Title: Multisite backup issue
Last modified: August 21, 2016

---

# Multisite backup issue

 *  Resolved [Jim9067](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jim9067/)
 * (@jim9067)
 * [12 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multisite-backup-issue/)
 * When I try to backup my WordPress site, which includes a number of sub-domains,
   via cPanel the backup fails due allegedly to my site being over 10Gb. I am not
   convinced that it is. I think that it might be that scheduled backups are just
   clogging up the space. I am working through may backup plugins to ensure they
   are deleting old backups. Would someone please tell me which folders I should
   look in for backup files so I can spring clean ’em. Thanks Jim.

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

 *  Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * (@ipstenu)
 * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist
 * [12 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multisite-backup-issue/#post-4559598)
 * Depends on which plugins you used. Go look in `wp-content` The NORMAL folders
   are:
 *     ```
       /uploads
       /mu-plugins
       /plugins
       /themes
       ```
   
 * Anything else is probably a plugin. Most save in `/backups/` or `/uploads/backups/`
   type folders.
 *  Thread Starter [Jim9067](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jim9067/)
 * (@jim9067)
 * [12 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multisite-backup-issue/#post-4559620)
 * Thanks for the response. I have found two backup folders. One named __Backup 
   and one named _Backup. The one with the leading double underscore is full of 
   zip files, of which there are two types. Some are plain zips of about 600Mb. 
   Most are monster files of 2 to 4.5Gb with an extension .zip followed by 6 random
   characters e.g. *.zipzN5GdJ.
 * I have found another __Backup folder nesting among one of my sub-domain directories
   containing more large files of the type with the zip + random characters (not
   the same files as in the other folder above). I am inclined to delete all these
   big guys (?), but how to work out what’s generating them? I tried to check ‘properties’
   for these files in the hope of knowing where they are coming from but this function
   is apparently not available.
 *  [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/)
 * (@esmi)
 * [12 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multisite-backup-issue/#post-4559621)
 * Sounds like you have installed & used more than 1 backup plugin at some time 
   or another. In your shoes, I would be downloading the ones with the more recent
   timestamps & emptying the folders. Then, assuming that there is at last 1 backup
   plugin still activated, monitoring the folders over the next few weeks to see
   which folder is re-populated.
 *  Thread Starter [Jim9067](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jim9067/)
 * (@jim9067)
 * [12 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multisite-backup-issue/#post-4559623)
 * Any idea of the significance of the extension with the random characters might
   be (eg *.zipzN5GdJ)? I was running backwpup until I started backing up to the
   cloud. I need to check all the setting again. Thanks.
 *  [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/)
 * (@esmi)
 * [12 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multisite-backup-issue/#post-4559624)
 * > Any idea of the significance of the extension with the random characters might
   > be
 * Could be an attempt to allow for multiple backup files to be created without 
   any file over-writing.
 *  Thread Starter [Jim9067](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jim9067/)
 * (@jim9067)
 * [12 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multisite-backup-issue/#post-4559653)
 * All sorted thank you. Will review backup settings if and when needed. Your advice
   was invaluable. Jim.

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

The topic ‘Multisite backup issue’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [backups](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/backups/)
 * [corrupted](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/corrupted/)

 * In: [Networking WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/multisite/)
 * 6 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [Jim9067](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jim9067/)
 * Last activity: [12 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multisite-backup-issue/#post-4559653)
 * Status: resolved

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