Backups are a very important part of maintaining a website. It is important to backup your files on a week-to-week or month-to-month basis or prior to making any major changes so that a backup is available in the event of data loss.
A home directory backup will backup all of the files in your home directory. This can be useful for backing up the files for your site; however, it is only a partial backup, and it will not include DNS, MySQL or other system files and settings. If you would prefer to generate a full backup.Create a Home Directory Backup
To create a backup of your home directory:
- Log into cPanel.
- In the Files section, click on the Backups icon.
- Under Partial Backups > Download a Home Directory Backup, click the Home Directory button.
- In the popup that appears, click Save As or select Save File.
- Select a destination where you would like to store the backup locally.
- Click Save.
The backup file will be downloaded to the destination you have chosen in a .tar.gz file which can be opened with Linux command line. The file can also be unzipped from a Windows-based machine with the appropriate software.
Restore a Home Directory Backup
Warning: Restoring a backup will overwrite any existing files!
A home directory backup can be restored in cPanel, in the same place where the backup was created.
- Log into cPanel.
- In the Files section, click on the Backups icon.
- Under Partial Backups > Restore a Home Directory Backup, click on the Browse button.
- In the popup that appears, navigate to the appropriate destination and select the backup file you intend to use.
- Click Open.
- Click Upload.
A new tab will open, displaying all of the files that were replaced. This is only for confirmation purposes and is safe to close.
