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How to generate/download a full backup

A full backup is a backup of all of your files, e-mail, databases, etc. To run a full backup, you can not download the full backup right away. The backup takes time to perform and the server will send you an email once the backup is ready to download. Below are steps to requesting the backup to be performed.

Shared and Reseller: You may only create cPanel backups of 4 GB or less. If your backup is larger than 4GB, you must contact HostGator support for help to bypass the limit.

  1. Click Backups
  2. Click Generate/ Download Full Backup
  3. In the drop down menu, select Home Directory
  4. In the box to the right of Email Address, type the email address where you will receive notification once the back up is done.
  5. Leave the rest of the settings blank.
  6. Click Generate back up.
  7. This will generate the back up for you and place the TAR.GZ file inside of your Home Directory.
  8. You can now download the backup via cpanel / FTP/ or SSH
If you would like to download the backup from cPanel (easiest way), please do the following:
  1. Click Backups
  2. Click Generate/Download a Full Backup
  3. Under "Backups Available for Download", click the link with the file name of the backup.
  4. It will then start to download.
  5. Select a destination on your PC for where you would like to save it to.
  6. Click Save

How do I restore my own backup?

A full backup must be restored by the root user for the server. We will restore your full backups for free. Simply fill out this form. When you get to the instructions, please indicate the name of the file and where we can find it.

Related Articles

cPanelcPanel is a popular web hosting control panel that helps you manage your hosting account and assists you in creating web sites, managing e-mail addresses, & installing applications to a server.

cPanel is available on all HostGator Linux hosting plans, including Shared Hosting, Reseller Hosting, VPS and Linux Dedicated Servers.
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Article Comments

Kerry Crawford
I do not understand the difference between doing a backup using Backups vs using Backup Wizard.

Also both give you the message that you cannot restore your site using the backup you make but that you can use it to move your account. If you can use the backup that is generated to move your site, then why wouldn't you be able to restore your site from it as well?
Posted: February 3, 2010
HostGator
The Backup Wizard is exactly the same, except the wizard is supposed to be easier. Honestly, it doesn't get much easier than the regular Backup icon and follow our instructions, so I don't bother with the wizard.

You cannot restore a full backup unless you have root access.

A hosting company can use the full backup to help you move, but it must still be restored by the host or someone with root. If you buy a VPS or dedicated server, then you can restore your own full backups.
Posted: February 3, 2010
Dave
Does the 4 GB cpanel backup limit apply to VPSs and Dedicated Servers?
Posted: July 30, 2010
HostGator
No, the limit does not apply to VPS and Dedicated servers.
Posted: August 2, 2010
Diego
is possible generate a complete back up of all info in my reseller account? (include the info of my costumers and theirs accounts)
Posted: August 4, 2010
HostGator
No, there is no tool which creates a backup of every cPanel in your WHM.

The best option you have is to create a full backup of each individual cPanel (as described in this article).
Posted: August 5, 2010
Morgan
I don't understand your last comment "No, there is no tool which creates a backup of every cPanel in your WHM".

What am I doing when I go into my Vituozzo/vz and do a backup? It claims that it's backing up everything. Is that not the case?

Posted: September 4, 2010
HostGator
Resellers do not have the Vituozzo Power Panel.
Posted: September 6, 2010
Bobby
Hi, does this process also backup wordpress sites. That is does it backup all files and the database too?
Thanks
Posted: October 27, 2010
HostGator
Absolutely, yes. It creates a backup of everything in your cPanel.
Posted: October 28, 2010
Christian
Hey there ,
1) Does this work perfectly for Vbulletin (4) , I mean I just have to make the steps , then if I go hacked / lost data , I just follow the instructions below (restoring) ??

2)Does this slow down my website (during backup progress) ??
Posted: November 7, 2010
HostGator
Yes, this works perfectly no matter what content you have.

This does use server resources, but will not slow down your website specifically.
Posted: November 12, 2010
Bill
Ok.....

If I want to sell website from a reseller account I can do a backup of that reseller account and send the files to my buyer....

My question: Will sending those files contain any information regarding my WHM account or any login information whatsoever?
Posted: November 18, 2010
HostGator
The only information they necessarily get is your cPanel username for that account. The username is an integral part of the files and databases.

However, you must be very sure that you did not purposefully supply your password to a script which needed database configuration, or the person who gets the files will have the password. To avoid this problem, always create a special database user and password for each database configuration file.

Similarly, if you typed any personal information into a file, you will want to remove that information.
Posted: November 22, 2010
Johnson
Why are resellers not allowed to schedule automatic backups?
Posted: November 22, 2010
HostGator
This is due to the fact that you are sharing the resources with other resellers.

The first problem we run into is that webmasters tend to create backups too often; you don't need a backup every 15 minutes! You only need a backup before and after major changes, and maybe once a week (I run mine once a month). Manual backups are perfect for generating just before and after making changes, or once in a while. Also, HostGator maintains your recent Sunday backup for emergencies.

The second problem with automated backups is you have no opportunity to remove/download old backups before generating new ones. Creating backups of backups needlessly hogs resources and robs you of your precious disk space.
Posted: November 26, 2010
HostGator
Thank you for your comments. Just a quick reminder that the comments on this page are not monitored by technical support staff, and that for support issues, it is best to contact us by live chat, phone or email so we can assist you right away.

Although comments are not monitored by technical support staff, they are moderated and read by technical writers. Comments will need to be approved by a moderator before appearing.

Our technical writers do read the comments periodically for the purposes of updating the articles, and do appreciate your feedback, suggestions and corrections to the articles themselves, as well as any suggestions or tips for readers of this article. However, support questions posted here are not guaranteed to be replied to in a timely manner or at all. For support issues, it is best to contact our support staff instead by live chat, email or phone.

Posted: December 13, 2011 (Global Reply)
Your comments help us keep the knowledge base updated. This is not a medium for support. If you have questions or need help, please contact us via email, phone or live chat for fast assistance.

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