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Vault Browser

The Vault Browser is Necron Vault Manager's in-app file explorer for your encrypted vaults. It presents a familiar folder-and-file tree interface, but everything you see is reconstructed from encrypted metadata — no plaintext files ever exist on disk during browsing.

Opening a Vault

To open a vault, click its name in the left sidebar. The vault browser appears in the central content area, showing the vault's folder structure and files as an interactive tree.

Only one vault can be open at a time. Opening a different vault automatically closes the current one and clears its data from memory.

Note

When you open a vault, the app reads only the encrypted metadata that describes folder names, filenames, and organizational structure. The actual encrypted file content is never touched during browsing. This keeps the browser fast, even for vaults with thousands of files.

How the Tree Is Built

The vault browser constructs a tree from two types of encrypted metadata records:

  • Folder records — define the folder hierarchy (folder name and parent folder)
  • File records — define files and link them to their encrypted content (filename, parent folder, and content reference)

These records are encrypted on disk and decrypted on the fly using your dongle's key material. Only folder and file names are revealed — no file contents are exposed during browsing.

Column Headers

The vault browser tree has three column headers:

Column Description
Name The decrypted filename or folder name
Last encrypted When the file was last encrypted/imported
Size The original plaintext file size

Search and Sort

Above the file tree, a toolbar provides:

  • Search — a text input to filter files by name. Type to instantly filter the tree to matching entries.
  • Sort — a dropdown to change sort order:

Tree Operations

  • Click a folder to expand or collapse it
  • Click a file to select it (details appear in the right inspector)
  • Double-click a file to open it for editing (see Open for Edit)
  • Multi-select files and folders using standard keyboard modifiers (Ctrl+click, Shift+click)

Creating Folders

Right-click in the tree and select Add Folder from the context menu. A new folder is immediately created in the vault, and inline rename begins so you can type the folder name.

Renaming

Right-click a folder or file and select Rename. Inline editing begins. When you confirm:

  • The node's name is re-encrypted with the new name
  • The sealed node object is rewritten to all active locations
  • If an error occurs, the old name is restored and the error appears in the vault status area

Moving (Drag and Drop)

Drag files or folders within the tree to move them. The app updates the affected records and syncs changes to all locations.

Tip

You can also drag files from your operating system directly into the vault browser tree. This triggers the import workflow — the dropped files are encrypted and added to the vault under the target folder. See Importing Files to a Vault.

Deleting

Right-click and select Delete to remove files or folders from the vault. This removes both the metadata and encrypted file content across all locations.

Warning

Vault deletion is permanent. Deleted files cannot be recovered from within the vault. If you need the file, decrypt and export it first.

Inspector Panel

When a file is selected in the vault browser, the right-hand inspector panel shows:

  • Filename — the original, decrypted filename
  • File size — the original plaintext file size
  • Encryption format — the format used (NCV2, NCV3, etc.)
  • Per-location status — which vault locations have a copy of this file and whether each copy is present

The inspector also provides action buttons in the vault card:

Action Description
Check vault Run a full integrity check across all locations
Delete vault Remove the vault entirely

And in the inspector footer, three action tiles:

Tile Description
Encrypt Open the Quick Encrypt modal for standalone encryption
Decrypt Open the Quick Decrypt modal for standalone decryption
Settings Open the Settings modal

Icons and Styling

The tree uses visual cues to help you navigate:

  • 📁 Folder icon (pale yellow) — for directories
  • 📄 File icon — for encrypted files
  • Collapse/expand arrows — clear triangle indicators for folder state

Vault Information

When a vault is open, the inspector's Locations section shows all configured storage locations with their status:

  • Online (green) — the location path exists and is accessible
  • Offline (red) — the location is unreachable (cloud folder not syncing, drive not plugged in)

SLAVE Dongle Behavior

When a SLAVE dongle is connected (instead of a MASTER):

  • The vault browser works normally for reading — you can navigate the tree, view files, and decrypt/export
  • Write operations are disabled — you cannot create folders, rename, move, delete, or import files
  • The "Create Vault" button in the sidebar becomes "Import Vault"

This read-only behavior ensures SLAVE dongles cannot accidentally modify vault state.

Performance

The vault browser is designed for speed:

  • Metadata-only scanning — only file and folder names are read; the encrypted file content is not touched
  • No decryption of file content — only small metadata records are decrypted
  • Lazy rendering — visible items are rendered on demand for smooth scrolling
  • Background repair — missing-file checks run after the tree is loaded, without blocking the UI

Next Steps