Title: Backup failed Last modified: August 18, 2016 --- # Backup failed * [fashionmile](https://wordpress.org/support/users/fashionmile/) * (@fashionmile) * [19 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-failed/) * I’ve tried to make a back-up from my pages but it failed. Can anybody tell me what I did wrong? It gave the fault ‘The backup file could not be saved. Please check the permissions for writing to your backup directory and try again.’ Thank you! Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total) * [whooami](https://wordpress.org/support/users/whooami/) * (@whooami) * [19 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-failed/#post-499728) * “Please check the permissions for writing to your backup directory” * the directory needs to be writable by the script doing the backup. chmod that directory to 777. * Read this, for directions on chmod’ing files and directories. * [http://codex.wordpress.org/Changing_File_Permissions](http://codex.wordpress.org/Changing_File_Permissions) * Thread Starter [fashionmile](https://wordpress.org/support/users/fashionmile/) * (@fashionmile) * [19 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-failed/#post-499733) * Yeah I did but I don’t really got it. I chmoded the Idex-file but that didn’t helped hm. * [whooami](https://wordpress.org/support/users/whooami/) * (@whooami) * [19 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-failed/#post-499735) * NO. NO. NO. * Youre not paying attention. * It doesnt write to a file. Its writes to a directory. Whatever directory it is trying to put the backup in needs to have 777 permissions. * Thread Starter [fashionmile](https://wordpress.org/support/users/fashionmile/) * (@fashionmile) * [19 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-failed/#post-499868) * Yeah but I don’t really understand wich directory I have to change and why. When I want to set it on my computer or email, what do I have to change then? Sorry I don’t understand what that text is saying * [beretta](https://wordpress.org/support/users/beretta/) * (@beretta) * [19 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-failed/#post-500060) * I am having this error as well. * HOWEVER, I perfectly understand what it means. I have checked where the backup directory is supposed to be (wp-content/backup), and I have made CERTAIN that the permissions are set exactly right (777), but I keep getting this message. The plugin is not realising that it has permission to write to the backup folder. * Does anyone have any idea why this would be happening? I have the latest version of the plugin. * [leonardaustin](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leonardaustin/) * (@leonardaustin) * [19 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-failed/#post-500062) * I am also having the issue with the wp-db-backup plugin. I’m running version WordPress v2.1.3 and wp-db-backup v2.0.5, i have ensured that wp-contents folder is chmod 777 but still get the javascript error “The backup file could not be saved. Please check the permissions for writing to your backup directory and try again”. * I think it might be something to do with the fact my hosting space is with 1and1? * [MichaelH](https://wordpress.org/support/users/michaelh/) * (@michaelh) * [19 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-failed/#post-500063) * Just installed wp-db-backup 2.0.5 on a test blog just created. Set wp-content to 777, activated plugin, did backup. * No problems. * Try deactivating the plugin. Deleting the backupxxx folder. Make sure wp-content is 777, activate the plugin. Do the backup. * [leonardaustin](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leonardaustin/) * (@leonardaustin) * [19 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-failed/#post-500064) * Unfortunately that didn’t work. I also tried deactivating all of my other plugins and only using the backup that didn’t work either. * Then I thought it might be because I used plesk application vault to install wordpress so i uninstalled wordpress from plesk- deleted everything on my webspace, uploaded a fresh copy of wordpress went through the installation process and activated backup, got the same error. I can only assume it’s something to do with my 1and1 dedicated server. Could it be a setting on the server? * [MichaelH](https://wordpress.org/support/users/michaelh/) * (@michaelh) * [19 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-failed/#post-500065) * Does it work if you select the ‘download to your computer’ ranther than ‘save to server’? * Also is the directory, backup-xxx created? If not, wonder if creating via FTP before doing the backup would help. * [leonardaustin](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leonardaustin/) * (@leonardaustin) * [19 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-failed/#post-500066) * No it doesn’t work with save to server, computer or email. And the folder backup- xxx is being created fine without having to created it via ftp. * [leonardaustin](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leonardaustin/) * (@leonardaustin) * [19 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-failed/#post-500070) * Ok I figured it out. Basically I hate people who don’t post solutions after they figure it out so here it is: * safe mode was on in the php.ini file, when it should be off. * Yeap that’s it. Cheers for everyones help though. Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total) The topic ‘Backup failed’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [Failed](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/failed/) * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 11 replies * 5 participants * Last reply from: [leonardaustin](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leonardaustin/) * Last activity: [19 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/backup-failed/#post-500070) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics