An archive exists and its size looks plausible. Before relying on it, check whether recovery works. Forgotten credentials and unsuitable recovery media are easier to discover before failure.
1. Check the set and credentials
Keep all split parts together. Identify the source, date and location. Store credentials independently. A lost optional key cannot be replaced by the password. Windows and file recovery are different workflows.
2. Verify the archive
Use Browse Backups to verify supported archives. A filename or large size is not an integrity test. A previous verification receipt records an earlier check. Consider verifying again after moving the archive or encountering disk problems. Preserve your only copy if a check fails.
3. Recover real files
Extract a document and photo into a separate folder. Sample recovery checks a few files against authenticated archive hashes, not the entire Windows recovery process.
Keep originals in place. Extract a PDF and a photo elsewhere and open them normally. This exercises credentials, archive reading and file handling together.
4. Test USB boot separately
Creating media does not prove your computer boots from it. Check the recovery environment, hardware and archive accessibility. The USB can contain the boot environment while the archive remains on another external disk.
A full restoration may overwrite the target. Use an appropriate separate test disk or computer and protect original data. Disk layout, drivers and hardware also matter.
Record the outcome
USB boot, sample file recovery and complete Windows recovery are distinct outcomes. Write down which archive and device you tested.
Sources and scope
Original guide based on SafeDSX 1.0.27. For feature scope, review the release notes .
