Re: Cpanel backup not restoring

I'm not sure what your issu is.

I need to understand:

1. The backup you are asking for, was a BV site ?
2. If yes, why don't you simply publish the pages again ?

3. Zen Cart: did you install it over the old site ?

I need to understand what the old site contained and what the new site contains, in order to advise properly.

Re: Cpanel backup not restoring

It was and has been a Zen Cart site on the BlueVoda Hosting service. I created a backup on 11.15 which I attempted to restore on 11.16. I discovered after cross comparing numerous Cpanel files: Public_html to FTP through WinMerge that the restore did not take place fully. I contacted support asking for their assistance. I was instructed that the file that I had as a backup wasn't going to work on their end (This took several emails of "someone will be appointed shortly" then an email 12 hours later that said "the backup could not occur" and the file getting closed. I then contacted them again asking how a cpanel backup could not work and for them to reopen the work order. I also put the same request forth on this forum. You were kind enough to explain that sometimes downloadable backup files are corrupt and encouraged me to ask the hosting company to restore a backup from their file which I did first thing Friday morning. On Friday evening I received a "someone will be appointed shortly" email. I waited until Saturday morning to find there was no follow up. I contacted support twice during the day asking for follow up. I heard nothing. Then on Sunday morning I was advised that a backup was done on Saturday and that there are no prior backups in their system. What more could I have done? I believe it was the numerous attempts at communication with the host company and the inefficiency of their follow up that led me to a total new install and four hours of re-creating a site. I've backed up my folders today three times and fear that they could be corrupt at download which would make me a glutton for punishment? I don't want to switch hosting companies but I'm not prepared to go through this again... especially with little resolve. I'd appreciate more insight, recommendations and whatever else you can give me to continue with this hosting company and to prevent this happening again in the near future.

Re: Cpanel backup not restoring

I always use the following method that has always worked and never failed.

1. I take regular backups of the ENTIRE site. To do this, I use a free FTP program (that remindes Espresso and Cappuccino) wich has the great advantage of allowing you to respect the entire site folders structure. If ever something goes wrong, I simply upload the entire bacjup that I take that way. I usually take backup of the entire "public_html" folder, so I can restore the entire domain and addons, subdomains etc or only portions.

2. I go in phpMyAdmin and take a dump (a copy in file) of the entire database (in this case the Zen database). If I ever need to restore it, I empty the database: I drop (=delete) the specific database tables, and Import the the database dump file that I have saved. This restores the database 100%.

I have restored many sites this way. I repeat this backup usually every week.
The FTP backup requires 1min (I put it to work and then work on other things until it is done). The DB backup might require 2 - 3 mins to start (and then goes on for some seconds or max a couple of minutes).