Safe Archive Failed or Stopped? How to Resume Safely
What a partial Safe Archive result means, how to fix the cause, and how to resume without copying every completed file again.
Safe Archive guide
Keep the copy, keep the context, and keep a record of what arrived.
Founder of ARCED Foundation, ARCED International, and Solutions of Things Lab (SoTLab). Built FolderManifest to help teams protect file integrity and stay audit-ready.
Published August 20, 2026
Scope first
Decide what you are allowed to copy before starting the archive.
Copy second
Use a destination that will remain available after access changes.
Verify last
Keep a report that names the files copied, converted, skipped, or failed.
Quick answer
A stopped archive does not mean the completed files are lost. Read the report, fix the source or destination problem, and resume the same job. Files already recorded as archived are skipped.
1. Read the result before restarting
Start with the result summary and the archive report. A complete run returns exit code 0. A partial run returns exit code 1, names the affected items in the report, and leaves the completed part available for a resume.
Partial
Some files failed. The report identifies them and a normal resume retries the unfinished work.
Skipped
Some source items cannot be archived as bytes, such as Google Forms, Sites, or shortcuts.
Failed report
The files may be complete even when only the manifest or report could not be written.
Do not delete the job folder or destination while investigating. The journal and report are the evidence that tells the next run what has already been handled.
2. Fix the cause named by the error
- Source unavailable: reconnect the drive, restore the folder path, or reconnect the Google account.
- Destination unavailable: reconnect the NAS or external drive and confirm write access.
- Insufficient space: free room or choose a larger destination before resuming.
- Google quota: wait for the temporary limit to clear, then resume.
- Credentials or connection: reconnect the account or enter the destination key again when the saved credential cannot be read.
A resume is safest when the destination and source are the same locations used by the original job. If you need a different destination, start a new archive and keep the first report so the two results do not become indistinguishable.
3. Resume the same job
In the desktop app, use the resume action on the unfinished archive. From the CLI, rerun the same archive command after fixing the problem. The journal skips files already recorded as complete, so the second pass concentrates on the remaining work.
foldermanifest archive "D:\Projects" --dest "N:\Backup\Projects" --jsonWhen the resumed run finishes, read the refreshed report again. Confirm that the failure count is zero, check any skipped or converted items, and keep the report with the archive. The archive exception report guide shows how to turn unresolved items into an explicit handoff list.
Two errors need a different next step
A corrupt plan is different from an ordinary transfer failure. The app can rebuild the file list and resume when the saved plan can no longer be read. This re-scans the source, while the journal still prevents completed files from being copied twice.
A report-writing failure is different again. The archive bytes may already be in place; rerun the job to write the manifest and report. Do not describe that case as data loss when the file transfer itself completed.
Make the archive reviewable
FolderManifest copies the folder locally or to a supported destination, then creates a report with the files that arrived and the files that need attention.
Frequently asked questions
Will resuming Safe Archive copy every file again?
No. The job journal records completed items, so a normal resume skips files already archived and focuses on the remaining or failed items.
What does Safe Archive exit code 1 mean?
Exit code 1 means the archive is partial: one or more items could not be archived and are named in the report. Fix the cause and rerun the same job to resume.
When should I rebuild the file list?
Rebuild the list only when the archive plan is corrupt and the job cannot tell what it set out to copy. A replan rediscovers the source, while the journal still prevents completed files from being copied twice.