A successful backup notification answers one question: the job reported completion. It does not tell you how quickly you could recover a document tomorrow morning.
Choose a modest test
Pick a non-sensitive sample with a known version: a text document, a photograph and perhaps a short video. Restore them into a new, empty folder. Keep the working originals untouched.
Use the recovery route you would actually have during a failure. If the plan depends on a spare computer, include that computer in an occasional rehearsal.
Open what came back
Check filenames, expected contents and dates. Open the files in the applications you would normally use. A correct checksum can establish that bytes match a known copy; it cannot tell you whether you chose the version you needed.
For a photo, inspect more than the thumbnail. For a document, check the paragraph you changed. For a video, try playback beyond the opening seconds.
Notice the hidden dependencies
Did you need a password stored only on the computer you were pretending had failed? Was a recovery key missing? Did an online account have to approve the restore?
Record those dependencies without putting secrets in a general-purpose checklist. Recovery instructions should tell you where authorised access is managed, not expose the credentials themselves.
Leave a useful record
Note the backup date, the files recovered, the time taken and any obstacle. Repeat after significant changes to your storage or account setup, and on a schedule you can realistically maintain.
CISA recommends testing backup availability and integrity. Your small rehearsal is a practical first step, not proof that every possible failure is covered. A complete recovery plan should also consider loss of the device or location that holds the backup.