[Plugin: BackUpWordPress] Can't unarchive the zip file

Hi Ciara,

Are you downloading the backup file from the manage backups page or over FTP?

If your backups file is too large then it could be that your server is timing out before the download finishes.

If you haven’t already please try downloading one of your backups over FTP and then unzipping it.

Tom,
Thanks, that worked! My site is only about 130MB so I didn’t think it would be too large to download on my computer. Now I know. Thanks again for your quick response.

Claire

Now I can download the file via FTP but I can’t unzip it. I get an “unable to unarchive” message using the Archive Utility program on my Mac. Is there another way to unzip it? Thanks!

Hi Ciara,

Do you see a message on the manage backups screen about shell_exec being disabled?

Do you mean in my WordPress admin? I’m not sure what you mean, sorry. Also, I don’t know what shell_exec being disabled means. Sigh.

Hi Ciara,

Sorry for not explaining more clearly. If you go to your wp-admin and the view the backups page do you see:

? Your files will be backed up using /usr/bin/zip.

OR

? shell_exec is disabled which means we have to use the slower PHP fallbacks, you could try contacting your host and asking them to enable it.

Ah, okay, here’s what it says:
? Your database & files will be automatically backed up every day at 23:00 to /home/content/C/l/T/ClTomp/html/ccblog/wp-content/backups.

? Your site is 6 GB. Backups will be compressed and should be smaller than this.

? Your database will be backed up using /usr/bin/mysqldump.

I see the backups in the wp-content/backups folder (in my hosting control center). I can download them but not unarchive them. Do I need to? I don’t need to restore my site; I’m just unclear about how to tell the backups are working right.

I don’t know where /usr/bin/mysqldump is.

Really appreciate your help!

You should be able to download and unzip the backup files, if you can’t then something is wrong.

It looks like your site is very large (6GB), that could be an issue. If you think that estimated backup size is wrong then you can force it to re-calculate by de-activating the plugin and then re-activating it again.

Could I ask what host you are on?

Hi, Tom,
I’m on GoDaddy. I agree that 6GB seems too big. I only have 200+ posts on there; nothing fancy. I don’t know how to find out how big it actually is. I deactivated and reactivated the plugin and it still says 6GB.

Hi Ciara,

It sounds like you may have some large files in there. Are you able to connect to your site via FTP and take a look at the files that are there?

i am getting “Error: Header corrupted” messages when i try and extract my compressed file.

Neutraleyes, it sounds like your zip file could have become corrupted during the download, could you try downloading over FTP see if the file unzips then?

I’m having the same problem as CiaraT. It says my backup is 132.3MB but when I download it it won’t unzip.
It also says this on the Backup page:
? Your site is 371 MB. Backups will be compressed and should be smaller than this.
? shell_exec is disabled which means we have to use the slower PHP fallbacks, you could try contacting your host and asking them to enable it.

It does make a back up it just won’t unzip. Any ideas?

Hi folks,

I’m having the same problem as CiaraT had initially. Can’t unZip the file.

(Error 1 – Operation not permitted)

Not sure how to follow Tom’s first suggestion which may help, since my backup is 1.15GB. I used Fantastico through Hostgator to set up my blog so I’ve never set up an FTP.

Unlike Ciara it’s an emergency, my blog’s been wiped ??

Thanks in advance,
Jym

Could one of you email us directly so we can discuss debugging your issue in more detail.

[email protected]