At this point, it seems prudent to mention backing up the database of your site. At this point, terms like “my sql”, “phpmyadmin”  and “wordpress back up” are not exactly at the forefront of your thinking, right?

My sqlis a database management system many web hosting accounts provide for you. You can use it to organise and administer all the files on your website. Phpmyadmin, if your web host provides, is a powerful database administration domain on your site. After setting up log in, select the database you want to back up from the drop down menu, eg. blog, and you will see a list of tables, something like the picture on right here. But, first things first…

                                            Backing up Your Site

It is all too easy for files to get corrupted, and lose vital posts and information you have so assiduously compiled…By backing up your blog you can always safeguard against this. First off, download and install this wp plug in. Upload it to plug in folder on your blog, activate the plug in, and from now on all you have to do is go to settings on your blog, click back up, and select a place to download the file on your computer, and you’re safe.

                                              Restore from back up.

First, go to the location of your back up file, it will be in file type winrar (.rar), so extract the files to a new folder. The actual file you need will be a text file, a script telling your site how to execute the restore point of your site you set when you backed up. Log in to phpmyadmin, select the database you want to restore. From the menu buttons on top, click sql. Click browse to locate the text file containing back up script, then click go. This may take a while, but you should see a message confirming the success of your sql restore. If your database is large, you will need to go to the text file and copy the contents and paste it into the box before clicking go. But either way should work.

                                     If at first you don’t succeed…

If, after checking your site,  you find your back up has not worked, go to themes and try another theme. Sometimes a slight error in the theme you use can cause the back up not to register, so try another theme for now, until you are properly restored.

It’s always a good thing to bear in mind, even from the very early stages, how to back up and restore