How do I restore a backup?

Restore cleanly

Restoring on top of a broken site can leave old files behind. Restore into an empty folder and an empty database instead.

Akeeba backup (.jpa)

1. Empty the site folder (or use a new one) and create or empty the database.
2. Upload the .jpa file and kickstart.php (from Akeeba's site) to the folder.
3. Open example.com/kickstart.php, click Start, and let it extract the files.
4. The installer opens: enter the database details and the site settings, and run it.
5. Remove the installation folder when it asks, then test your site and log in.

Manual backup

1. Import the database with phpMyAdmin (or the mysql command for big ones).
2. Extract the files into the empty folder.
3. Update the database details in configuration.php (set it to 644 first).

Good to know

• Restoring on a new host? Check the PHP version meets Joomla's requirements first.