# I'm NewTo Enchrypted backups. What if...?

**URL:** <https://kopia.discourse.group/t/im-newto-enchrypted-backups-what-if/8952>\
**Category:** General Topics\
**Created:** [July 23, 2026, 11:36am UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/im-newto-enchrypted-backups-what-if/8952 "2026-07-23T11:36:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![J4mmz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@J4mmz](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/J4mmz)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2026, 11:36am UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/im-newto-enchrypted-backups-what-if/8952/1 "2026-07-23T11:36:38Z")

</div>

I’m backing up linux and windows Dual boot to unraid server. I’m used to unencrypted uncompressed backup files I can see each file. I understand the danger of this …from there its also backed up twice more in other locations so…

1. So what if i lose my server. Can I extract and unencrypt the files from the naked drive with the encryption key?
2. What if kopia no longer exists? Can i use the encryption key to unencrypt the files somehow?
3. on a different note. If I share files on the dual boot win and linux. Can I backup the same files running backup on both Os’s to the same repository depending on which Os i’m using?  
Thanks

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kapitainsky](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/kopia.discourse.group/kapitainsky/32/535_2.png) [@kapitainsky](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/kapitainsky)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2026, 1:16pm UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/im-newto-enchrypted-backups-what-if/8952/2 "2026-07-23T13:16:22Z")

</div>

> [@J4mmz](#):
>
> 1. So what if i lose my server. Can I extract and unencrypt the files from the naked drive with the encryption key?

Yes. Simply install kopia on some other machine, connect your drive with repository, start kopia, connect it to your repo and [restore](https://kopia.io/docs/features/#restore-snapshots-using-multiple-methods) whatever you need using one of the available methods.

My recommendation here is that you try to do it anyway and make some notes. So you are familiar with what to do and have step by step actions. Very handy when shit hits the fan one day.

> [@J4mmz](#):
>
> 1. What if kopia no longer exists? Can i use the encryption key to unencrypt the files somehow?

Then no more kopia software updates… Your kopia backup does not depend on any remote functionality provided by kopia. Worst case scenario you won’t have any website to download kopia software from (very unlikely). Simply make sure that you have kopia installers somewhere locally to be 100% safe.

> [@J4mmz](#):
>
> 1. on a different note. If I share files on the dual boot win and linux. Can I backup the same files running backup on both Os’s to the same repository depending on which Os i’m using?

Yes. And it is the best approach as thx to deduplication you won’t waste space in your repo.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![J4mmz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@J4mmz](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/J4mmz)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2026, 11:51pm UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/im-newto-enchrypted-backups-what-if/8952/3 "2026-07-23T23:51:39Z")

</div>

Thanks for the answers

2. So without Kopia running somewhere, My encryption key is useless?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kapitainsky](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/kopia.discourse.group/kapitainsky/32/535_2.png) [@kapitainsky](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/kapitainsky)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2026, 4:47am UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/im-newto-enchrypted-backups-what-if/8952/4 "2026-07-24T04:47:35Z")

</div>

> [@J4mmz](#):
>
> 2. So without Kopia running somewhere, My encryption key is useless?

Practically yes. You need `kopia` software to access repo.