From 113bec5282a767f7f722508d5edd0a0ae5ac9884 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Julian Raufelder Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:32:41 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 1/2] Add restoring files from backup --- docs/desktop/admin-config.mdx | 2 +- docs/desktop/common-errors.mdx | 2 +- docs/desktop/encrypted-file-names.mdx | 1 + docs/desktop/error-handling.mdx | 2 +- docs/desktop/network.mdx | 2 +- docs/desktop/restoring-files-from-backup.mdx | 47 ++++++++++++++++++++ docs/desktop/sync-conflicts.mdx | 2 +- docs/desktop/troubleshooting.mdx | 2 +- docs/desktop/vault-events.mdx | 2 +- docs/desktop/volume-type.mdx | 2 +- 10 files changed, 56 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-) create mode 100644 docs/desktop/restoring-files-from-backup.mdx diff --git a/docs/desktop/admin-config.mdx b/docs/desktop/admin-config.mdx index 166b1e80..0d8f549f 100644 --- a/docs/desktop/admin-config.mdx +++ b/docs/desktop/admin-config.mdx @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- id: admin-config title: Admin Configuration -sidebar_position: 12 +sidebar_position: 13 --- # Admin Configuration diff --git a/docs/desktop/common-errors.mdx b/docs/desktop/common-errors.mdx index 95e67104..c269a9ec 100644 --- a/docs/desktop/common-errors.mdx +++ b/docs/desktop/common-errors.mdx @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- id: common-errors title: Common Errors -sidebar_position: 15 +sidebar_position: 16 --- # Common Errors diff --git a/docs/desktop/encrypted-file-names.mdx b/docs/desktop/encrypted-file-names.mdx index e8734f33..69d97ea7 100644 --- a/docs/desktop/encrypted-file-names.mdx +++ b/docs/desktop/encrypted-file-names.mdx @@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ File name and directory structure encryption **cannot** be disabled. Cryptomator protects your files by not only encrypting their content, but also their names and the overall directory structure of the vault. As a result, encrypted files and folders inside the vault storage location do not reveal the original names or layout (for an example see [below](#technical-example)). This matters whenever you need to match a cleartext file in your unlocked vault with its encrypted counterpart in the vault storage location, for example when restoring an older version from a cloud provider or backup tool. +For step-by-step instructions, see [Restoring Files from a Backup](/docs/desktop/restoring-files-from-backup.mdx). The app offers two features to reveal the mapping between the cleartext and the encrypted files: * `Locate Encrypted File`: You have the cleartext file in the unlocked vault and want to find its encrypted counterpart in the vault storage location. diff --git a/docs/desktop/error-handling.mdx b/docs/desktop/error-handling.mdx index 975767bb..2c4f3299 100644 --- a/docs/desktop/error-handling.mdx +++ b/docs/desktop/error-handling.mdx @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- id: error-handling title: Error Handling -sidebar_position: 10 +sidebar_position: 11 --- # Error Handling diff --git a/docs/desktop/network.mdx b/docs/desktop/network.mdx index 8ce5ee7c..4dca1704 100644 --- a/docs/desktop/network.mdx +++ b/docs/desktop/network.mdx @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- id: network title: Network Settings -sidebar_position: 13 +sidebar_position: 14 --- # Network Settings diff --git a/docs/desktop/restoring-files-from-backup.mdx b/docs/desktop/restoring-files-from-backup.mdx new file mode 100644 index 00000000..9641b7da --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/desktop/restoring-files-from-backup.mdx @@ -0,0 +1,47 @@ +--- +id: restoring-files-from-backup +title: Restoring Files from a Backup +sidebar_position: 8 +--- + +# Restoring Files from a Backup + +Cryptomator encrypts not only file names but also the directory structure of your vault (see [Encrypted File Names](/docs/desktop/encrypted-file-names.mdx)). +In a backup of the vault storage location, you therefore can't tell which encrypted file belongs to which cleartext file, especially if it sits deep in a subdirectory. + +There are two ways to restore a file or folder: + +1. [Open the backup as a second vault](#open-backup-as-vault) - Recommended. Works at any nesting depth and also for files and folders that have already been deleted from the vault. +2. [Restore a single encrypted file](#restore-single-encrypted-file) - Use this if the file still exists in the vault, you only need an older version of it, and your backup tool can restore individual files. + +Both methods require Cryptomator for Windows, macOS, or Linux. + +## Open the Backup as a Second Vault {/* #open-backup-as-vault */} + +1. Restore the **complete** vault folder from the backup to a separate location. It must contain the `d` folder and the `vault.cryptomator` and/or `masterkey.cryptomator` file. + Do not restore it inside the existing vault folder or inside a cloud-synced folder. +2. In Cryptomator, click the plus `+` button, choose [`Open Existing Vault…`](/docs/desktop/adding-vaults.mdx#open-an-existing-vault), and select the `vault.cryptomator` file of the restored copy. If only a `masterkey.cryptomator` file exists, select that instead. + The copy appears as an additional vault next to your original one. +3. Unlock the copy. + For a password-based vault, use the password that was valid at the time of the backup. + For a [Cryptomator Hub](/docs/hub/introduction.mdx) vault, [unlock it through Hub](/docs/hub/user-guide/access-vault.mdx#unlocking-a-vault) as usual. + Unlock your original vault as well. +4. In the unlocked copy, navigate to the file or folder you want to restore and copy it into your original vault. +5. Lock the copy and [remove it from the vault list](/docs/desktop/vault-management.mdx#remove-vaults) by right-clicking it and choosing `Remove…`. + This only removes the list entry and doesn't delete any encrypted files. + You can then delete the restored vault folder manually. + +## Restore a Single Encrypted File {/* #restore-single-encrypted-file */} + +1. Unlock the vault and use [`Locate Encrypted File`](/docs/desktop/encrypted-file-names.mdx#locate-encrypted-file) on the file you want to restore. + Note the path of the encrypted file shown in the file manager. +2. Lock the vault. +3. With your backup tool, restore exactly that encrypted file to exactly the same path, overwriting the current one. + If the file ends up anywhere else, the vault won't recognize it, because its name is encrypted using the ID of its parent directory. +4. Unlock the vault again. + +:::note +If you use `Locate Encrypted File` on a folder, the file manager shows the folder's content directory under `d/`. +It only contains the files directly inside that folder. +Subfolders are stored as links (`dir.c9r`) to other directories under `d/`, so to restore a folder with subfolders, [open the backup as a second vault](#open-backup-as-vault). +::: diff --git a/docs/desktop/sync-conflicts.mdx b/docs/desktop/sync-conflicts.mdx index e6142c95..8ad47cfd 100644 --- a/docs/desktop/sync-conflicts.mdx +++ b/docs/desktop/sync-conflicts.mdx @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- id: sync-conflicts title: Synchronization Conflicts -sidebar_position: 11 +sidebar_position: 12 --- # Synchronization Conflicts diff --git a/docs/desktop/troubleshooting.mdx b/docs/desktop/troubleshooting.mdx index c391d38a..54f5fcba 100644 --- a/docs/desktop/troubleshooting.mdx +++ b/docs/desktop/troubleshooting.mdx @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- id: troubleshooting title: Troubleshooting -sidebar_position: 14 +sidebar_position: 15 --- # Troubleshooting diff --git a/docs/desktop/vault-events.mdx b/docs/desktop/vault-events.mdx index 4eacbf23..73f7499b 100644 --- a/docs/desktop/vault-events.mdx +++ b/docs/desktop/vault-events.mdx @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- id: vault-events title: Events and Event View -sidebar_position: 9 +sidebar_position: 10 --- # Events and Event View diff --git a/docs/desktop/volume-type.mdx b/docs/desktop/volume-type.mdx index a5a0e3ef..e17ac649 100644 --- a/docs/desktop/volume-type.mdx +++ b/docs/desktop/volume-type.mdx @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- id: volume-type title: Volume Types -sidebar_position: 8 +sidebar_position: 9 --- # Volume Types From 3ec1537b2f031e950007a8d4daa1047560d869e6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Julian Raufelder Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:45:49 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 2/2] Clarify precondition for restoring a single encrypted file --- docs/desktop/restoring-files-from-backup.mdx | 5 ++++- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/docs/desktop/restoring-files-from-backup.mdx b/docs/desktop/restoring-files-from-backup.mdx index 9641b7da..ba419f8a 100644 --- a/docs/desktop/restoring-files-from-backup.mdx +++ b/docs/desktop/restoring-files-from-backup.mdx @@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ In a backup of the vault storage location, you therefore can't tell which encryp There are two ways to restore a file or folder: 1. [Open the backup as a second vault](#open-backup-as-vault) - Recommended. Works at any nesting depth and also for files and folders that have already been deleted from the vault. -2. [Restore a single encrypted file](#restore-single-encrypted-file) - Use this if the file still exists in the vault, you only need an older version of it, and your backup tool can restore individual files. +2. [Restore a single encrypted file](#restore-single-encrypted-file) - Use this if the file still exists in the vault with the same name and in the same folder as at the time of the backup, you only need an older version of it, and your backup tool can restore individual files. Both methods require Cryptomator for Windows, macOS, or Linux. @@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ Both methods require Cryptomator for Windows, macOS, or Linux. ## Restore a Single Encrypted File {/* #restore-single-encrypted-file */} +This method only works if the file still exists in the vault with the same name and in the same folder as at the time of the backup. +If the file was renamed or moved to a different folder since the backup, its encrypted path has changed, so [open the backup as a second vault](#open-backup-as-vault) instead. + 1. Unlock the vault and use [`Locate Encrypted File`](/docs/desktop/encrypted-file-names.mdx#locate-encrypted-file) on the file you want to restore. Note the path of the encrypted file shown in the file manager. 2. Lock the vault.