Verify backup: check the medium, restore a single file

Checking the backup medium

Once a backup is done, it is vitally important to make sure it is reliable. Check a CD/DVD disc, whether it is readable or not, is a good idea. Checking an FTP folder to see if the backups are there also may be useful. The same concerns an external hard disk.

Restoring a single file

Running a restore of a single file can also be useful to see the files are not corrupted. Some may wish to restore the whole backup set, but it is up to them if they want to spend time on this procedure. Usually, a backup program has a backup verification option to check whether the backup files are reliable.

Once the backup has been verified, one may be sure that his files will be restored if anything happens. In fact, this is the last thing to be done in the whole backup process. Now, the next step is to prevent the need for a backup, as the best backup is the one that is never used.