# Quick start

This guide gets you from installation to a proven restore point. For a tour of
every page, see [Guided tour](Guided-Tour).

![VaultSync onboarding while the Settings page remains interactive](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ATAC-Helicopter/VaultSync/Stable/docs/images/tour/onboarding-click-through.png)

## 1) Set the projects root

- Open **Settings**.
- Set **Projects root** to the folder that contains your project folders.
- This enables discovery; it does not automatically protect every child.

## 2) Choose a destination

- Simple mode: set **Fallback backup location**.
- Advanced mode: enable **Advanced destinations**, add one or more targets, and
  use **Test** for each one.
- Never put a destination inside the project being protected.

## 3) Add a project

- Go to **Projects**.
- Register a discovered folder or add it directly.
- Choose the closest preset so caches and generated files can be ignored.
- Give the project a clear name; it appears in Backups, History, Recovery, and
  the tray menu.

![Projects page with a registered project and snapshot controls](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ATAC-Helicopter/VaultSync/Stable/docs/images/Projects_Page.png)

## 4) Run a manual backup

- Open **Backups**.
- Select **Backup** for the project to create its first restore point.
- Keep VaultSync open until the run reaches a completed or actionable error
  state.

![Backups page with project backup actions and restore points](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ATAC-Helicopter/VaultSync/Stable/docs/images/Backup_Page.png)

## 5) Prove the result

- Confirm the new point appears in **Backups** and **History**.
- Open **Recovery** and run a drill to check that the stored payload is
  reachable and readable.
- Review the 3-2-1 advisor. Mark a destination as offsite only when it is
  physically offsite.
- Create a second point after a small change and use **Compare**.

![Recovery drill evidence for a tested restore point](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ATAC-Helicopter/VaultSync/Stable/docs/images/Recovery_Drill.png)

## Tips

- Use a local SSD for fastest backups.
- For NAS or SMB, see [Network shares](Network-Shares).
- If you change paths, credentials, encryption, or mount options, test the
  destination again and rerun affected Recovery drills.
- See [Settings reference](Settings-Reference) before enabling performance
  shortcuts such as aggressive scan cache or parallel archive uploads.