Integrity Checker: what it checks and what the results mean

The Integrity Checker checks whether the internal structure of your Safe is consistent and whether the encrypted file data can be found and read correctly.

It can detect missing file data, sync-related problems and internal inconsistencies. In many cases SimpleumSafe can repair these issues. If the Integrity Checker reports data loss, read the log carefully and check your backups before deleting anything.

Quick answer

Start with Check. It analyzes the Safe without changing it.
Use Repair only after you have read the log.
Do not run Delete immediately when Data Loss appears.
If important files may be affected, contact support before deleting anything.

When should I run the Integrity Checker?

Run the Integrity Checker when:

the Security Center recommends it
SimpleumSafe or support asks you to check the integrity of a Safe
files look incomplete after synchronization
a sync problem mentions missing file data
you want to understand whether a Safe has detectable consistency problems

The Integrity Checker is not a replacement for regular backups. A successful check is a good sign for the checked areas of the current Safe, but it does not prove that every old backup or external copy is healthy.

Before you start

If your Safe uses synchronization, let all devices finish syncing first. On iPhone, iPad and Vision OS, keep SimpleumSafe open while synchronization is running.

Start with the normal check mode. It analyzes the Safe without changing it.

If the result shows warnings, errors or data loss, open the log and read the messages before you start a repair or delete run. The log tells you which files or internal states are affected.

If the check was interrupted or synchronization was still running, the result may be incomplete. Let synchronization finish and run the check again.

Integrity Checker options

When you start the Integrity Checker, SimpleumSafe can include additional checks depending on what you want to verify.

Check file readability and decryptability

This option checks whether encrypted file data can be read and decrypted. It is useful when you want a deeper check of the stored encrypted file contents, not only the Safe structure and metadata.

This can take longer, especially for large Safes, because SimpleumSafe checks every file and has to access the encrypted file data for each one.

Check synchronization inconsistencies

This option checks sync-related state, for example whether file data still has to be uploaded or downloaded. It also checks every file to see whether the expected file data exists in the sync target.

It is only available when synchronization is configured for the Safe. If your Safe does not use synchronization, this option is not shown.

This can take a long time, especially with cloud synchronization. (If no local cache of the sync target exists yet, SimpleumSafe has to check which files exist there. During this process, SimpleumSafe builds a file cache that records which files exist in CloudKit and which files are missing.)

What should I do now?

Result	What it means	Next step
No problems found	No warnings, errors or data loss indicators were found in the checked areas.	No action needed. Continue normal use and keep regular backups.
Repairable warning or error	Metadata, folder structure, package information or sync state needs cleanup.	Read the log, run Repair if offered, sync if needed, then check again.
Some problems are not repairable	Repair may fix part of the result, but at least one message still needs review.	Read the log carefully. Do not run Delete unless you understand the affected files.
Data Loss	SimpleumSafe cannot currently find or read the affected encrypted file data.	Do not run Delete immediately. Check backups and other devices first.

Check, Repair and Delete

Check

Analyzes the Safe and does not change files or metadata. This is the safest first step.

Repair

Fixes known metadata, folder structure, package or sync-state problems. After Repair, sync if needed and check again.

Delete

Cleans up unrecoverable entries or encrypted file remnants after data loss. It cannot restore missing file contents.

Repair may update internal metadata, mark files as loaded, repair folder structure, create Lost+Found entries, or prepare a sync upload or download.

After a repair, you may need to run synchronization and then run the Integrity Checker again.

Repair cannot recover file contents that no longer exist anywhere.

Delete mode is for cleanup after data loss has been found. It can remove entries or encrypted file remnants that SimpleumSafe cannot recover.

Use Delete only after you have read the log and checked whether you have a backup or another device that still contains the affected files. If you are unsure, contact support before deleting anything.

What a successful result means

If all checks pass, SimpleumSafe did not find warnings, errors or data loss indicators in the checked areas of this Safe.

If you selected additional Integrity Checker options, this result also applies to those additional checked areas. If you did not select an option, that deeper check was not part of this run.

No further action is needed. Continue normal use and keep regular backups.

Warnings and errors

A warning usually means that something is inconsistent, incomplete, or waiting for synchronization, but may still be repairable.

An error means that the Safe has an internal inconsistency that should be reviewed. Many errors can be repaired, but you should read the log first so you understand what will happen.

Common repairable problems include:

a file entry is missing an internal identifier
a file or folder has incomplete metadata
the internal folder structure needs cleanup
encrypted file data exists but is not connected to a visible Safe entry
synchronization metadata needs to be updated, or missing uploads or downloads of file data are detected

If the Integrity Checker says that all problems are repairable, run Repair, then run the checker again. If the same problem appears again, contact support.

If the result says that not all problems are repairable, do not treat Repair as the complete solution. Repair may still help with some issues, but you should review the remaining messages separately.

Specific messages and what they mean

The Integrity Checker log can contain specific messages about metadata, missing file data, synchronization, or data loss. The sections below explain the most important cases and the safest next step.

Package size recalculation

Older SimpleumSafe versions before 3.7.8 could store an outdated or incorrect size for package files.

This warning is about repairable metadata. It does not mean that the encrypted file contents inside the package are damaged.

Run Repair to let SimpleumSafe recalculate the package size. This should be a one-time correction for the affected package.

After Repair, run the Integrity Checker again. The warning should no longer appear for the same package. If it does, contact Simpleum Support.

Data Loss

Data Loss means that SimpleumSafe cannot currently find or read the affected encrypted file data. Do not run Delete immediately.

If possible, keep or create a backup of the Safe before you change anything. Then check whether another synchronized device, the sync target, or one of your backups still contains the affected files.

Contact Simpleum Support before deleting anything if the files may be important or if you are unsure which files are affected.

Delete can remove unrecoverable entries or encrypted file remnants from the Safe, but it cannot restore missing file contents.

Some findings mean that synchronization has not finished yet, another device still has to upload file data, or this device still has to download file data.

If the log says that user action is required, another device may need to synchronize before this device can repair or download the file data.

Let all devices finish syncing, run Repair only if the Integrity Checker recommends it, synchronize again, then run the Integrity Checker once more.

Missing file data

Sometimes SimpleumSafe can see a file entry, but the encrypted file data is missing locally.

This can happen when synchronization has not finished yet, when another device has not uploaded file data, or when an import was interrupted.

Depending on the situation, SimpleumSafe may be able to:

download the file data from the sync target
ask you to synchronize another device first
re-import the original file from its original location
report data loss if no recovery path is available

If another device is mentioned in the log, open that device, let it synchronize, then synchronize this device and run the Integrity Checker again.

Re-import and Full Disk Access on Mac

If SimpleumSafe still knows the original import location of a missing file, the Integrity Checker may try to re-import that file.

On Mac, SimpleumSafe may need Full Disk Access to read the original file during repair.

Lost+Found entries

If encrypted file data exists but SimpleumSafe cannot find the matching visible file entry, Repair may create a Lost+Found entry.

Open Lost+Found after repair and check whether you can identify the file. You can then rename or move it.

When to contact support

Contact support if:

the Integrity Checker reports data loss and you are not sure what to do
Repair fails
the same problem appears again after repair and synchronization
the log mentions missing data from another device, but that device is no longer available
you cannot identify the affected files
you are unsure whether Delete mode is safe

You do not need to contact support for every warning. In many cases the next steps are: read the log, run Repair if offered, synchronize if needed, then run the Integrity Checker again.