It’s the 13th again and that means it’s time to backup your blog. But this time around, lets take it one step further and backup all the files also.
Recently I came across a blog that was not accessible. Getting a copy of the database files was one thing, but there were other files to consider. Things like custom pages, templates, plugins and the WordPress files in general.
Usually I’d skip these as getting the WordPress install is as easy as going to the WordPress site and any plugins can be re-downloaded. However, getting the right version of everything is the trick. I’ve run across a few plugins that work better at version 1.7 than they do at 1.8 for example. I know that plugin versions can also modify how they tie into the database in different versions. If you just assume that you can re-download the files elsewhere, you may run into more issues than you bargained for.
Plus there are files you edited. Most people modify their template files while others can go a bit further and modify feeds to insert Yahoo ads or make other slight modifications that effect more than the template files. If you do either of these, backing up the files is very important.
The database is the top priority and the item that should be backed up every month regardless. However all of the physical files should also be backed up whenever possible to help ensure that you have everything you need if you need to start from scratch.
