PowerShell Cmdlets ↔ Windows Server Backup: Verifying Restored Data Integrity

After restoring a backup with Restore‑WBBackupSet, the goal is to confirm that every recovered file is identical to its pre‑backup state. The cmdlet provides no automatic integrity check; users must manually compare file hashes or generate a restoration manifest.

Key constraints include: the cmdlet does not expose VSS options such as “copy‑only”; restoring to a new volume preserves timestamps but may alter NTFS ACLs unless –PreserveSecurity is used; and the –RestoreDirectory parameter overwrites existing files without prompting.

Because of these uncertainties, the following questions arise:

• How can we automate a comprehensive hash comparison for all files in a restored set?
• What approach guarantees ACL preservation when restoring to a different volume?
• Is there a built‑in or scripted method to produce a manifest of restored files for audit purposes?