> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.xloud.tech/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# File-Level Restore

> Recover individual files from a volume or instance snapshot without restoring the whole volume — download the files you need directly.

## Overview

File-Level Restore lets you reach into an existing snapshot and pull out a single file, a
handful of files, or a folder — without restoring the entire volume first. Pick a
snapshot, open its filesystem in the Dashboard, navigate the directory tree, and download
the files you need as individual files or a single ZIP archive.

This is the fastest way to recover from accidental deletions, configuration mistakes, or
corruption of a specific file, without spinning up a new volume or attaching a recovery
VM.

<Note>
  **Prerequisites**

  * An existing volume snapshot or instance snapshot
  * The snapshot must be in a usable state — **Available** for a volume snapshot,
    **Active** for an instance snapshot
</Note>

***

## Video Walkthrough

<iframe className="w-full aspect-video rounded-xl" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oU3IunS26Q8" title="How to Recover Files from a Snapshot on Xloud" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowFullScreen />

***

## When to Use File-Level Restore

| Scenario                                               | Full Restore | File-Level Restore |
| ------------------------------------------------------ | :----------: | :----------------: |
| Recover a single deleted config file                   |   Overkill   |      Best fit      |
| Recover a folder of documents                          |   Overkill   |      Best fit      |
| Recover from ransomware that encrypted a whole disk    |   Best fit   |          —         |
| Roll back after a failed OS upgrade                    |   Best fit   |          —         |
| Pull a log file from last week's snapshot for auditing |   Overkill   |      Best fit      |
| Compare old vs current configuration                   |   Overkill   |      Best fit      |

<Tip>
  File-Level Restore is non-destructive — it opens the snapshot read-only. You cannot
  accidentally modify the snapshot's contents while browsing it.
</Tip>

***

## Where to Find It

The **Browse Files** action appears on the row actions of every eligible snapshot:

| Dashboard location                                        | Source               | Eligible when                    |
| --------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| **Storage → Volume Snapshots** → row → **Browse Files**   | A volume snapshot    | Snapshot status is **Available** |
| **Compute → Instance Snapshots** → row → **Browse Files** | An instance snapshot | Snapshot status is **Active**    |

<Info>
  If you do not see **Browse Files**, either the snapshot is in a non-ready state, or the
  File-Level Restore feature is not enabled on your cluster. Ask your administrator.
</Info>

***

## Recover Files from a Snapshot

<Steps titleSize="h3">
  <Step title="Find your snapshot" icon="search">
    Open the appropriate page — **Storage → Volume Snapshots** or
    **Compute → Instance Snapshots** — and locate the snapshot you want to recover
    from.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Browse Files" icon="folder-open">
    In the row actions, click **Browse Files**. The Dashboard opens a full-page file
    browser tagged with the snapshot type and ID.

    <Info>
      The first open of a snapshot can take **20-30 seconds** as the Dashboard opens the
      snapshot's filesystem. Subsequent opens of the same snapshot are much faster.
    </Info>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick the right partition" icon="hard-drive">
    At the top of the page, a **partition dropdown** lists every partition on the
    snapshot with its size and detected OS or filesystem label. The Dashboard picks the
    most likely default — usually the OS partition. Change it if your target files live
    on a different partition.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Navigate the filesystem" icon="folder-tree">
    Use the file table to browse:

    * Click a **folder** row to enter it
    * Click a breadcrumb segment at the top to jump back to a parent folder
    * Click the **Up** button to move one folder up
    * Click **Reload** to refresh the current folder

    Each row shows the name, type (file or directory), size, and last-modified time.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Download what you need" icon="download">
    Two ways to download:

    | Method                       | Use for                                                                                                 |
    | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | **Per-row Download icon**    | A single file — downloads directly to your browser                                                      |
    | **Download Selected as ZIP** | Multiple files at once — tick the checkboxes, then click the primary button to get a single ZIP archive |

    <Check>Files arrive in your browser's default download folder.</Check>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Close or continue browsing" icon="arrow-left">
    Click the **Back** button in the top-left when you are done, or continue browsing to
    recover additional files from the same snapshot.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Common Tasks

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Recover a single deleted file" icon="file">
    1. Go to the snapshot that was taken before the file was deleted
    2. Click **Browse Files**
    3. Navigate to the folder the file was in (e.g. `/etc`, `/home/you/Documents`)
    4. Click the per-row **Download** icon

    The file is restored to your laptop — copy it back into the running VM to finish the
    recovery.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Recover a folder of files" icon="folder">
    1. **Browse Files** into the snapshot
    2. Navigate to the folder
    3. Tick the checkboxes for the files you want
    4. Click **Download Selected as ZIP**

    Extract the ZIP on your workstation and copy the files back where they belong.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Compare an old config against the current one" icon="clipboard">
    1. **Browse Files** into an older snapshot
    2. Download the config file (for example `/etc/nginx/nginx.conf`)
    3. Download the current version from the running VM
    4. Run your favorite diff tool on the two files

    No downtime, no extra volume provisioning.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Find a file when you do not know the partition" icon="search">
    Many VMs have multiple partitions (EFI, system, data). If the OS partition is picked
    by default and your file is not there, open the **partition dropdown** and try the
    next partition — typically the largest one or the one labeled **data**.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Good to Know

* **Read-only by design** — browsing a snapshot never modifies its contents.
* **Project-scoped** — you can only browse snapshots in projects you have access to.
* **First open is the slowest** — opening a snapshot takes 20-30 seconds the first time.
  Subsequent navigation inside the same snapshot is near-instant.
* **Best for recovery, not discovery** — File-Level Restore shines when you know roughly
  which snapshot and folder to look in. For wide searches, consider restoring the whole
  volume to a rescue VM.

***

## Related Topics

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Volume Snapshots" href="/services/storage/snapshots" color="#197560">
    Create snapshots you can later browse for file-level recovery
  </Card>

  <Card title="Volume Backups" href="/services/storage/backups" color="#197560">
    Full volume protection with off-site retention for disaster recovery
  </Card>

  <Card title="Storage Troubleshooting" href="/services/storage/troubleshooting" color="#197560">
    Diagnose snapshot and volume issues
  </Card>
</CardGroup>