Back up and restore Hangrail content

Decide what to take with you

Local backups include text, notes, groups, pinned status, and images by default. To migrate ordinary files or videos as well, select “Include ordinary files and videos” (包含普通文件与视频). Cards in the Vault are also included in the encrypted backup.

Folders and missing or unreadable resources are skipped. After saving, check the record, attachment, and skipped-item counts shown. Before retiring an old computer, verify that important attachments are included. Large videos may also reach the size limit for a single backup. If a backup is too large, migrate videos separately, then save the remaining content.

Backups migrate your content. System permissions, saved login credentials, sync passphrases, and the current computer's collection rules are not included; set these up separately on the new computer.

Save a local backup

1. Open Hangrail settings, go to “Permissions & Data” (权限与数据), and find “Local Backup & Migration” (本地备份与迁移).
2. Enter a backup password of at least 10 characters. On Windows, enter it again to confirm when creating a backup.
3. Select “Include ordinary files and videos” (包含普通文件与视频) if needed.
4. Click “Save Backup…” (保存备份…), choose a location, and keep the .hrbackup extension.
5. Wait for saving to finish, then check the result for skipped items.

Save backups outside the Hangrail library folder, such as in Documents or on an external drive. When changing computers, copy the file to the new one or read it directly from the external drive.

Save the password separately in a password manager. Hangrail does not keep this backup password long-term, and the password is not included in the backup file. Restoring this file later requires the password used to create it.

Restore on the original or a new computer

1. Open Hangrail on the destination computer and go to “Permissions & Data → Local Backup & Migration” (权限与数据 → 本地备份与迁移).
2. Enter the password used to create this backup.
3. Click “Restore from File…” (从文件恢复…) and select the corresponding .hrbackup file.
4. Wait for verification, then check the record, group, and attachment counts shown.
5. When everything looks correct, click “Merge & Restore” (合并恢复), then check important notes and attachments when finished.

Restoring keeps existing content on the destination computer and merges the backup into it. Duplicate records are skipped. If the same note has different content on each side, the backup version is saved as a separate copy for comparison. Restoring the same backup again does not repeatedly create identical conflict copies.

The app saves a local restore snapshot before restoring. After migration, keep the original backup and the old computer's content for a while. Check that everything you need is usable before cleaning up old copies.

Save manual backups to WebDAV

If WebDAV is connected, you can store independent backups on your own server. Connect the server in “Settings → Sync & Backup” (设置 → 同步与备份), expand “Manual Backup & Restore” (手动备份与恢复), enter “Password for this backup” (这份备份的密码), choose whether to include ordinary files and videos, and click “Create Encrypted Backup Now” (立即加密备份).

To restore, click “Find Existing Backups” (查找已有备份) in the same area, select a backup, enter its original password, and click “Verify & Restore Selected Backup…” (验证并恢复所选备份…). After verification, you must still confirm “Merge & Restore” (合并恢复). Connecting the server does not require enabling automatic sync.

This backup password, the app password for server login, and the encryption passphrase for automatic sync serve different purposes and cannot replace one another. The backup password is retained only during the current settings session.

Do you still need backups with automatic sync?

To preserve content at a particular point in time, create an independent backup. Automatic sync carries manual deletions and retention period changes to other devices; it cannot replace a separately saved historical snapshot. Manual backups are kept independently and are not cleaned up when automatic sync history expires.

For example, save a backup before changing computers or reorganizing many cards, then continue using sync day to day. To recover old content later, first check whether the backup from that time contains it, then decide whether to merge and restore.

If verification fails or content is missing

If the password is incorrect, check that you entered the password used to create this backup, rather than the WebDAV login password or another backup's password. If the file was copied or downloaded, also confirm that transfer finished before verifying again.

If ordinary files or videos are missing, check whether you selected the include option when creating the backup and whether the save result reported skipped items. If the old computer and original resources are still accessible, add the missing items and save a new backup. Sync connections and system permissions must be configured again on the new computer; these settings are not part of content migration.