I had to reformat and one of the things I forgot to backup was my original shopping cart file. I do have the files it created on my web site. Is there any way I can recreate my cart using these files?

Donna

You will need all the original source files like the .SCC and .SCT file. If you don't have those, then there is no way to restore your shop and you will need to start over from scratch.

Ouch, are you sure you didn't upload those files to your server also for safe keeping? I hope so, but if not, I would definitely suggest you do that this time around without fail. Sorry to hear that happened though Don't forget to make a backup of the folder that it creates with all the images in it too. I usually zip it up and back it up that way rather than straight out. I have backups being done by Norton Ghost so I don't have to mess with it.

I use a second hard drive on my main tower, so everything can be backed up to more than one location. Another alternative is to plug one of those little USB flash drives into your pc and have it permanently there as an extra drive. That way if your main drive gets corrupted, you are still in business.

The problem with storing things like the actual shop building files on the server Jo Ann, is that you give hackers an easy opportunity to change the 'pay to' parameters of your shop, as well as giving them an easy route to other mischief. Hackers take great joy in maliciously destroying other people's online enterprises, given half the opportunity.

I'm with WILL_UK, you don't have a real backup if the backup is not on a separate drive and also external media. I personally backup (data only) to a separate drive -- not a separate partition. Then that is backed up to an external drive and critical data burned to a DVD. I learned the hard way that it is not a question of "if" but a question "when" the C drive fails.

"original source files like the .SCC and .SCT file" I also would not upload and keep these in the www folder of the shop, but keeping in a folder not accessible to the public (above the public www or whatever your hosts calls it) may be OK.

Just my nickel's worth.

A separate drive is a must in web design.

Thanks...I do back my stuff up, but sometimes, with programs putting stuff in their folder, it's easy to forget.