When did you last test a backup restore?

Published 31 October 2026 · StormDotCom

Start with a realistic scenario

Could you recover an accidentally deleted document, a failed computer or a business-critical server? Each involves different data, permissions, equipment and recovery steps. Agree the scenario and the result you need before starting a test.

A practical restore test

• Choose a representative file or workload and identify the recovery point you want.
• Restore into an isolated or separate location so you do not overwrite live data.
• Open the recovered files or validate the application with the responsible business person.
• Measure how long the process takes, including access, approvals and dependencies.
• Record what worked, what failed and who owns the follow-up actions.

Agree how much downtime and data loss you can tolerate

Your recovery time objective describes how soon you need the service back. Your recovery point objective describes how much recent data loss is acceptable. These are business requirements to plan and test against, rather than promises made by the backup software alone.

Include Microsoft 365 and other cloud data

Microsoft 365 provides built-in recovery options. Their scope and retention still need to be compared with your requirements. Confirm which mailboxes, OneDrive accounts and SharePoint sites are selected for any additional backup service.

Make testing repeatable

Agree the test frequency and scope with your provider. Review the plan when important systems, data volumes or staff responsibilities change. A single successful file restore does not prove that an entire business can recover.

Explore managed backup and recovery → · Try the readiness questionnaire →

Further reading: Microsoft’s SharePoint library recovery guidance.