A common solution for fixing webmaster mistakes is restoring the latest backup. But is that option completely safe? Let us look at the possible risks so you can make an informed decision.
The risks listed below are uncommon. In fact, in our experience we have not seen them happen to our clients to date, but they are still worth understanding.
What could happen?
- The backup could be corrupted, which would prevent a successful restore.
- It could be incomplete, so the recovered information would be less than expected.
- It could be old, which would return your site to an earlier state and lose all later work.
- One or more databases could be missing, leaving the site broken after the restore.
Also remember that every backup restore implies some data loss because the copy was created at a specific moment in time. If the backup is seven days old, all information created during those seven days will be lost.
How can you reduce these risks?
One good practice is to create a backup of the current state before restoring an older one. Even so, the same general risks still apply, so the goal is not blind trust but safer decision-making.