Can I undo a restore?
Yes. Every overwrite restore first takes a safety copy of exactly what it is about to overwrite, as a backup point of its own. Choose Undo this restore to put it back. Safety copies are kept 7 days.
What the safety copy covers
Every overwrite restore takes a safety copy first: an account, files, email or database restore, from the console, the WHM, cPanel and DirectAdmin plugins and self-service, and also a migration onto an account that already existed. It backs up exactly what the restore is about to overwrite. A typical copy takes a few seconds; the first copy after a full-account restore re-reads the whole account once (about 17 seconds for 2.5 GB) and stores almost nothing new.
Undo a restore
- Open the restore on the Restore page.
- Choose Undo this restore.
The undo puts the safety copy back. Files the restore created where nothing was before are removed. Databases and mailboxes the restore created are left in place. The undo is never blocked by a licence state.
When the safety copy cannot be taken
If the copy cannot be taken (the destination is disabled, or a backup of that account is running), the restore is refused with the reason and nothing is changed. Fix the cause and restore again. An administrator can choose Restore without safety copy and confirm, if they accept that the restore cannot be undone. If the copy cannot read something the restore will overwrite, it still refuses; a read that failed on something the restore does not write is named in the copy's note instead.
How long safety copies are kept
Safety copies are kept 7 days whatever the job's retention is, then removed by retention. Change it under Settings → Server → Safety copies: Days kept and Where they are stored. In the cPanel plugin a safety copy shows a Safety copy badge.