

When files disappear or a vault behaves unexpectedly, the first impulse is often to copy things back immediately. That can make the situation harder to understand. A rushed in-place restore may overwrite newer good files, merge incompatible states, or hide the original failure.

Pause sync and automation if they may still be changing the vault. Preserve the current folder, even if it looks damaged. Record what happened and when. The uncertain folder is evidence; do not make it the destination of the first restore attempt.

The first restore target should be a new or empty folder, never the live vault you are trying to protect.

Verify before extracting

A useful recovery package should carry more than compressed files. Before restore, inspect the facts that describe the backup:

• the snapshot creation time and source label;
• archive integrity, such as a SHA-256 value;
• manifest structure and expected file and directory counts;
• per-file checksums when available;
• the encryption state and whether the required passphrase is available.

If integrity checks fail, stop. A partial extraction is not a successful recovery. Keep the package and error evidence, then try an earlier restore point or another independent backup.

Restore into a clean workspace

1. Create a new destination. Use a clearly named empty folder on a Mac with enough free space.
2. Run the restore. Keep the source package unchanged while files are extracted and verified.
3. Open representative notes. Check plain Markdown, attachments, nested folders, links, and any files that matter to your workflow.
4. Compare both states. Look at file counts, modification times, missing folders, and the specific content that triggered recovery.
5. Decide deliberately. Only after inspection should you move the restored folder into service or merge selected files.

This approach may feel slower than overwriting the original, but it gives you a reversible decision. You can compare, repeat the restore with another snapshot, or recover only the files you actually need.

Practice before an emergency

A recovery drill does not need to be dramatic. Choose one recent snapshot, restore it into a temporary folder, open several notes, verify an attachment, and delete the temporary copy after the check. Repeat after changing your sync provider, encryption settings, folder structure, or backup tool.

Track the result with a simple date and outcome. The purpose is not to prove that failure is impossible. It is to learn the steps while the original vault is healthy and time pressure is low.

• The current vault was preserved before recovery began.
• The package and manifest passed integrity checks.
• The destination was new or empty.
• Representative Markdown files and attachments opened correctly.
• The restored folder was compared before anything was replaced.

How VaultCopy applies the workflow

VaultCopy keeps verified Markdown vault snapshots on iPhone after the Mac creates them. When recovery is needed, the iPhone exports a .vaultcopy package back to the Mac. The Mac Agent checks the archive, manifest, counts, and per-file checksums before restoring into a new or empty folder.

The iPhone does not overwrite the live Mac vault, and VaultCopy does not host note contents. It is a focused local recovery layer, not sync and not a complete replacement for a full-Mac backup. VaultCopy works with Markdown and Obsidian-compatible vaults and is not affiliated with Obsidian.