My .kbk backup won't restore
Wrong passphrase, unsupported version, or an unreadable file - what each restore error means and what actually fixes it.
A .kbk backup is a passphrase-encrypted file you own - Kochab never holds a copy of it or the
passphrase, so restoring it always starts with picking the file and entering the passphrase
yourself on the Restore from Backup screen. The message it fails with names which of the following
went wrong.
“Wrong passphrase”
The passphrase did not decrypt this file. A wrong passphrase or damaged encrypted contents can cause this message. Kochab may have prefilled a remembered passphrase from a previous restore on this device. Check that the field holds the phrase you used for this particular backup, especially if you have made more than one over time with different passphrases.
“Unsupported backup version”
Kochab could not recognize the file’s header. This usually means the .kbk came from a very
different app version than the one restoring it. Update Kochab to the current version on both
the device that made the backup and the device restoring it, then export a fresh backup and
try again.
“Could not read this backup”
The file itself is not a valid backup - it is corrupted, truncated, or not a .kbk at all.
The file picker does not filter by file type, so it is easy to select the wrong file by
mistake (a screenshot of your passphrase, for instance, instead of the backup itself). Some
messaging apps and cloud sync tools also alter files in transit; if you moved the backup
through one of those, re-transfer it directly rather than through a share sheet that
re-encodes it, or re-export a fresh copy.
“You already have a stack called …” or a conflicting service
This is not a corrupted backup. It means the restore would collide with something already on this device - a stack with the same name, or a service already configured under a different stack. The restore screen has two ways through this:
- Replace everything wipes your current stacks, keys, and saved certificates first, then restores the backup cleanly. This is destructive: use it only when you mean to fully replace what is on this device.
- Leave it off and each stack in the backup replaces your copy of that stack. Any service added to it since the backup was made is removed, along with its key and saved certificates. Stacks only on this device stay as they are, and stacks only in the backup are added. For a clean merge instead, rename or remove the colliding stack locally first. Choosing Continue on a duplicate-name prompt keeps both stacks and renames the incoming one.
After a successful restore
Check these restore options before applying the backup:
- Certificates are re-checked against each host the next time you connect, unless you explicitly turn on the trust-saved-certificates option during the restore (it names the number of certificates in your backup). A foreign or tampered backup should never silently pin the certificates it names.
- Notifications need the Reconnect notifications option turned on during the restore to rejoin the account this backup belonged to. Without it, the stacks and keys come back but this device does not rejoin the backup’s notification account. The option starts on when the backup includes notification recovery data and this device has no conflicting account; it starts off when this device already uses a different account.