Title: WordPress Core File Folder Missing in Backup Last modified: July 11, 2018 --- # WordPress Core File Folder Missing in Backup * Resolved [mwarbinek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mwarbinek/) * (@mwarbinek) * [7 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-core-file-folder-missing-in-backup/) * It appears this issue is wide spread, and I did not want to bury this in a past post, so I am posting a-new here and in detail. * This is what I found, * **ZIP Archive** BackwPup did archive the entire WP site, with the core folders, uploads, theme folder, plugin folder etc and root files, but… * _Viewing Archive_ _Windows ZIP utility_ – to view the ZIP archive, WP root files were missing. The WP core folders and all other folders/files were there, but not the WP root files as “wp-config.php” etc. * _7-Zip_ – to view the ZIP archive, there was a folder named “.” (yes, just a period for a folder name) and that contained the root files of the WP website. This “.” folder was not visible using the Windows zip utility to view it. * **Tar / Tar.Gz / Tar.Bz2 Archives** _7-Zip_ – viewing the archives, there were only the root files. These archive formats failed to archive the rest of the WP site as core folders etc. * **Extracting – ZIP** _Windows Zip Utility_ – failed to extract the WP root files. It did extract the WP core folder and all other folders and files. I believe this is because it could not see the “.” named folder that the plugin created to store the root files. * _7-Zip_ – extracted the root files and all other folders and files of the WP website. This is likely because it was able to see the “.” named folder. * **Extracting – Tar** _7-Zip_ – extracted only the root files, WP core folders and all other folders and files were missing. 7-Zip extraction also showed an error, * ``` "Headers Error Warnings: There are some data after the end of the payload data" ``` * **Extracting – Tar.Gz** _7-Zip_ – extracted to a .tar archive. Extracting the. tar archive created an extension-less file and generated an error, * ``` "Warning: Can not open the files as [tar] archive The file is open as [gzip] archive" ``` * Opening the extension-less file (like an archive) extracted the root WP files but the WP core folders and all other folders and files were missing. 7-Zip generated an error, * ``` "Headers Error Warnings: There are some data after the end of the payload data" ``` * Another problem, the extraction created a duplicate “wp-config.php” file for some reason. * **Extracting – Tar.Bz2** _7-Zip_ – extracted as a .tar archive. Extracted the. tar archive which gave the WP root files, but missing were WP core folders and other folders and files. * Same other problem, the extraction was creating a duplicate “wp-config.php” file for some reason. * **Settings** BackwPup settings was set to include all WP Website folders and files, which means that any of the archives were suppose to be useable to re- install the website in its entirety if needed, but above shows this is not the case. * **Conclusion:** The plugin has erred a lot here. It creates a ZIP archive that Windows cannot read properly and creates the other archive formats missing a lot of folders and files. Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total) * [syzygist](https://wordpress.org/support/users/syzygist/) * (@syzygist) * [7 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-core-file-folder-missing-in-backup/#post-10485753) * Thanks wpwd2016 for all your analysis of this. I also just noticed this problem. Backups logged as successful do not include any root directory files of the WordPress installation since on or around 5/18/18 (which is the first date I have backups without these files. The last date I have backups with these files is 5/16/18). This is true across multiple installations and hosts. So in other words, none of the backups created for the past TWO MONTHS are viable without a lot of extra tweaking, if then. Not cool. * Though I have posted to another thread about being unable to download backup files using the BackWPup interface, this problem seems unrelated, in that it is universal to every backup file I have made with BackWPup since abovementioned dates. * Thread Starter [mwarbinek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mwarbinek/) * (@mwarbinek) * [7 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-core-file-folder-missing-in-backup/#post-10485853) * Welcome. * Been wondering, has this plugin been sold to someone else? * It seems that things have changed and the ones that represent the plugin are not the same ones anymore. * Thread Starter [mwarbinek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mwarbinek/) * (@mwarbinek) * [7 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-core-file-folder-missing-in-backup/#post-10486279) * **Update:** * I went to my storage archive where I store my clients website backup archive and tested the archive from back in June 2018. Wow, its missing a lot of folders and files. It was the tar.gz format. * It was missing the wp-content folder, missing many of the wp-includes subfolders and files. This is not good at all. I cannot use those backups now they are incomplete. * Currently, I am now saving as a ZIP format archive, hoping the plugin did a proper and complete job in that archive. * **To Plugin Developer:** This plugin has now become rather useless and very undependable. Do you intend to fix this problem? * [happyAnt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/duongcuong96/) * (@duongcuong96) * [7 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-core-file-folder-missing-in-backup/#post-10487848) * [@syzygist](https://wordpress.org/support/users/syzygist/) no worry, this just how it’s displayed in Windows, for now, please open the backup file with Winrar. Thank you! * [syzygist](https://wordpress.org/support/users/syzygist/) * (@syzygist) * [7 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-core-file-folder-missing-in-backup/#post-10488046) * They are zip files. Those created before the above-mentioned date show the root directory files, those created afterwards do not. * [happyAnt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/duongcuong96/) * (@duongcuong96) * [7 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-core-file-folder-missing-in-backup/#post-10488601) * [@syzygist](https://wordpress.org/support/users/syzygist/) Please open or extract the backup file with Winrar, you will not lost anything 🙂 - This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by [happyAnt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/duongcuong96/). * Thread Starter [mwarbinek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mwarbinek/) * (@mwarbinek) * [7 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-core-file-folder-missing-in-backup/#post-10488766) * What I am getting here is crap. * This used to be an excellent plugin, worked great, now it is garbage. I do believe that someone bought the program from the previous author, who was great which is why I gave it a 5 star. * Now, I get garbage responses and told to go buy WinRAR so their broken plugin can work, where WinRAR is a paid software. It is sad that a plugin backup archive can only work with one brand name software. * Since there is zero support for this plugin, and by the lack of responses by the current plugin author, I am getting rid of it. It is obvious by the above replies by duongcuong96 that he/she has no interest in dealing with serious plugin issues and spins them off as our problem. * [happyAnt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/duongcuong96/) * (@duongcuong96) * [7 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-core-file-folder-missing-in-backup/#post-10488799) * [@syzygist](https://wordpress.org/support/users/syzygist/) Also, please open a new issue report in here: [https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/backwpup/#new-post](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/backwpup/#new-post) I will have a better answer to you 😀 Thank you very much 😀 * [syzygist](https://wordpress.org/support/users/syzygist/) * (@syzygist) * [7 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-core-file-folder-missing-in-backup/#post-10488829) * Why should I open a new thread? I am having the same problem as the OP, and I have to agree that I don’t think I should have to download a third (and paid) unzipping program to access (or even see) files in a zip archive. I am not sure why you are responding to me but not to wpwd2016, who took a lot of time troubleshooting before posting to give you information about the problem. * Thread Starter [mwarbinek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mwarbinek/) * (@mwarbinek) * [7 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-core-file-folder-missing-in-backup/#post-10489246) * [@syzygist](https://wordpress.org/support/users/syzygist/) – sorry, duongcuong96 seems to purposely ignore me and made no effort to address THIS NEW POST I made about the issue. * Thanks for your support though. * What I have done was dump this plugin and changed my rating to 1 star. Something has happened in the last year to this development group, even though it appears to be the same developers. The plugin has gone downhill and not worth the hassle or time or “expense” (another archive viewer WinRAR). * What duongcuong96 has shown is there is no regard to issues about this plugin. Been in that spot before and once this ill regard exists, time to get out. * [happyAnt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/duongcuong96/) * (@duongcuong96) * [7 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-core-file-folder-missing-in-backup/#post-10859661) * [@mwarbinek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mwarbinek/) [@syzygist](https://wordpress.org/support/users/syzygist/) The issue has been fixed with the latest 3.6.3 version now, please update 🙂 Thank you and sorry for all the trouble you got! Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total) The topic ‘WordPress Core File Folder Missing in Backup’ is closed to new replies. * ![](https://ps.w.org/backwpup/assets/icon-256x256.png?rev=3236141) * [BackWPup – WordPress Backup & Restore Plugin](https://wordpress.org/plugins/backwpup/) * [Support Threads](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/backwpup/) * [Active Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/backwpup/active/) * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/backwpup/unresolved/) * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/backwpup/reviews/) ## Tags * [backup file](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/backup-file/) * [missing files](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/missing-files/) * [root directory](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/root-directory/) * 11 replies * 3 participants * Last reply from: [happyAnt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/duongcuong96/) * Last activity: [7 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-core-file-folder-missing-in-backup/#post-10859661) * Status: resolved