Every business we audit says they have backups. Far fewer can tell us when they last restored one, or how long it took. That gap is where outages become disasters.
1. Pick something that matters
Don't test with a spare spreadsheet. Choose a file, mailbox or system the business would miss within a day.
2. Restore it somewhere safe
Restore to a separate location so you don't overwrite anything live. If nobody knows how, you've already learned something.
If you've never restored it, you don't have a backup. You have a theory.
3. Time it
Start a clock when you begin. Stop it when someone can actually use what you restored.
4. Check what's missing
New systems added since setup, cloud services that aren't covered, or data that only lives on a laptop.
5. Write it down and repeat
- What you restored and when.
- How long it took.
- What went wrong.
- When you'll test again.