Re-check & redistribute

Re-check and redistribute do related things on the same fundamental layer (the per-file backup index), but they're different actions. Pick the wrong one and you'll be confused about why nothing changed.

Re-check: “is what I think is there actually there?”

Re-check forces a fresh physical verification of a file (or a destination) right now. It re-reads the metadata or the bytes from the source of truth (the destination itself) and compares against the recorded state in Tusk's index.

Three places to find re-check:

• Per file: row context menu → Re-check backup. Re-verifies every destination this file is on.
• Per cloud destination: refresh icon on the cloud column header in the file table. Re-verifies every file in the project against this one cloud destination.
• Per drive: on the Drives page, click a connected drive and pick Re-verify all. Tusk re-stats every file Tusk has on this drive.

What re-check changes: timestamps and statuses get updated based on what was actually found. If something has changed (file is missing, hash mismatches), the row's status flips and a notification fires. The actual file bytes aren't modified by re-check; it's a verification action only.

Redistribute: “a destination is missing this; fill it in”

Redistribute is the action you reach for when a file is on some destinations but not all. The redistribute logic finds an existing verified copy and pushes it to the missing destinations.

Two ways to trigger it:

• Per Partial file: row context menu → Redistribute file. Only available on files in the Partial state.
• Project-wide: project page → More actions → Redistribute missing files. Queues a redistribute pass across every Partial file in the project. Useful after replacing a destination drive, or after a cloud destination lost data and you want to rebuild from your other backups.

What redistribute changes: actual file bytes get written to the missing destinations. The source for the write is chosen the same way restore picks sources (fastest verified copy first).

When to use which

• You suspect bit rot or corruption on a destination: re-check (per file or per destination) to find out. If something has changed, then redistribute or restore.
• You replaced an external drive and the new one is empty: redistribute project-wide to push every file from your other destinations onto the new drive.
• A cloud destination shows files in the wrong state: re-check the cloud column to confirm. Then redistribute the affected files if anything is missing.
• Before a bulk delete local: re-check (per cloud column, per drive) to confirm everything is present and verified. Don't redistribute pre-emptively (no point if everything is already there).