Check your scan backup by opening it

Pick a document you would miss, such as a course handout. Keep the working file where it is and make a separate copy on another storage device or in your chosen online storage. The Library of Congress recommends keeping document copies in different places and checking that they remain readable.

Go to the backup location and copy or download that document into a temporary test folder. Open this retrieved file, rather than the original in your recent-files list. Do not delete the original to simulate a loss. The aim is to practise finding and opening the saved copy.

For a PDF, move through its pages and compare the page count and a few details with the working file. For images, open the copies and inspect their contents. A successful spot check covers the files you examined; it does not prove that every file in the archive is intact.

Note where the backup lives, which file you tested and whether it opened correctly. Set a reminder to repeat the check at least annually, as the Library of Congress advises. If a copy will not open, keep the working file and investigate before replacing anything.