Location, Integrity, and Media

Archive Witness keeps three questions separate because they prove different things.

Location — where does this file belong?

Location compares the file's current path with the location the catalog expects. An unexpected path is something to review, not something Archive Witness silently accepts.

Accept location changes the catalog's location authority. It does not by itself claim that the file's current bytes are the accepted version.

Integrity — do the current bytes match the saved version?

Integrity is based on checksums. A saved checksum records the byte identity you accepted as a reference. A checksum calculated during a check is an observation.

Check integrity reads the file and compares calculated checksums with saved checksum evidence without replacing the saved reference. A successful match establishes byte-for-byte agreement with that reference for the algorithm used.

That does not prove when the file was created, who created it, or whether the saved reference itself represents an original historical version.

Media — can the content be decoded?

Test media independently exercises supported audio/video decoding. A Passed result means the performed test completed successfully. It does not replace checksum evidence and does not prove historical authenticity.

A checksum match and a media-test result can therefore legitimately disagree in what they tell you: unchanged bytes can contain a damaged media stream, while changed bytes may still decode perfectly.

Observation is not approval

Archive Witness deliberately distinguishes “what was observed” from “what you chose to accept.” Calculating a checksum, finding a file at a new path, or completing a media test does not automatically rewrite accepted evidence.

Actions such as Accept location, Accept current version, or a reviewed Restore are explicit decisions because they change what the catalog treats as authoritative or cause controlled writes.