3. Restore Patch Run
Patch Restore uses the restore manifest generated during a confirmed patch apply.
Run:
Forge: Restore Patch Run
Patch Restore helps recover from bad patch runs by restoring notes from the backups created before the patch was applied.
It is designed for operational rollback, not full-vault disaster recovery.
Requirements
Patch Restore depends on both:
- patch backups
- restore manifests
Keep these enabled in:
Settings → Patch
Required settings:
- Backup before patch
- Generate restore manifest
Without backups or manifests, Forge cannot reconstruct the previous patch state automatically.
What Gets Restored
Forge restores files listed in the selected restore manifest using their corresponding backup copies.
Typical restored content includes:
- frontmatter changes
- normalized metadata
- moved notes
- patch-written field updates
- tag operations
Restore workflows are scoped to the affected patch run only.
They are not intended to replace:
- Git
- vault backups
- sync version history
- external recovery systems
Typical Restore Workflow
A practical restore workflow usually looks like this:
- Review the patch report
- Identify the affected patch run
- Run:
Forge: Restore Patch Run - Select the restore manifest
- Confirm the restore
- Re-run Vault Lint
- Review the vault state carefully
Most restores should happen soon after the problematic patch run while the operational context is still clear.
Good Restore Hygiene
Recommended practices:
- restore soon after a bad patch
- avoid stacking manual edits on top of broken patch results
- read the patch report first
- re-run Vault Lint after restore
- keep external vault backups available
Patch restore is safest when used as part of a broader backup strategy.
Recommended Backup Strategy
Forge backups are operational safeguards, not a complete vault protection system.
For long-lived vaults, recommended backup layers include:
- Git
- Obsidian Sync version history
- Time Machine
- OneDrive version history
- Dropbox version history
- periodic offline backups
Patch Restore is meant to complement those systems, not replace them.
Why Restore Exists
Large patch workflows can affect many notes quickly.
Even careful dry runs cannot always predict:
- unexpected metadata edge cases
- downstream workflow assumptions
- Dataview dependencies
- evolving template structures
Restore support exists so large-scale maintenance remains reviewable and recoverable.
Recommended Philosophy
Small patches are usually easier to:
- review
- validate
- restore
- troubleshoot
When possible:
- patch gradually
- lint frequently
- keep backups enabled
- review dry runs carefully
Slow operational maintenance usually ages better than giant vault-wide rewrites.
