Sometimes it is not enough to restore just a single file or specific email data. If larger parts of a hosting account are affected, a full restoration may make sense.
In the process, the hosting account is restored to a previous state using an existing backup.
Such a restoration should be carefully considered, because not only faulty or lost data is replaced by older data, but changes made after the selected backup can also be affected.
Briefly explained: During a full restoration, the backed-up data of your hosting account is restored from a previous backup. Therefore, we check in advance whether the entire account actually needs to be restored or if a targeted restoration is sufficient.
When can a full recovery be useful? #
A complete account restore is primarily an option when not just individual data is affected, but larger parts of the hosting account.
This can be the case, for example, if:
- a website no longer functions correctly after extensive modifications,
- several files and databases are affected,
- larger amounts of data were accidentally deleted or modified,
- several areas of the hosting account need to be restored to an earlier state or
- a targeted recovery of individual data is not sufficient.
Whether a complete restoration is actually the best solution always depends on the specific problem.
What does «complete hosting account» mean? #
A hosting account consists of more than just your website's files.
Depending on the usage, this includes, among other things:
- Website files,
- Databases,
- Email data and
- additional backed-up data of the hosting account.
During a full restoration, therefore, not just a single website file is replaced. A significantly larger portion of the backed-up hosting account is restored to the state of the selected backup.
Why shouldn't the entire account be restored hastily? #
A full recovery initially sounds like the simplest solution: you take an older backup and reset everything.
However, this can affect an unnecessarily large amount of current data.
A simple example:
Monday
Backup is created
↓
Tuesday
Website is modified incorrectly
↓
Wednesday
New emails and form submissions are added
↓
Thursday
Error is discoveredA complete reset to Monday's backup might indeed fix the faulty change to the website. At the same time, however, the restored data would also be from Monday.
Therefore, newer data must be taken into account before a complete restore.
Important: A full restore should not be performed just «on a hunch.» If only a small part of the data is affected, a targeted recovery is often the better solution.
What newer data may be affected? #
Anything created or modified after the selected backup is not yet included in this older backup.
This may concern, for example:
- new or modified website content,
- WooCommerce orders,
- new customer accounts,
- Form entries,
- uploaded files,
- Changes to databases and
- newer email data.
The more actively a website or email account is used, the more important this point is.
Example: A WooCommerce store #
An online shop makes it particularly clear why a complete restore must be carefully tested.
Assuming a backup is created on Monday evening, a change on Tuesday causes an issue with the website, but the issue is not noticed until Thursday.
Several new orders were received between Monday and Thursday.
Monday evening
Backup
↓
Tuesday
Error occurs
↓
Tuesday to Thursday
New orders
↓
Thursday
Error is discoveredIf the entire hosting account is simply reset to Monday evening, the older backup will not yet contain the orders received later.
Therefore, before a full restoration, it must be checked which current data has been created since the desired backup.
Choosing the right backup #
Even with a complete restoration, the newest backup is not automatically the right one.
The crucial factor is when the hosting account was last in a usable state.
For example, if a problem has already existed for five days, the backups from the last four days may also contain this error.
Therefore, think as carefully as possible:
When did everything still work?
When was the problematic change made?
When was the problem first noticed?In JetBackup 5, you can see for yourself which days have backups available for your hosting account.
We show you how to find these fuses in the article Which backups are available? View backups in JetBackup 5.
Does really everything have to be reset? #
Not always.
For example, if the problem affects only a single file, targeted recovery of that file may be sufficient.
Depending on the situation, email data can also be selectively restored without having to reset the entire hosting account.
This is why you should describe what happened as precisely as possible in the support ticket. We can then determine the appropriate scope of recovery.
We explain the general procedure in the article Restoring a backup in CURIAWEB: How the restoration works.
How to request a full recovery #
If you want to have your entire hosting account restored from a backup, please open a support ticket in the CURIAWEB customer center.
Create support ticket for a recovery
Tell us as precisely as possible:
- which hosting account or domain is affected,
- what happened,
- when the account was last working correctly,
- which backup should be used, if you already know that, and
- whether important new data has emerged since that time.
An example of such a request could look like this:
Domain:
meine-domain.ch
Problem:
After major changes, the website and database are no longer working correctly.
Last known correct state:
Tuesday evening
Desired backup:
Tuesday
Important:
New emails have been received since Tuesday.The last hint in particular is important. This way we know that newer data has been created since the desired backup, which must be taken into account before the restoration.
What does CURIAWEB check before restoration? #
Before we restore the complete hosting account, we will check the information from your request and the available backups.
This is primarily about the following questions:
- Is a suitable backup available?
- Does the timing of the backup match the described problem?
- Is a full recovery really necessary?
- Can newer data be affected by the restore?
If important information is missing or the effects of a complete recovery are unclear, we will clarify this with you before the restore.
What happens during the recovery? #
CURIAWEB starts the restoration of the hosting account from the selected backup.
This restores the data contained in the backup and intended for the restore on the hosting system.
How long this process takes depends, among other things, on the size of the account and the amount of data to be transferred.
A small hosting account with little data is processed faster than a large account with extensive websites, databases, and e-mail data. It is therefore not possible to reliably state a fixed duration for every restore.
What should you check after the restore? #
After a complete recovery, you should check the most important areas of your hosting account.
Depending on the use, this includes, for example:
- Visit the website and check important pages,
- Test forms,
- check the administration area in WordPress,
- check important shop functions in an online store,
- Check email accounts and required messages and
- check if the original issue is resolved.
If something is still not right after that, let us know as precisely as possible in the existing support ticket what is still not working.
A restore does not automatically fix the root cause #
A full restore brings your hosting account back to a previous backed-up state. However, this does not automatically clarify why the original problem occurred.
If, for example, a specific change, a faulty plugin, or another cause led to the problem, this cause should also be checked.
Otherwise, the same problem may occur again later.
Example: If a WordPress plugin caused an error and the same problematic change is made again after the restore, the same error can occur again.
What if the problem is already present in the backup? #
A backup is always a backup of the state at a specific point in time.
If the original issue was already present at that time, it may also be included in the backup.
Therefore, the question «When did everything still work?» is particularly important for a complete recovery.
Error occurs
↓
Backup is created
↓
Restore this backup
↓
Error may still persistIf possible, a backup from a point in time before the problem occurred should therefore be selected.
What if the required backup no longer exists? #
CURIAWEB keeps daily backups for 30 days.
If the issue occurred some time ago, it is therefore possible that no backup from the required period is available anymore.
This is why you should contact us as early as possible in the event of a major data loss.
Important: Having an existing backup does not automatically mean that it contains the desired state. The crucial factor is whether a backup exists from a point in time when the required data was still correct.
Summary #
A complete restoration can be useful if larger parts of a hosting account have been damaged, deleted, or incorrectly modified.
This restores the saved data of the hosting account from a previous backup.
Since an older backup does not yet contain newer changes and data, a complete restore should be carefully considered. If only individual files or other clearly limited data are affected, a targeted recovery may be the better solution.
You can view the available backups yourself in JetBackup 5. CURIAWEB will perform the restoration of the hosting account for you.
In your request, please tell us as precisely as possible what happened, when the account last worked correctly, and what newer data has been created since then.
