I've got issues... backup, upgrade, etc

[Dirt Surfer]

Hi there.

I am trying to perform a store upgrade as I've been having trouble with the site lately. Something may be broken.
For some reason, when I try to do a backup of the DB (Via DB Backup) I get an error "The backup file does not exist". I am not trying to restore from a previous, I just want to backup before performing the upgrade. I can't proceed

I don't know how to progress from there, so I did a whole of host backup the other day for safety's sake and have downloaded for safekeeping.

When I go over to Update Assistant, I select the one option available to me 8.2.1 and click through to backup from there. That all progresses for quite a while, then I get a couple of failures- see below. 

I am normally reluctant to progress the upgrade without backup, but perhaps too much is busted...
What does the hive mind think?

I'm kind of stuck. Suggestions and advice appreciated.

Alan

Edited April 29 by Dirt Surfer (see edit history)

[hasimbola]

Try an another Migration Module like MigrationPro.

[Webkul Solutions]

The issue you are experiencing could be related to the 'max_execution_time' in your php.ini file. By default, this value is set to 30 seconds.

Which may not be sufficient for long processes. We recommend reaching out to your hosting provider to increase the 'max_execution_time'.

They should be able to assist you with this adjustment quickly and easily.

[El Patron]

webkul has great advice on max execution, I'll add that doing a 'manual' back up of db and files from hosting control panel is better method rather than using PS upgrade backup option.

[Dirt Surfer]

Hi again. Thanks WEBKUL, I increased to 'max_execution_time' and unfortuantely the error persevered.
I tried to progress with the update (and sidestep of the prestashop backup process) but it was also thwarted. See LOG. 
The result was a very broken Prestashop. I had the host reinstate the entire hosting from .tar backup from a few days previously so I am back to where I was originally. ElPatron, it there a link you can share for performing a manual backup of DB from cPanel?

2025-04-30-123712-update.txt

[El Patron]

16 hours ago, Dirt Surfer said:

Hi again. Thanks WEBKUL, I increased to 'max_execution_time' and unfortuantely the error persevered.
I tried to progress with the update (and sidestep of the prestashop backup process) but it was also thwarted. See LOG. 
The result was a very broken Prestashop. I had the host reinstate the entire hosting from .tar backup from a few days previously so I am back to where I was originally. ElPatron, it there a link you can share for performing a manual backup of DB from cPanel?

2025-04-30-123712-update.txt 3.17 MB · 1 download

"To manually back up your files and database, please follow the instructions below."

1) Back Up PrestaShop Files via cPanel

Use File Manager

1. Log in to your cPanel.
2. Go to File Manager.
3. Navigate to the root directory of your PrestaShop site (e.g., public_html/ or a subfolder).
4. Select all files and folders (you can press Select All at the top).
5. Click Compress from the top menu.
6. Choose ZIP Archive, then click Compress Files.
7. Once compression is complete, right-click the .zip file and click Download to save it locally.

This gives you a full backup of all PrestaShop files, including themes, modules, product images, configuration, etc.

2) Back Up PrestaShop Database via cPanel

Use phpMyAdmin

1. In cPanel, go to phpMyAdmin.
2. On the left, select the database used by your PrestaShop site (your app/config/parameters.php file will tell you the DB name if unsure).
3. Click the Export tab at the top.
4. Choose Quick export method and SQL as format.
5. Click Go to download the .sql file.

This exports the full database with product data, settings, orders, customer info, etc.