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Vault Integrity Check

Necron Vault Manager includes a powerful integrity verification system that checks every encrypted file across all vault storage locations. It detects corruption, tampering, missing files, and filename manipulation — then repairs any problems by restoring damaged or missing copies from a healthy source.

Why Integrity Matters

When you store encrypted files across multiple locations (local drives, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive), several things can go wrong:

  • A cloud sync client may fail to upload a file completely
  • A storage device may develop data corruption
  • A file may be accidentally deleted or moved
  • An attacker may tamper with encrypted files

The integrity check catches all of these problems.

Two-Phase Integrity Model

Necron Vault Manager uses a two-phase approach to integrity:

Phase 1 — Automatic Missing-Files Reconcile

This runs automatically every time you open a vault. It's fast and non-disruptive:

  1. The app checks which files exist at each storage location
  2. Any location missing a file receives a copy from the first available source
  3. If any files were restored, a summary notification appears

If no files were missing, the vault opens without interruption.

Note

Phase 1 checks for missing files only — it does not verify file contents. For full verification, use Phase 2.

Phase 2 — Full Integrity Check & Repair

This is a comprehensive, manually triggered verification that checks every encrypted file:

  1. Click the "Check vault integrity" button in the right-hand inspector panel
  2. A progress modal appears showing per-file progress
  3. Every file across all locations is cryptographically verified to detect corruption or tampering

Each copy is classified as:

Status Meaning
Good File verified — no corruption or tampering detected
Damaged Corruption or tampering detected
Missing File not found at this location

Repair Behavior

When the integrity check finds problems, it attempts automatic repair:

  • Missing copies — restored from a good copy at another location
  • Damaged copies — overwritten from a good copy at another location
  • Renamed/swapped files — detected as damage; replaced with a correct copy
  • Unrecoverable files — if no good copy exists at any location, the file is flagged as unrecoverable

Warning

If a file is damaged or missing at all locations simultaneously, it cannot be repaired. This is why using multiple locations with different providers is strongly recommended — it minimizes the chance of simultaneous failure.

Progress and Results

During the integrity check, the progress modal shows:

  • A progress bar showing how many files have been checked
  • A status label like "Checking 47 of 200 files…"

At completion, the modal shows one of:

  • "Vault integrity OK — no repairs were required." — everything is healthy
  • A per-location summary of repairs, such as:

The Close button remains disabled until the check completes, so you can't accidentally dismiss an in-progress verification.

When to Run an Integrity Check

  • After a cloud sync issue — if your cloud provider reported sync errors or conflicts
  • After a power failure or crash — if the app was interrupted during import or sync
  • Periodically — as a routine health check, especially for critical vaults
  • Before creating a backup — to ensure your backup contains only healthy data
  • After re-connecting an offline location — to verify the location is in sync

Requirements

  • A vault must be open
  • At least one dongle must be connected (the check is read-only, so SLAVE dongles can run it)
  • All locations you want to verify should be online

Next Steps