Unable to get it to work

  • I spent about 2 hours trying to get this plugin to work. The first time I installed it, it said my backup directory was not writable. It did not exist, so I guess that would mean it isn’t writable. When I created the backup directory and made it writable, the plugin would install and activate ok, but when I tried to do a backup, it told me that there were some php functions it could not find. At that point, I gave up, uninstalled, and deleted the plugin.

    I was looking for something to replace BackupBuddy because of the expense of BackupBuddy.

    However, BackupBuddy just works, and since my time is worth something, I’m going to renew it. Maybe next year, there will be a workable free backup/restore plugin on www.ads-software.com, but there does not appear to be one now.

    I have been through the PhpAdmin backup and restore, but it, too, takes a lot of time, and the multi-step process going both ways is tedious and error-prone. Last time I migrated a site that way, it took me an entire weekend. Backup Buddy enabled me to do that in about 15 minutes.

    When WP-DBManager can do that, I’ll be happy to switch. I’d even pay money for that (since I already do). I’ll check this out next year, when my BackupBuddy subscription comes due again.

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

  • I discovered this plugin lately, and I have installed in 10 of my sites.
    It worked 10/10 times.

    If I follow you correctly, I think you missed a step:

    you have correctly created the folder
    /../wp-content/backup-db

    but you did not transfer the htaccess.txt file which is on the
    /../wp-content/plugins/wp-dbmanager folder

    which is the installation folder of the plugin to the newly cteated folder of yours:
    /../wp-content/backup-db

    If you do, you will see a number of amazing vry easy to handle features there.

    I loved more the capability to see clearly all the tables left into my databases from plugins I tested and then I unistalled.

    I dropped them easily and minified my databases from garbage.

    Rgs,
    Tania

    Thread Starter Howard Harkness

    (@chltx)

    I can see that there might have been an error in my setup. The setup instructions require several steps that are error-prone, and in turn require some outside tools that must also be set up correctly. While I should have had all of the technical knowledge to make this work, it does appear that I missed one or more critical steps.

    I may reconsider it at sometime in the future. Meanwhile, I discovered that my unlimited-site Backup Buddy license was not expiring after all. When I checked the renew date, it was 2037. The notice that I got for renewal was for a different plugin, which I decided not to renew.

    Backup Buddy has been worth what I paid. It just works, and the minor difficulties that I had with migration of a site were overcome with clear, easy-to-understand error messages. Typically, there was an error number with a link to a page with a detailed explanation of what the error was, and how to fix it.

    The error messages from WP-DBManager were worse than useless (can’t find needed PHP files, backup aborted). If your time is worth anything at all, there are times like this when buying a commercial plugin is cheaper.

    Unless iThemes manages to screw that up sometime in the future, it would be a waste of my time to switch, and I’m a bit embarrassed that I did not notice that Backup Buddy was not actually expiring before I embarked on this wild goose chase.

    That said, good, simple and reliable backups are so vitally important that I am disappointed that there was no facility like that built-in to WordPress from the start.

    Hi cltx.

    Σο, I think it would be fair if you change your rating for this plugin.

    It is a very helpful tool and someone who has the, let’s say, the advanced skills needed for its setup, perhaps avoid to give it a chance.

    ??

    Tania

    Thread Starter Howard Harkness

    (@chltx)

    I think the rating and the review are fair. This plugin is complex to set up, and requires you to use external tools, and/or change cPanel setups. All of these things severely reduce the usefullness of this plugin for the typical WordPress user, and are error-prone. Plus, as I mentioned, the error messages were not helpful.

    BackupBuddy did not require me to use an FTP tool or cPanel to create new directories or set file permissions. It came with everything I needed to set it up and make it work. Yes, it cost me some money.

    as much as i respect your opinion im just reminding you that you are using an open source product. you are also using an open source based community and you are also on the domain of open source material.

    i think its a de-service the wordpress community and the entire open source community when a user complains on the grounds of it requires external tools and accessing cpanel on setting up a particular item.

    Rule number 1, you got to know what you are doing or atleast confident enough to do it before you try something that deals with your database and server side tasks. and if something breaks then its your responsibility.

    if you dont like doing stuff on your own. premium is always an option. which something you should have done to begin with.

    just my opinion though.

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
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