Restore
Restore files from backup with file-level precision, point-in-time selection, and cross-device recovery.
File-Level Restore
BackupEngine lets you restore individual files or entire folders without downloading your full backup. The GUI's Restore tab is the full-featured browse-and-pick experience; the CLI provides a one-shot path-based restore for scripts and ad-hoc recovery from an SSH session.
- •Open the desktop agent and go to the Restore tab.
- •Select the backup set. If multiple destinations exist, choose which copy to restore from.
- •Browse the folder tree or use the search bar to find specific files.
- •Check the files or folders you want to restore.
- •Choose a destination: original location (with optional overwrite) or a new folder.
- •Click Restore to begin downloading and decrypting the selected files.
backupengine restore "C:\Users\alex\Documents\report.docx"
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Point-in-Time Restore
Every backup run creates a timestamped snapshot. You can browse your files as they existed at any previous backup point and restore from that exact moment. This is essential for recovering from accidental edits, deletions, or file corruption.
- •In the Restore tab, use the timeline slider or calendar picker to select a date and time.
- •The file browser updates to show the state of your files at that point.
- •Select and restore files exactly as they were at the chosen moment.
- •Compare versions side-by-side before restoring to make sure you have the right one.
ℹ Note
restore subcommand always recovers the latest version of the path you give it. For older versions, use the GUI's timeline picker.💡 Tip
Version History
Right-click any file in the Restore tab to view its complete version history. Each version shows the backup timestamp, file size, and whether the file was added, modified, or renamed.
- •See every version of a file across all backup runs.
- •Download any previous version directly.
- •Compare file sizes to identify when significant changes occurred.
- •Versions are deduplicated at the chunk level, so storing many versions is storage-efficient.
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Cross-Device Restore
You can restore files backed up from one device onto a different device. This is useful when migrating to a new computer, recovering after hardware failure, or accessing files while traveling.
- •Install BackupEngine on the new device and sign in with the same account.
- •In the Restore tab, select the source device from the device dropdown.
- •Browse and restore files from that device's backup sets to the new machine.
- •Your encryption passphrase is required to decrypt the data on the new device.
⚠ Warning