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Does Your Web Host Really Provide Backups?

There are obvious reasons to back up your website files - but often webmasters depend too much on their web hosting provider for a false sense of security.

In fact many web hosting companies do not provide backups to restore data for their clients.

Did you know that most web hosting providers advertise "nightly backups", but that doesn't mean they will take any liability for your loss of data.

There are many reasons you can lose data. Here are just a few reasons:

  • database corruption
  • front end user errors
  • hackers
  • viruses
  • webmaster mistakes

Nightly backups typically mean that the web hosting company is backing up their server files and configuration in the case that THEY make a mistake and wipe out their client's websites.  They are not backing up in case you, one of your users or worst yet a hacker deletes a file or folders.

You'll find out quickly what backups really mean the first time you have a database corrupt. Most likely your hosting company will tell you that you need to create backups of your website and web files.  You'll reply - "well I though you provided backups?".  Then they'll explain to you that they backup the servers in case of outages or faults to rest or all of the clients on the server - but this does not applly to individual hosting accounts.

Take it from me - do yourself a favor and backup your website(s) often to avoid personal heartache and worse yet - disappointing a customer that you may be hosting.

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