Regular backups of your web site are the best way to assure you are protected from loss. With a full accoount website backup you can reinstate the entire account, files, database and emails to the state as it was when the backup was made. You can even restor that account to a different server if needs be. So a full cPanel backup is a great way of insuring your website investment at very low cost.
This tutorial assumes that you are logged into your cPanel. If you are having trouble doing that, please see the tutorial named "How to Login to cPanel".
On the main page of your cPanel, scroll down to the section called Files. Click on the Backup icon. This will take you to the main backup screen, where you can backup and/or restore the files in your hosting account.
There is a header called Systems Backups, and it will show you how often your account is being backed up by the server it is on. These are automatic backups, and could be daily, weekly, or monthly, or any combination of these - check with us to see how often we do backups. By clicking on any of these buttons, you can download a copy of these backups to your local computer.
If you scroll down on the main page, you will find the manual backup section. There are several ways to backup your files, depending on which files you want to backup. You can perform a backup of the home directory, or the backup of a MySQL Database, or you can backup only files in specific subdomains or filters.
You can also perform a Download/Generate Full Backup in this section. Click the button with this command on it. This will take you to a Full Backup Screen, that lists available backups for download. From the drop down box, set your back up destination. You may choose from Remote FTP Server, Remote FTP Server (Passive mode transfer) or Secure Copy. In the next box, enter the email address where you want a complete report of this backup to be sent. Fill in the other boxes as requested, and click the Generate Backup button. This will send you to a verification screen, to confirm that the backup is in progress, and that you will receive an email upon completion.
To Backup a Home Directory to your computer, Click on Home Directory in the Manual Downloads section. A File Download box will appear. Click OK. That will successfully backup the home directory to your local computer.
To Restore the Home Directory Backup, Click on the Browse button next to the box marked Restore a Home Directory Backup in the Manual Download Section. This will open a File Upload box. Locate and select the backup file you wish to restore. Click the Open button. This will take you back to the backup main page. Click the Upload button. A screen will then open showing files are being restored.
This works the same for the other options in the manual section. You can now click the HOME link in the upper left corner and return to your cPanel main page. You now know how to use the Backup utility, and can manually backup your files as often as you desire.
You can now exit cPanel by closing your browser, or by using the Logout button in the upper right corner. Remember, if you are using a public computer, ALWAYS Logout of cPanel before closing due to security reasons.
Making backups is obviously a no-brainer way to protect your website and be able to restore it quickly if it is damaged through abuse or accident. However backups are only as good as the backup schedule and retention program. The key to a successful backup program is automation. A set and forget system to make sure your backups are made regularly and securely stored and that this is done without anyone having to remember to do it! You can have your website backups made and securely stored off-site automatically with clickonit's backup service.
See http://clickonit.com.au/website-backup.php for details.
