Backing up shop files

[preserver]

I have been downloading all my prestashop files, but it has taken an hour to do 10%. That isn't right, is it?

 

I did include the massive image files that I think would be covered by the database backup.

 

Should I just abandon this very long download and go through and copy everything in my public_html folder (all the prestashop files since the shop IS the site) except the image files?

[vekia]

hello

• you've got shared hosting or maybe VPS /dedicated server?
  

 

if you're on shared hostig, in my opinion, you should check webhosting control panel, sometimes there is possibility to download backup of directories of your store, process will be faster (because you will download one zipped file, not all files - one by one)

[preserver]

I do have shared hosting, and there is a section on the control panel for downloading back-ups. This should be files, databases, and configuration settings. That should be both the shop and the database files I have been trying to figure out how to back up properly. This could kill two birds with one stone!

 

Plus it looks like it will be in a zip format that should be easier to open up or look at than the other one prestashop uses for backups.

 

Looks like it might work! Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. Will update in the morning when I see how it has worked.

[preserver]

So it took a while downloading all the files from my public_html folder through my host's application, but it did work. Instead of being done with 10% in an hour, it finished in about an hour. Probably because the ready to download version courtesy of my host was compressed, whereas the files were in their original form when I tried downloading them through ftp. That is my theory anyhow....

 

So in this 'shop' backup I can see all the image files I uploaded, but how can I find where the other information is- the settings I picked for the shop? databases of product and category info, etc? I would assume they are somewhere in there, but if I'm supposed to verify them, I need to figure out where they are. I know I'm supposed to have a prestashop store backup as well as the databases, but shouldn't the set of files for the shop contain all the product and category information that is in the database(s)? Is it redundant to backup all the shop files (which include the huge number of big images files) AND the databases?

 

It looks like what I downloaded from my host is supposed to contain both website files and databases, but all I'm seeing is a copy of everything under public_html (which I'm thinking is the website files/ prestashop files, settings, configuration as opposed to a database).

 

So does a copy of public_html cover everything, or do I need to download a separate copy of the databases? Also, I'm not sure where to see the info for the products/ categories if they are in with the rest of the public_html prestashop files. I know I can still try downloading the database files separately from my host, but I don't want to do that if it is all the same information I already downloaded from the other back-up file.

 

I want to feel like I understand what's going on here a little better so I have everything backed up. The help is VERY MUCH appreciated.

[vekia]

all product & category informations are stored in the database. in directories you mentioned - only images.

Have you got .sql file in downloaded backup archive?

[preserver]

OK, that clears up my questions about where the product and category info is.

 

I have copies of the database that I downloaded from the back office's automatic DB backup and also from the host's c-panel. However, I don't know how to do the 'verifying' since I can't get into either the zipped or unzipped sql file. The names of the database files definitely match what my control panel says is there- is that all I'm supposed to check? I thought I should be making sure some kind of actual data was there.

[vekia]

to check databas - in my opinion - you should create new database in your sql server, for example via phpmyadmin

 

then try to import sql file to new database.

 

after that - you can temporary change the database name, login and password in the shop configuration file. If everything work well - it mean that copy of database is OK