Backing Up Your Blog

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[goatlady]

Yes, but I'm looking at backups for websites as well as blogs - was hoping that some here who provide hosting services might be able to tell me what they do.

My reseller provider backs them up for me. Over the years I've dealt with four different providers, three in the US and one based in Australia, and backups have always been part of the service.

[Sueblimely]

I use my server control panel to back up sites and databases - I get them emailed to me. There is a copy of my static web pages on my PC already as I have uploaded them from there. I also go into control panel SQL/My PHP and download copies of databases from there.

[kathiemt]

I use my server control panel to back up sites and databases - I get them emailed to me. There is a copy of my static web pages on my PC already as I have uploaded them from there. I also go into control panel SQL/My PHP and download copies of databases from there.

How do you do the restore Sue?  I accidentally deleted a Wordpress blog of mine when I thought I was removing duplicate files - it's gone and my webhost support guy doesn't seem to know how to restore it.  But I do have the backup files that finish in .tgz.  I just need to know what to do with them.

[FormerAdmin]

I use my server control panel to back up sites and databases - I get them emailed to me. There is a copy of my static web pages on my PC already as I have uploaded them from there. I also go into control panel SQL/My PHP and download copies of databases from there.

How do you do the restore Sue?  I accidentally deleted a Wordpress blog of mine when I thought I was removing duplicate files - it's gone and my webhost support guy doesn't seem to know how to restore it.  But I do have the backup files that finish in .tgz.  I just need to know what to do with them.

Hi Kathie,

it depends whether they are WordPress export files or database backup files.

Depending on your operating system, you should be able to unarchive the tar/gzipped (.tgz) files - from memory Winzip does. If you have a .sql file then it is a database backup file, .xml is a WordPress export file. What happens next depends on what sort of file you have.

Hope this helps (at least for a start).

Cheers, Andrew

[kathiemt]

Hi Kathie,

it depends whether they are WordPress export files or database backup files.

Depending on your operating system, you should be able to unarchive the tar/gzipped (.tgz) files - from memory Winzip does. If you have a .sql file then it is a database backup file, .xml is a WordPress export file. What happens next depends on what sort of file you have.

Hope this helps (at least for a start).

Cheers, Andrew

It said it was a tar file Andrew and now I've unzipped it there are a heap of php and image files.  Over 900 files in total.  There is a backup sql file in there too - is that the file you mean?  Sorry, but I've never gone through this before so all very new to me but I'm a willing student.  I looked in the MySQL section in cpanel but couldn't see anything that said about restoring a file and then click on the phpMyAdmin to see if it could be done in there as there was a note to say SQL could be administered in there. But again nothing that seems to indicate to me where to restore the file.

I'm doing some research at codex at the moment to give me some clues - I do know there are 5 databases on that particular domain because I have subdomains with blogs too and I don't want to damage any of those 

[FormerAdmin]

Hi Kathie,

it depends whether they are WordPress export files or database backup files.

Depending on your operating system, you should be able to unarchive the tar/gzipped (.tgz) files - from memory Winzip does. If you have a .sql file then it is a database backup file, .xml is a WordPress export file. What happens next depends on what sort of file you have.

Hope this helps (at least for a start).

Cheers, Andrew

It said it was a tar file Andrew and now I've unzipped it there are a heap of php and image files.  Over 900 files in total.  There is a backup sql file in there too - is that the file you mean?  Sorry, but I've never gone through this before so all very new to me but I'm a willing student.  I looked in the MySQL section in cpanel but couldn't see anything that said about restoring a file and then click on the phpMyAdmin to see if it could be done in there as there was a note to say SQL could be administered in there. But again nothing that seems to indicate to me where to restore the file.

I'm doing some research at codex at the moment to give me some clues - I do know there are 5 databases on that particular domain because I have subdomains with blogs too and I don't want to damage any of those 

Hi Kathie,

sounds like you have a full backup (upload, image and post directories as well as a .sql database backup). My advice would be to proceed carefully, and you sound like you have that under control

Do you have a spare hosting setup that you can put all the files into then restore the database using the SQL management tool? It would need to be close enough to the main site setup so that you didn't have directory and database path issues.

Alternately, do you have a talented system administrator handy that you can bribe with beer or chocolate?

Best regards, Andrew 

[Belongum]

Re: your orginal post...
Yet another thing that's been playing on my mind... I'm going to go and have a play with that Meg... wish me a LOT of luck!

Regards

Belongum

[planningqueen]

I am so impressed by the knowledge every one is so willingly sharing here.  I have been working through my list of outstanding issues with my blog tonight and decided to hunt the forums  for answers and have found everything I need do far ( I wish I had done this sooner!).  Thanks to Snoskred for the tip on using the export function to back up your blog.  I had been unable to get the back up plug in to work, so I am happy to now have the blog finally backed up. 

[Anonymum]

Ok. Have looked through this thread and downloaded the back up plug in that Meg uses.
When I try to back up these are the messages I get. Can someone enlighten me on what I need to do to fix them? I want to upgrade, but I'm not prepared to do that until I can get this right first. I don't even know where to look!
 
Database files in the backup directory
Warning: opendir(/clientdata/clients/a/n/anonymum.com/www/wp-content/backup/) [function.opendir]: failed to open dir: No such file or directory in /clientdata/clients/a/n/anonymum.com/www/wp-content/plugins/wp-backup/backuprestoreForm.php on line 28

Warning: readdir(): supplied argument is not a valid Directory resource in /clientdata/clients/a/n/anonymum.com/www/wp-content/plugins/wp-backup/backuprestoreForm.php on line 29

Warning: closedir(): supplied argument is not a valid Directory resource in /clientdata/clients/a/n/anonymum.com/www/wp-content/plugins/wp-backup/backuprestoreForm.php on line 34

[Snoskred]

Anonymum - just do an export as a backup, that'll work

[Anonymum]

Anonymum - just do an export as a backup, that'll work

Well DUH Maureen!!!

LMAO...thanks Snos. When the day comes we're face to face, you have my full permission to hit me over the head with a brick!

[kathiemt]

You know I've still not got around to restoring my back up for my lost blog    My webhost guy either hasn't been able to do it or has been busy or something but not heard from him which is why I do my own control panel stuff I guess 

I need to work out how this restore thing works as I have a back up of sorts, i.e. I don't know that it was as current as I'd like it to be but at least it would recover about 2 years' worth of posts.

[Anonymum]

One small queston before I do this. Given the export option isn't the full blog, what happens with everything that's NOT in it? My understanding of the export file is it's only post, comment, categories etc.
Or does it make no difference?

[Anonymum]

OK. Worked it out. All backed up, 2.3.3 downloaded and unzipped. About to start deactivating plugins and then I'm into it!
 
Scary!

[Anonymum]

the upgrade is done! Couldn't get it right for the life of me! Phone calls between QLD and NSW non stop!
Bit the bullet and threw myself on the mercy of of one very intelligent, helpful young man by the name of Sephyroth.
How does one say thank you enough??? I can't.
The willingness of this guy {who is essentially a stranger} to help at some ungoldy hour of {his} night has quite stunned me! It was done and dusted in less than 45 mins! One conflict between plugins, so I deleted the guilty culprit and all is well with the world once again.
These are the reasons I keep blogging and try to help here in the forums. Nothing other than blogging has ever created a more helpful friendly group of people. The forums have simply brought many of them together.
Sephy, my thanks for all your time and trouble. To everyone else who has put their hand up and offered suggestions, or teid to get what needed to be done, my thanks to you also. I'm going to make a phone call as well!
Whislt it may seem only a small thing to some people, to me it's like nothing I've ever come across.
I'm off to play in my new home
 

[kathiemt]

A real measure of our addiction, hey Anonymum!  Helping one another at all hours of the day or night.  Funny but i get tired at night if I'm working but if I'm playing with a blog, different story.

Glad you got it sorted!  I've been playing with restoring of backup files to see how they work and have been learning some in the process. 

[Gemisht]

I am so pleased that you got it done. I know that this has been a major bugbear for you.

Sephyroth is a legend.

Have fun playing in your new home  

[Anonymum]

Kathie, if anyone EVER says to me that i need to upgrade again, I'll run screaming from the room! It's been a nightmare form start to finsih. I was reluctant to ask someone else to do other than very tongue in cheek because I need to learn,  but this morning? Nah! Enough was enough...I bit the bullet!
 
Gemisht, a bugbear indeed! Near driven me out of my little brain! Poor little breain is all shrivelled now {more than it was at any rate}
A legend? Tha's an uderstatement!
 

[Snoskred]

Well done Anonymum and Sephyroth

Many are the times that Sephy has dragged me out of a technical nightmare. He is truly a Deadset Legend even if he doesn't have enough posts on here yet to have that title under his name.

[Anonymum]

A deadset kegend is right Snos. And so willing to help!
Never ceases to amaze me....

[Jaycee]

One small queston before I do this. Given the export option isn't the full blog, what happens with everything that's NOT in it? My understanding of the export file is it's only post, comment, categories etc.
Or does it make no difference?

Anonymum, what was the answer here? I do semi-regular backups which are a lot quicker than the export option (from home anyway). Thanks.

[Snoskred]

The only thing that won't be backed up is your theme. But this is generally not something you change that often (though in Anonymum's case..  :rgrin: maybe it is.) You do get all your pages etc.

I would recommend downloading the complete folder for each theme when you have it customised to how you want it, and keeping a copy of that on your hard drive. If you make any further changes to it, download the file you changed and you can either replace that file in the copy folder, or put it just outside the copy folder in case later on you want to go back to how you had it originally.

You can also do this with your plugins folder, to make it easier if you ever did have to reintstall.

Then if you ever have to start from scratch, you can just do a reinstall and then add your theme, then add your plugins, then do an import, you're done.

[kathiemt]

I would recommend downloading the complete folder for each theme when you have it customised to how you want it, and keeping a copy of that on your hard drive. If you make any further changes to it, download the file you changed and you can either replace that file in the copy folder, or put it just outside the copy folder in case later on you want to go back to how you had it originally.

Yep, that's what I do.  My themes, my plugins, any other extras, including the htaccess file. I use Dreamweaver for making all my theme changes on my computer anyway and then upload it, so I always have a back up of that.  I need to explore more about backing up all my blogs and making sure I have full control so I don't lose 3 years' worth of posts as it appears I probably have done    Still  haven't heard from my guy in Perth - think he's been distracted these days which probably explains why I went off and found a second hosting solution earlier this year through Hostgator.

[Anonymum]

The only thing that won't be backed up is your theme. But this is generally not something you change that often (though in Anonymum's case..  :rgrin: maybe it is.)

Now Snos, I admitted to being addicted and joined a 10 step program to wean myself from that. I've had the same theme now for almost longer than I had my second husband...
 :rgrin:

[Sueblimely]

I use my server control panel to back up sites and databases - I get them emailed to me. There is a copy of my static web pages on my PC already as I have uploaded them from there. I also go into control panel SQL/My PHP and download copies of databases from there.

How do you do the restore Sue?  I accidentally deleted a Wordpress blog of mine when I thought I was removing duplicate files - it's gone and my webhost support guy doesn't seem to know how to restore it.  But I do have the backup files that finish in .tgz.  I just need to know what to do with them.

So sorry Kathy I did not see this message earlier.  You restore from the PHPMyAdmin area - In my control panel a link to this is found at the very bottom of the SQL screen. I have only had to do this once with a Joomla site - I did not realize I had a practice site linked to the same database and when I deleted the practice one it deleted the database too. I managed to restore it OK but the guy on my hosting site chat helpline had to juggle a setting to get the site to show up again.

Have you abandoned this blog or continued posting. If you have continued then restoring the database will delete any new content.