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Restore Home Assistant on a replacement or freshly wiped mini PC during the new installation’s onboarding process. Install Home Assistant OS, stop at the welcome screen, choose Upload backup (or Home Assistant Cloud), select the encrypted .tar archive, enter the emergency-kit encryption key, and restore the required contents. A full restore brings back the selected configuration, apps and directories, but it overwrites the corresponding system on the mini PC.
The migration succeeds when the target has more free space than the old installation, the source login and backup key are available, and your Zigbee or other radio controllers are connected before restoration. The archive’s compressed size is not a capacity check: compare the old system’s used disk space with free space on the new device.
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Gather the credentials, storage and hardware needed before you begin. The restore wizard appears only while a fresh Home Assistant OS installation is at its onboarding welcome screen.
- A fresh Home Assistant OS installation: Install it on the target mini PC and continue until the welcome screen, but do not complete normal onboarding first.
- The backup archive: Keep the original encrypted
.tarfile on the computer you will use to open onboarding, or on a network drive accessible from that computer. - The backup emergency-kit encryption key: Home Assistant encrypts backups by default. The key from the emergency kit is required to decrypt an encrypted archive.
- The source account credentials: You will sign in after restoration with the username and password used on the old Home Assistant system.
- Enough target storage: The target mini PC must have more free space than the source device had in use. Comparing only the compressed archive size can understate the space required after files are expanded.
- Controllers and radios: Plug USB Zigbee coordinators and other radio hardware into the new mini PC before restoring, using the connection path you plan to keep.
- One active Home Assistant OS installation: Disconnect or wipe extra Home Assistant OS storage devices. Duplicate installations can interfere with booting.
Make a note of any network shares, external storage mounts and certificates used by the old system. A backup can preserve their configuration, but the new mini PC may still need the underlying storage or network connection re-established.
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How do I install Home Assistant OS and reach the restore screen?
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Install Home Assistant OS on the target mini PC
Write Home Assistant OS to the mini PC’s intended storage and boot it with no second Home Assistant OS disk attached. Complete only the initial startup needed to reach the onboarding welcome screen.
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Stop at the onboarding welcome screen
Do not create a new administrator account or finish a fresh setup. The supported migration path starts from this screen, where the restore choices are available.
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Connect migration hardware
Attach the Zigbee coordinator, USB radio, or other controller before importing the backup. If the target has a different built-in Zigbee radio from the old machine, plan for a Zigbee migration rather than assuming the radio identity will transfer automatically.
If the mini PC boots the wrong disk or shows two Home Assistant installations, shut it down and remove the unintended storage device. Home Assistant warns that duplicate installations on multiple storage devices can cause boot failures; wipe the intended target when necessary and reinstall before uploading the backup.
Where do I upload the Home Assistant .tar backup?
At the welcome screen, select Upload backup and choose the original .tar archive from the computer controlling the setup. You can also select Home Assistant Cloud and sign in if the backup is stored there. You do not need to copy the archive to a USB stick or SD card first.
- Open Upload backup on the welcome screen.
- Browse to the encrypted
.tarfile on your computer or connected network drive. - Wait for the archive to finish uploading and for Home Assistant to display the available restore contents.
- If using Home Assistant Cloud instead, sign in and select the stored backup from the cloud list.
Leave the archive compressed. The restore workflow expects the backup archive itself; extracting it manually changes the file you need to select and is unnecessary.
Should I choose a full restore or a partial restore?
Choose a full restore when the mini PC is replacing the old installation and you want the new system to match it. Choose a partial restore when you need only selected directories or apps, or when you deliberately want to keep a clean target system and preserve changes made after the backup.
| Restore scope | What you select | Best fit | Important consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full | All available backup components | Complete migration to a replacement mini PC | The selected current system is overwritten by the backup contents |
| Partial | Individual directories and apps | Recovering only certain data or applications | Only the selected folders and apps replace matching content; other target data remains outside the selection |
Home Assistant backups can contain the config, share, ssl and media directories, along with manually installed apps. A partial backup may include only the directories and apps chosen when the backup was made. Review the list carefully before continuing, especially if the target mini PC has a temporary configuration you want to retain.
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Use the full option only after checking that every included component belongs on the new system. A restore can remove edits made on the target after the archive was created, because the selected current system is replaced with the selected backup contents.
How do I decrypt and start the restore?
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Review the components
Select every component for a complete migration, or clear items you intentionally want to leave out. The selection determines which parts of the current installation are replaced.
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Enter the emergency-kit key
Type the encryption key saved in the backup emergency kit. Encrypted backups cannot be opened without this key, even when the archive file itself is intact.
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Start restoration
Select Restore backup. Do not refresh the browser tab, close the page or power off the mini PC while the process is running. Home Assistant may shut down, wipe the target installation and reinstall from the archive.
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Allow enough time
A larger installation can take about 45 minutes to restore. The duration depends on how much data and how many apps are included, so a quiet period with stable power is preferable.
Home Assistant’s guidance is explicit: “Don’t refresh the page. Just wait.” A temporary disappearance of the interface during shutdown and reinstallation is part of the process, not by itself evidence of failure.
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What should I do after Home Assistant restarts?
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Sign in with the old account
When the restored system returns, use the username and password from the source Home Assistant installation. A full restore brings back the source account configuration rather than the temporary account you might have considered creating on the fresh target.
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Check the configuration and apps
Open the dashboard, verify that the expected integrations and manually installed apps are present, and inspect logs for startup errors. Partial restores can intentionally omit an app or directory, so compare the result with the components you selected.
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Reconnect network storage
Remount NAS shares, USB disks or other network storage if the new mini PC uses different network paths, credentials or mount timing. A preserved configuration cannot make an unavailable remote share appear on its own.
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Use HTTPS when certificates were configured directly
If certificates were enabled directly for Home Assistant’s HTTP integration on the old system, open the restored interface with an
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Verify radios and devices
Confirm that the Zigbee coordinator or other controller is detected on the new USB path. If you changed from one built-in Zigbee radio to another, complete the required Zigbee migration and then check device availability.
Will my Zigbee devices and add-ons come back?
Applications and their configuration can return when they are included in the selected backup. A full backup can include manually installed apps and the major Home Assistant directories, so a full migration generally restores the software state represented in the archive.
Radio hardware is different: the backup does not physically move a coordinator from one mini PC to another. Connect the original USB coordinator to the target before restoring. If the new mini PC relies on a different built-in Zigbee radio, follow a Zigbee migration procedure after the restore; simply importing the files is not a substitute for moving or migrating the radio network.
Afterward, check a representative sample of Zigbee devices, automations and scenes. Devices that remain unavailable can indicate a missing coordinator, a changed USB path or a migration that has not yet been completed, rather than a missing configuration file.
How do I verify storage capacity correctly?
Measure the old installation’s used disk space and compare it with free space on the target mini PC. The target must have more free space than the source device, as stated in Home Assistant’s backup guidance.
- The
.tararchive is compressed, so its file size can be much smaller than the expanded data set. - Media, shares, SSL files and app data may expand substantially during restoration.
- A target that barely fits the archive can still fail when Home Assistant recreates the source filesystem.
- If the target lacks capacity, use a larger disk or select a partial restore that excludes data you do not need, while recognizing that excluded content will not be recreated.
Do this check before uploading. A failed restore caused by capacity can leave you with an incomplete target that must be wiped and reinstalled before trying again.
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What are the most common restore failures and fixes?
The backup key is rejected
Re-enter the key exactly as saved in the emergency kit, including its full length and characters. If the key is genuinely unavailable, an encrypted archive cannot be decrypted through the restore wizard; locate the emergency kit or another copy of the key before proceeding.
The restore stops for lack of space
Recheck free space on the target against used space on the source, not against the compressed archive size. Remove unrelated files, install to a larger target disk, or restart with a narrower partial selection when that matches your recovery goal.
The mini PC keeps booting the wrong installation
Power down, disconnect every unintended Home Assistant OS disk and leave only the target installation attached. Duplicate boot media can prevent the system from starting consistently, so wipe and reinstall the intended device if necessary.
The upload option is missing
The restore choices belong to the fresh-install welcome screen. If normal onboarding has already been completed, return the target to a clean Home Assistant OS installation and stop at that screen before attempting the upload again.
The restored dashboard opens but devices are unavailable
Check that the coordinator or controller is physically connected, recognized by the target and using the expected path. A different built-in Zigbee radio requires migration, and a network-based controller may require its network address or storage connection to be restored.
Network shares or HTTPS no longer work
Reconnect the underlying network storage and verify credentials and paths on the new mini PC. For certificates configured directly in the HTTP integration, use the restored HTTPS address rather than an HTTP address.
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When is a partial restore safer than a full migration?
Partial restoration is the safer choice when the new mini PC already contains valuable post-backup changes, when the target cannot hold every source directory, or when only one app or folder is needed. Select only the required items and understand that dependencies outside the selection will not be recreated.
Full restoration is the more faithful choice when the old host failed and the target is intended to become its replacement. It brings back the source state represented by the archive, but it also discards conflicting target changes in the selected areas. Make the scope decision before entering the encryption key and starting the irreversible overwrite stage.
Can I restore to a different type of device?
Yes. Home Assistant’s migration guidance allows the target to be a different device type, including a mini PC replacing another host, provided the target has more free space than the source. Device-specific hardware still needs separate attention: USB radios must be connected to the new host, and a different built-in Zigbee radio may require migration.
What exactly is stored in a Home Assistant backup?
Home Assistant stores backups as encrypted, compressed .tar archives by default. On Home Assistant OS, local backups are kept in /backup. Depending on how the backup was created, it can include the config, share, ssl and media directories plus manually installed apps; a partial backup can contain only selected directories and apps.
The archive represents software and files, not the physical mini PC, USB coordinator or remote storage service. Plan those hardware and connectivity steps separately so the restored configuration has the resources it expects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I restore a backup when I no longer have the encryption key?
No supported restore path can decrypt an encrypted backup without its emergency-kit key. Search the saved emergency kit or another secure copy of the key; possessing only the .tar file is insufficient.
Is a backup from another Home Assistant device type usable on a mini PC?
Yes, the target may be a different device type. The deciding storage rule is that the mini PC needs more free space than the source installation, while radios and other physical controllers still have to be connected or migrated separately.
Do I need to extract the archive before uploading it?
No. Select the original compressed .tar archive in the onboarding uploader. Extracting it first is unnecessary and does not provide the format the restore workflow asks you to choose.
Why can a restored app be missing even though the backup file uploaded successfully?
The restore may have been partial, with that app left unselected, or the app may not have been included when the backup was created. Review the component list shown before restoration and repeat the process with the required app selected if the source archive contains it.
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