Step By Step Process To Restore Home Directory Backup In cPanel

Access cPanel

Login in to your cPanel account with all your username and password. It is provided through going to yourdomain.com/cpanel or a direct link that you will get from your cloud hosting company.

Find Backup Section

Often in the interface of the cPanel, there is a common encouragement to scroll down or use the search function to find the "Backup" or "Backup Wizard" section. The backup utility is the one which helps in the management of your website's backups.

Click on "Restore a Home Directory Backup"

In the Backup menu find the "Restore a Home Directory Backup" or similar option and click on that to begin the recovery

Choose the Source of your Backup

You'll have several options for where to take your source backup.  These are as follows:

a. Server-side Home Directory Backup: 

If you've run a backup previously that's actually saved to the server, choose this one

b. Upload a Backup File from Your Computer:

If you have a backup file stored locally, choose this option and use the file upload interface to select and upload your backup file.

c. Restore from Local Backup File

Select this option if your backup file is located on the local machine, and use the file upload interface to pick up and upload your backup file.

d. Backup from a Remote FTP Server:

If your backups are on a remote FTP server, then select this option and provide any necessary FTP credentials and location of the file.

Select the Backup File

If you are using a server-stored or external FTP backup, you will be prompted to select the specific backup file that you wish to restore. They typically include their date of backup as part of the name appended

Select Restoration Options

You may receive some other varying restoration options in your cPanel version and hosting provider:

a. Full Home Directory Restore:

This will replace all of the files within your home directory with those from the backup.

b. Partial Restore:

You would have the opportunity to select specific directories or files you would like to recover.

c. Overwrite Duplicates Files:

Select whether you want to have files of the same name overwritten with the ones in the backup

Run the Recovery Program

Now that you have created your preferred selections, click "Restore" or "Begin Restore" to invoke the process.

Witness how the Recovery Program proceeds

Restoration Process In the restoration, you will either have a progress bar or status updates. The time taken in this procedure is relative to the size of your backup and server load.

Confirmation of Restoration 

Once the restoration is fully accomplished, it will return a message indicating that everything was done successfully. On this page:

a. Try testing your website to confirm that every thing is working appropriately.

b. Use your cPanel's File Manager to verify all your files to see that the restorations were successful.

c. Test any scripts, databases or applications to verify they are working properly.

Update DNS Settings (If Necessary)

In the event you're restoring to a new server or domain, your DNS settings may need to be updated in order to point the domain to the correct location. This step will be contingent upon whether the domain is already resolving to restored website

Review and Configure Permissions

File and folder permissions will most likely have to be readjusted after restoration:

a. Review and adjust permissions, where necessary, using the File Manager in cPanel.

b. Confirm important files and directories have correct permissions for security and function.

Edit Configuration Files

If restoring to another server or environment:

a. Review and update configuration files-considering such files as wp-config.php in WordPress.

b. Update any hardcoded paths or server-specific settings.

Delete Cache and Test

Clear all server and application level caching, then fully test the functionality of your website

a. Test all major features and interactions.

b. Check all links and media content are in place.

c. Confirm that all forms and dynamic content are working fine.

Secure Your Site

Once restored, it is important to ensure that your site is secure

a. Ensure all software, including content management systems and plugins, are up to date.

b. Update passwords for all associated accounts (cPanel, FTP, databases).

c. Enable any security plugins or features disabled during restoration.

Create a New Restore

After confirming your site is working correctly, you must create a new backup of the restored site. This way, you have a current backup representing the restored condition.

Step Note

Record what was done to restore the system, including problems encountered and how those issues were resolved. Such a record may very well be extremely helpful in the future for later references or for repeat restorations.

Follow these instructions to restore your home directory backup in cPanel in a step-by-step manner. Please forgive me if this procedure is slightly different depending on either your hosting provider or cPanel version. I always advise extreme care and making some more additional backups in case you plan extreme changes to your website or configuration of the server.