---
name: obsidian-backup
description: >-
  Anton's Obsidian data-safety runbook: the 3-2-1 backup of the vault
  ($OBSIDIAN_VAULT), the never-deleted originals archive, the two
  schedulers that keep it running, and the restore / new-PC migration procedure.
  Use whenever Anton wants to back up, verify, restore, or migrate his vault, or
  when a backup looks broken — "сделай бэкап", "проверь бэкап", "бэкап сломался",
  "восстанови vault", "восстанови заметку из бэкапа", "перенеси Obsidian на новый
  компьютер", "migrate my vault", "is my backup healthy", "back up now",
  "the nightly backup didn't run". Also the home for managing the nightly Windows
  task and the weekly health-check routine. The standing RULES live in memory
  ([[preserve-originals-rule]], [[vault-offsite-backup]]); this skill is the
  runbook + loader and never duplicates them.
license: MIT
---

# Obsidian backup & restore (data-safety runbook)

> 🧒 **When reporting to Anton:** always end with a child-simple "Простыми словами" recap in his language (plain words, no jargon) — his standing request. See memory `eli5-always`.

This skill is the operational runbook for Anton's vault data-safety system. The **rules** (always preserve originals; always back up offsite to Google Drive) live in memory — `preserve-originals-rule`, `vault-offsite-backup` — and in the import skills (`obsidian-ingest` Rule 0, `telegram-reimport` Step 0). **Don't re-derive or duplicate them here.** This file says *what to run, where things are, and how to recover*.

## The system at a glance — 4 layers

1. **Originals (Rule 0).** Every import's raw source is copied verbatim to `$OBSIDIAN_ROOT/_originals/<key>\<date>__<name>\` (sha256 manifest), **never deleted**. Script: `archive_original.py`.
2. **3-2-1 backup.** Vault → one **git bundle** (full history) + `_originals` copy-only → to **Google Drive** (offsite/cloud) **and** `C:\ObsidianBackup` (separate disk). Script: `backup_to_drive.py`.
3. **Nightly automation.** Windows Task Scheduler job `Obsidian Backup to Drive` runs the backup daily 03:00 (runs even when Claude is closed).
4. **Weekly watchdog.** Claude routine `obsidian-backup-healthcheck` (Mon ~10:00) runs `backup_healthcheck.py` and Telegrams Anton — heartbeat if fine, alert (and may self-heal) if broken.

### Where everything is (this machine)

| Thing | Path |
|---|---|
| Vault (git repo) | `$OBSIDIAN_VAULT` |
| Originals (permanent) | `$OBSIDIAN_ROOT/_originals/` (+ `README.txt`) |
| Scripts | `$IMPORTS_ROOT/{archive_original,backup_to_drive,backup_healthcheck}.py` (+ `backup_to_drive.cmd`, log `backup_to_drive.log`, verdicts in `backup_health\`) |
| **Offsite copy (cloud)** | `E:\Google Drive on HP Palo Alto\Obsidian-Backup\` — Google account **owner.personal@example.com** (G: shortcut → this folder; Google uploads to cloud) |
| **Local copy (2nd disk)** | `C:\ObsidianBackup\` |
| Each copy holds | `vault\Owner-Knowledge-<date>.bundle` (last 14 kept) · `_originals\` · `MIGRATE.md` · `last-backup.txt` |

Path is machine-specific (`Google Drive on HP Palo Alto`); on another machine, `backup_to_drive.py` auto-detects `E:\Google Drive on*`.

## Common tasks

All commands run with `$env:PYTHONUTF8=1` in PowerShell.

**Back up now** (commit vault → bundle+verify → Drive + C:):
```
python $IMPORTS_ROOT/backup_to_drive.py
```
Good habit after big imports (alongside the brain reindex). Google finishes uploading in the background.

**Check the backup is healthy now:**
```
python $IMPORTS_ROOT/backup_healthcheck.py
```
Prints `STATUS OK` / `STATUS PROBLEM`; full verdict at `$IMPORTS_ROOT/backup_health/health-latest.md`.

**Archive an import original** (Rule 0 — also auto-done by the import skills):
```
python $IMPORTS_ROOT/archive_original.py "<source path>" --source <key> --label "<note>"
```

**Restore / migrate** — see the next section.

**Manage the nightly Windows task:**
```
Get-ScheduledTaskInfo -TaskName 'Obsidian Backup to Drive'   # last/next run, result
Start-ScheduledTask   -TaskName 'Obsidian Backup to Drive'   # run now
Disable-ScheduledTask -TaskName 'Obsidian Backup to Drive'   # pause
```

**Manage the weekly watchdog routine:** the `Scheduled` section in the sidebar, or the `scheduled-tasks` MCP (`list_scheduled_tasks` / `update_scheduled_task` taskId `obsidian-backup-healthcheck`). After (re)creating it, click **Run now** once to pre-approve PowerShell + Telegram.

## Restore & migrate (the disaster runbook)

The backup folder (Drive **or** C:) is self-describing — it contains `MIGRATE.md`. The vault lives entirely inside the newest `vault\Owner-Knowledge-<date>.bundle` (full git history in one file).

**Migrate the whole vault to a NEW computer:**
1. Install Git + Obsidian. Sign into Google Drive `owner.personal@example.com` so `Obsidian-Backup\` syncs down (or copy it from `C:\ObsidianBackup`).
2. Take the **newest** bundle in `Obsidian-Backup\vault\`.
3. `git clone "Owner-Knowledge-<date>.bundle" Owner-Knowledge` → the result is the full vault repo with history.
4. Open that folder as an Obsidian vault. Copy `_originals\` across too (it's just files).

**Restore a single file / folder:**
```
git clone "<newest>.bundle" tmp_restore
# copy the file out of tmp_restore\ ... OR an older version:
git -C tmp_restore log --oneline -- "<path>"
git -C tmp_restore restore --source <hash> -- "<path>"
```
(For an in-place vault you can also recover from the live repo: `git -C $OBSIDIAN_VAULT restore --source <hash> -- <path>` — see [[vault-backup-rule]].)

## Troubleshooting — "the backup looks broken"

`backup_healthcheck.py` pinpoints which check failed. Map:

- **Stale / missing bundle, but task still Enabled** → the daily job just didn't run (PC was off, etc.). Fix: run `backup_to_drive.py` once. (The watchdog does this automatically.)
- **Windows task MISSING or DISABLED** → re-enable (`Enable-ScheduledTask -TaskName 'Obsidian Backup to Drive'`) or re-register:
  ```
  $action   = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute '$IMPORTS_ROOT/backup_to_drive.cmd'
  $trigger  = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -Daily -At '3:00AM'
  $settings = New-ScheduledTaskSettingsSet -StartWhenAvailable -ExecutionTimeLimit (New-TimeSpan -Hours 1) -MultipleInstances IgnoreNew
  Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName 'Obsidian Backup to Drive' -Action $action -Trigger $trigger -Settings $settings -Force
  ```
  (Registering a scheduled task needs Anton's explicit OK — it can trip the persistence guard.)
- **Bundle FAILED `git bundle verify` (corruption)** → do NOT trust it. Keep the older good bundles (we retain 14), check the vault repo health (`git -C $OBSIDIAN_VAULT fsck`), then run a fresh `backup_to_drive.py`. Don't delete the bad bundle until a good one exists.
- **`_originals` lagging in a target** → re-run `backup_to_drive.py` (robocopy is copy-only, it'll catch up).
- **Drive not uploading** → confirm Google Drive for Desktop is running and signed into `owner.personal@example.com`; the local `Obsidian-Backup\` is on E: and syncs from there.

## Invariants (never violate)

- **Never delete anything under `_originals\`** — ever. It's the upstream source of truth.
- Originals/backups of originals are **copy-only** (robocopy `/E /XO`, never `/MIR`) — deletions must never propagate.
- The **git bundle is the migration artifact** — keep it self-contained (`--all`), verify before trusting.
- Don't sync the live vault folder (or live `.git`) into Drive directly — we back up the *bundle*, on purpose (avoids corruption / conflict copies / ransomware propagation).
- The standing rules are in memory ([[preserve-originals-rule]], [[vault-offsite-backup]]); reference them, don't fork them.