How to Back Up a Website Using an FTP Client
Anyone who has lost a document or any other file to a crashed computer or viral attack understands the need to back up important files and folders. However, when it comes to backing up website files, some webmasters rely on their Web host for this essential function. However, while most web hosts offer this service as part of their packages, they do not guarantee it. The most reliable and effective way to back up your website is to do it yourself, and do it frequently.
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Instructions
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Open the "Start" menu and type "Command Prompt" in the search field, click on the shortcut that appears in the search results. Type "cd C:\location\of\files" without the quotes and press "Enter" to change to the backup directory. Replace "C:\location\of\files" with the folder you plan to use to back up your site.
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Type "ftp ftp.yourwebsite.com" and press enter. Replace "yourwebsite.com" with the URL of your site. Type in your user name and password when prompted.
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Type "cd /path/to/website" and press "Enter" to change the directory to your website directory if necessary. In most cases you will already be in your website's directory. If in doubt, ask your Web host.
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Type "mget *" and press "Enter" to back up all your website files in the local computer. To restore them instead, type "mput *" and press "Enter."
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Tips & Warnings
Any FTP client will work for this procedure. If you're not comfortable with the command prompt, download a free FTP client such as FileZilla or CoreFTP.
