Source: https://restorebunny.com/guides/verify-photo-archive-checksums/ # Verify a Photo Archive with Checksums: Copy Integrity, Not Quality Use a file manifest to detect changed or missing photo files. Learn what a matching checksum proves, handle mismatches and preserve new edit versions. Family photo projects3 min readUpdated 04 October 2026 Quick answer ## The short version Create checksums for stable source files and compare them after copying or recovery. A matching checksum supports that the checked bytes are unchanged; it does not prove that a photo is authentic, correctly labelled or visually sharp. Investigate mismatches without overwriting good copies. ## Give integrity checks a precise job A file can still have its old name and thumbnail after its contents change. A checksum summarises file bytes so later comparison can detect changes. The Digital Preservation Coalition describes fixity checks as a way to identify altered digital objects. Keep the original manifest separately as well as with the archive, and record the tool and algorithm used. A checksum cannot tell you whether the first scan clipped a person's head, whether a caption is wrong or whether the scene was altered before you received it. Check visual quality and provenance first. Then make a manifest for the files you have accepted as your sources. Checking an incorrect file repeatedly only preserves that error reliably. ## Use a repeatable copy check 1. Finish source-file naming and the initial quality review. Choose a checksum tool you can use consistently and an algorithm such as SHA-256; follow that tool's official instructions. 2. Generate a manifest containing relative paths and checksums for the stable archive files. Record the date, scope and tool. Preserve a copy outside the folder being checked. 3. Copy the archive to the destination without modifying the sources. Run a verification there against the saved manifest. 4. Investigate changed, missing or unexpected files. Keep the source and destination copies separate until you understand the discrepancy. 5. Record the outcome and repeat a sample recovery test. Byte comparison and opening an image answer different questions, so perform both. ## Worked example: 500 files and one mismatch Suppose a manifest covers 500 accepted source files. After an external-drive copy, verification reports 499 matches and one mismatch for FAM-0091-front.tif. Do not overwrite both copies or rebuild the manifest immediately to make the report green. Compare the file on the original drive with another independently stored copy and review recent changes. If the original still matches the earlier manifest and the destination does not, recopy that file and verify again. If neither matches, investigate whether an intentional metadata edit occurred or a file changed unexpectedly. A manifest created after a change cannot prove what the earlier bytes were. Keep the mismatch log and seek a known-good earlier backup before discarding evidence. ## Distinguish intentional edits from damage - Metadata edits: changing a caption embedded inside a JPEG changes the file bytes even when the picture looks the same. Document the edit rather than calling every mismatch corruption. - New restoration: save a derivative with a new filename and source ID. Do not update the original source's checksum to conceal replacement. - Missing file: check paths and renaming maps as well as storage failures. A correct checksum at an unexpected name still needs inventory reconciliation. - New manifest: create a dated version after approved archive changes. Retain older manifests and the change record so you know which state each one describes. ## Combine checks with backups Fixity monitoring detects problems; it does not repair them. Recovery depends on independent good copies and usable records. Avoid keeping all manifests and image copies on one drive. Test that another person can locate the manifest, run the check and interpret its results without access to your memory. A sensible review interval depends on how often files change and how storage is managed. Begin with checks after copying, migration and recovery. Do not represent a checksum workflow as an AI detector or legal authenticity certificate. It is a focused way to ask whether accepted bytes survived a particular transfer or period of storage. ## FAQs Does a matching checksum prove that the photo is genuine? No. It supports unchanged bytes relative to the checked manifest. Authenticity, caption accuracy and image quality require other evidence. Why did adding a caption cause a mismatch? An embedded metadata change alters the file's bytes. Record intentional changes and create a new dated manifest while retaining the old record. ## Sources Preservation and technical guidance reviewed for this article. - Digital Preservation Coalition: [Fixity and checksums]() ## Related - [Back up originals and test recovery]() - [Package a transferable family archive]() - [Review restored detail against the source]() - [Download the archive handoff checklist]() ## Ready to restore your photos? Upload an image, choose your settings, and preview results with a before/after slider. [Get Started]()[View Pricing]() RestoreBunny Team Photo workflow editors Guides follow our [editorial policy]() for sourcing, product claims, AI limitations, updates, and corrections.