Find Files and Folders that Do Not Belong

Remember that old childhood game of figuring out, which one of these does not belong with the others?

Search through your web site files and folders to make sure that you don’t have anything that is strange or alien in there.  Look for files that are not apart of scripts you have installed, or that may have odd names.  Your web host will be able to tell you what files are safe to delete and which files are an important part of your web hosting account.

Try to view the source code of your web pages too, and look for anything that does not look familiar or is related to the problems you are having.  For example, many iframe injection attacks will attach the iframe code to the bottom of your web site files.

Make Sure Your Permissions are in Check

You should also check to make sure your file and folder permissions are in check.  Folders should be set no higher than 755, and files should be set to 644. You can check or change folder and file permissions through your web host’s file manager or through most modern FTP programs.

Now, for those of you who say this sounds like a lot of busy work, I have a special tip to share.  If you have a recent backup of your hosting account files, you can compare it with the files and folders on your hosting account to see which ones do not match up.  Also, depending on when your web site was infected, your web host may be able to restore your web site from and older back they have too.

Now why shouldn’t you use your web hosting disk space to backup your personal documents and files?  It is your space, right?  Well yes and no.  You see, uploading or downloading large chunks of data to and from your hosting account can often cause the server in question to go a little, how do you say, bonkers?  You have time out issues, connection problems, server resources and a whole truckload of things to worry about.  Not to mention there is no real security there (unless you put it there yourself, and do you trust yourself with being your own security expert?). If these documents are important put them in the hands of somebody who will guarantee you’ll get them backed up right and backed up securely.

If I haven’t won you over yet – I am about to.  There are already services out there that specialize in this type of Online storage.  Web hosting in the traditional sense, from places like BlueFur, Lunarpages or the like are for web sites, scripts and things of that nature.  For personal backup and storage I could recommend going to a place like Amazon S3, Carbonite or Mozy.

I was starting to use Carbonite myself before my PC melted, and from what I saw I liked it a lot.  Definitely better than trying to FTP everything I have up to a web hosting account.

The thing to remember here is to always read your terms of service and acceptable use policy.  Web hosts often spell out what you can and can not do with that hosting account you bought from them in black and white.

Download the Web Hosting Show, Episode 139!
Running Time: 13 minutes | File Size: 5.57 MB

Here are just a few topics from this week’s episode of the Web Hosting Show.

• Why you should be using R1Soft for your server backups!
• Who is DJ Netizen and what does he have to do with Mario?
• How Personal and Work Lives in Hosting Merge Together
• What does a “server backup” company really do?

My interview with Mario might be on the list of my top ten favorite interviews I have done in the nearly three years I’ve been producing this podcast. Loads of fun as well as lots of good information to be had.

Like the others that have come before it here on the show, it gives you an easy to master interface to get your files and databases backed up from your web hosting server to your own personal computer. Give it your login information, your database names and you are all set.

It does include a scheduling feature too, so you can set it up to backup at whatever time is best for you. What does the price tag say? It is a Windows only program (runs great on Vista) – and will cost you a one time fee of $ 29.95. Not a bad price to pay for peace of mind.

When running any Online business the public voice is one you need to tune into but when does tuning into the voice turn into the angry mob with pitchforks running your business for you? That topic and loads more on this episode of the Web Hosting Show.

Download the Web Hosting Show, Episode 132!
Running Time: 12 minutes | File Size: 5.53 MB

Here are just a few topics from this week’s episode of the Web Hosting Show.

• Another cPanel Backup Tool Review – Site Backup CP!
• Web Hosts, Should You Be Listening to the Angry Mob of Customers?
• Best Blogging Scripts this Side of the Hosting River!
• A New Hosting News and Resource Link Suggestion!
• Tease on My Article in the Next Edition of Ping! Zine?
• Better Tools and Tips for Quick Responses!

Your favorite podcast on and about web hosting is back in the saddle ready ride that open range of the world wide web all over again with each and every one of you.

After doing my review of CP Site Saver I got a comment from my buddy Gary from BlueFur talking about his own site backup solution, ResellerBackup.com. I told him to send me over a copy and I’d take a look – and I do have to say you can color me impressed. They provide several services and tools to choose from:

File Backup Tool | MySQL Backup Tool | Uptime Monitor Tool | Site Copy Tool

The names pretty much describe the services they proform, so don’t think there is much use in getting into too much detail there. I looked at the file backup tool for my review and it passed all my personal tests.

The product was easy to use, didn’t take a college degree to master and got the job done. You put in your login information (like you would do with any FTP program out there) and give a name for that specific backup. You can then set it up to download the backup now or schedule it for a later date and time.

Here is a screen shot of the File Backup Tool they provide:

The price is $19.95 for single users on each tool mentioned above and $199.95 if you want it branded with your own company logo and information.

Now as far as the comparison with CP Site Saver goes I think both tools are pretty even. I like ResellerBackup.com’s tools because they are simple and to the point. On the other hand I like CP Site Saver because everything is built into one download. I would suggest that anybody interested download both and then decide which one works best for you.

Download the Web Hosting Show, Episode 131!
Running Time: 17 minutes | File Size: 7.53 MB

Here are just a few topics from this week’s episode of the Web Hosting Show.

• ResellerBackup.com – Another Good Site Backup Tool?
• GoDaddy is Helping Protect the Little Ones (no, not midgets)
• What is the Best Solution for Multiple Web Site Hosting?
• How do you Activate Hotlink Protection via cPanel?
• Thinking Outside the Box – Twitter for Tech Support!

Some people have asked me, why do the audio version of this show if you release all your show notes for people to read? Well – I don’t like to leave anybody out in the dark but starting today that will change a little. See if you can spot the audio only parts of the show that you can only get by downloading this week’s podcast by MP3.

I have touched on the topic of backing up your web site time and time again. With each article or podcasts I always seem to get the same remark.

“Well, thats great – now can you make it easy?”

For a long time I’d say no. Making it easy means doing something such as cron jobs and scheduling and a lot of other things that regular people don’t want to take the time to do. Now my new solution for the easy way out it going to be…

“Go buy CP Site Saver, it is reeking of awesomeness!”

CP Site Saver is the first tool for backing up your cPanel powered web sites that I have seen that actually works. No need for filling in confusing settings and geeky details. The whole process takes a matter of minutes and then your good to go.

The interface is simple, you just tell it your hosting login information and database details and then hit the backup button. The quickness and simplistics of it all are really amazing. My beef with many programs like this is there are 200 boxes you must fill in and keep updated. CP Site Saver just get the basics and lets you relax while it does the hard work.

When your all done, you’ll also be able to unzip you backup and have a look through it. What does CP Site Saver need? Well, it might be more of a flaw in cPanel rather than their product but I would really like to be able to say, I want to backup everything but that one folder. Also I wish there was a better control on having it startup with your computer (give me a yes/no box on that choice). Those are the only “nit-picky” issue I could find though.

Now there is a price tag on all this bliss, but $49.95 isn’t asking too much when you consider the time you will be saving.

Download the free 10 day trial and give it a shot. The trial will only allow you to work with one web site and one database backup. That should be enough to sell you though on this awesome service.

All you have to do to get started is register for your free account, upload your content and then you can gain access to these files anywhere you have an Internet connection. You can avoid the hassle and trouble of running out of disk space on your hard drive – and eliminate the external storage devices.

You can stop worrying about your files being lost because of computer issues such as it kicking the bucket or being infected by something nasty. The ability to access any file at anytime, anywhere is also a perk that can not be overlooked.

Some of their insight on the technology they are using is pretty interesting too. ADrive operates using industry-leading enterprise level data storage, networking and server technology to safely store and access your files.

They promise in the future to have bigger plans with more than 50GB – that will also come with a price tag. A desktop client and file sharing is also “in the works”. One future feature that looks promising is the personalized snapshots. They promise to retrieve older versions of your files using snapshot technology. You’ll be able to schedule your own snapshots to backup and protect your stored data.

Download the Web Hosting Show, Episode 130!
Running Time: 12 minutes | File Size: 5.30 MB

Here are just a few topics from this week’s episode of the Web Hosting Show.

• CP Site Saver – My New Favorite Backup Tool
• 50 GB of Free Hosting With ADrive.com
• Resource to Teach About the Web Hosting Business
• Cheap Server Deals from Brand Name Dealers
• Quick Hosting Holiday Ideas and Suggestions

I am your web hosting suggestion master here to sort through all the crap so that you can get the best of the best, better than all the rest as far as new and exciting resources go.

To help those who are unsure how to get cPanel to backup their web sites I thought I would go through the process step by step.

How Can I Get Started Backing Up With cPanel?

First thing you must do is login into your account’s cPanel and click on the Backup icon. Backing up is a very crucial thing to do because you never know when the worst might happen, and having a good backup could be the difference between being down for a few hours or for a few days.

Now once you have made it to cPanel’s backup page you should see several options available. “Generate/Download Full Backup” (under Full Backups) will allow you to do what you need. It might take a while depending on the size of your web site to generate but once it does – download that and you are almost done.

From this same screen you can download the latest backup created, download your MySQL databases and also depending on your web host you might be able to download your mail settings too.

Now after clicking on “Generate/Download a Full Backup” link you will be given a few more choices. For most users you will back the backup destination to be your home directory. Make sure you have enough disk space to host the backup file. There are other options, but we will ignore them for now. Under e-mail address you can tell the server where to send the log of the backup status. Once everything is as it should be click on the “Generate Backup” buttons and away you go.

How Can I Get That Backup Now?

Now you should be told that once the server finishes generating the backup for you – you will receive an e-mail at the address you gave it. Now if you click “Go back” or just navigate yourself back to the first screen of the backup page you can see that the backup is still “in progress”. After a few minutes or once you get that e-mail back from the server, you can download you backup from here.

Now you should have a full backup of your web site ready to restore if the worst case scenario might happen.

Download the Web Hosting Show, Episode 129!
Running Time: 13 minutes | File Size: 5.92 MB

Here are just a few topics from this week’s episode of the Web Hosting Show.

• Google PageRank Updates and Debate
• Discrimination Against Southerners in Hosting
• How to Backup Using cPanel
• Best of the Forum Scripts
• ICANN Investigates Insider Domain Registrations

Get your vienna sausages and oversized cup of coffee ready because I am going to deliver the dull and boring world of web hosting and web development in a way never before seen or heard. Here on the web hosting show we deliver you real hosting talk with none of the angry fan boys.

So your stuck with a web host your not happy with and your considering the big move. You want to take your web site elsewhere and you want to do it quick. Should you pack your bags and make the move in minutes? No. It is always best not to rush into a situation as big as moving your web site from web host to web host.

Find a new web host before you move. Some people just get so unhappy with their current hosting provider they want to move right here right now. That is not he best way to go. Give your current web host a few more chances to impress you before you jump into another relationship. Think of it as that old ex-girlfriend that promised she would never cheat on you again. If they do better, you might eliminate you need to move all together.

Find several web hosts that are worth your time and money, contact them and see what they say about moving from your current web host to them. The good ones will give you a step by step process in which you can do it with the least amount of pain and suffering.

Get ready for the move. Make sure you have all of your backups in order and plenty of time to get things changed over. Now there are more steps to moving and getting ready to move than I will have time to hit on here, but I’ll try to touch on the basics.

Backup databases and user generated files that you have uploaded over the time span you have been with the old web host. Also get ready to recreate e-mail addresses and other features that you had setup with your old web host. Last but not least remember not to cancel your old hosting till you know your happy with your new hosting. This way just in case you forgot to move over file123.jpg you can grab it after the actual move.

Last but not least, clean up any unfinished business with the old web host. Cancel your billing and wave to them as you exit the building. Your now free of your old hosting mess and hopefully in a better spot than you started out.

Download the Web Hosting Show, Episode 123!
Running Time: 15 minutes | File Size: 6.44 MB

Here are just a few topics from this week’s episode of the Web Hosting Show.

• All About Domain Registration Hijackers!
• Don’t be a Screw Up, You Must Backup!
• Tips on Creating a Custom Google Search Engine!
• Learn to Push Out PHP Code in HTML Pages!
• I Really Hate Domain Registry of America!

Link of the Week: WHS’s Updated Video Tutorials

Welcome to the number one web hosting podcast in all the land, as voted in by three midgets and a system administrator named Charlie. Come inside my side of the hosting world, just remember to leave your shoes at the door.

Related Podcast Link: Listen to Episode 119!

There are more and more free file hosts out there each and every day it seems. Yet another name to add to that ever growing list is File123.com. File123.com is going after the “hey I just need some extra space to host a few files” business. They are also looking to aim more towards the professionals out there, but I am sure they wouldn’t mind the business from a few novice folks as well.

Why should you sign up with them? Here are some perks:

• Get organized, end paper clutter and gain extra space in your home, garage or office.
• Protect against natural disaster, robbery and computer crashes with our easy and secure storage system.
• Store photos, music, videos, personal and business documents and more!
• Easily network, share and exchange documents with friends, family or co-workers.
• You have nothing to risk with our no cost, risk free trial.

Bottom line is this. Sign up right now and get 1GB of space for free. Enjoy the service and want your disk space limit bumped up? You can get 10GB of backup space for as low as $4.95 a month. File123.com gives you yet another great option for your file hosting needs.

Every time I get an e-mail with a hosting question in it, I do my best to get it answered for the folks that ask me stuff. I don’t get paid for it – but hey, I’m a guy who likes to help out where I can. Here are some of the best random questions on and about web hosting that I’ve been asked about this week.

Question – You’ve talked about a lot of file backup web hosting solutions here lately. I have been doing all of my off site backup storage with Carbonite. Do you like them as a choice?

Answer – Yes, the folks at Carbonite do a really good job and the whole online backup solution. Now the reason you might want to go with a solution like this instead of just backing it up to DVD or external hard drive is simple. What if you house explodes, or an army of un-dead midget warriors attack? Your computer would more than likely bite the dust. With your files backup somewhere else though – at least your files will make it out alive.

Question – I want to get into the web site business. Is it better to host a web site with a lot of topics on one domain name or setup different domain names for each topic?

Answer – I would say try to find a niche domain name for each type of web site you wish to host. The “all in one” web sites are really hard to manage and make popular. People want to learn about or deal with places that are based around one topic of discussion.

Question – Why does my server web statistics not match up with my online web statistics when tracking my visitors?

Answer – When using something like Webalizer compared with Google Analytics, the server side solution is going to be looking at everything, robot crawls, people and more as all one thing – traffic. With a off-site web stats solution like Google Analytics, it can’t see (or gain access to) that information, so it’s tracking numbers are based more off of real people.

Do you have a question? Feel free to send it my way and I’ll do my best to help you out too! Who knows, your question might even make it to the podcast too.

There are a lot of blogs out there, many more than you could count on your hands.. even if you have that freaky four extra fingers on that left hand of yours.

With that many blogs out there, there is a lot of backing up that needs to be done. BlogBackupOnline.com will do it for you.

You’ll hear no argument from me that backing up a blog can be very complicated and tedious. Having an external hosting account to do this on can be a lifesaver. At this time they support these blogging platforms:

• Blogger
• WordPress
• TypePad
• Friendster
• LiveJournal
• Serendipity
• Windows Live Space
• Movable Type
• Terapad
• Vox

They also provide a restore solution as well. With many of these online backup solutions they have an easy way to upload, but not such an easy job downloading what you’ve backed up. I’m happy to see they have this under control as well.

Backing up your blog is free while they are still in Beta. The bottom line is the storage space though. You get 50 MB of storage space is allocated to your account.

Backing up is hard to do – no wait, that was breaking up. Backing up is not that hard to do but for some reason we still do not like to take the time to do it. That is where cheap Online solutions come into play. One of those solutions out there for you right now is Allmydata.com.

Here is a little more information about the company and team from their about us web page.

Allmydata was created for all of us who have lost important information due to disk crashes, viruses or even a mere computer replacement. Allmydata was created for all of us who have given up on backing up our computers due to the cost and complexity of current backup solutions: external drives, tape drives and complicated online solutions.

Allmydata promises you “unlimited online storage and backup” but what is the price? All you have to pay is $4.99 a month. That’s a pretty good deal in my book. They also offer a Windows only desktop application to make your backing up a little easier to do as well. Overall it looks like a great way for anybody to keep their important files backed up just in case the worst might happen.

I have been in that situation myself, and I know it is a pain the butt to tackle. It is the duty of a hosting guru to explain these things though, and that is what I continue to do today.

Which one is better – Windows hosting or Linux hosting?

Both have their advantages and disadvantages. If you are new to Web sites and Web hosting (or if you just like it better) I would say go with Linux. Windows still can not compete with Linux as far as the number of services out there for you to use and the support for things you would want to do with your hosting account. Maybe someday – but not yet.

Should I backup my Web site or does my Web host do that for me?

Well, chances are your Web host will do that for you – but you can never be too safe. I would say at least backup one a month to make sure you do not loose any important files or pages on your Web site. Some of the data we are uploading is very valuable and it is too much of a pain to have to try to recreate it all again.

If I am a Web host, should I go out of my way to take PayPal payments for Web hosting?

Yes! PayPal is something that nearly everybody has and most people feel safer using it to pay for good than putting in their credit card information.

How long is the average wait time for a new Web hosting account to be setup?

Well it will change from Web host to Web host – but I would say a fair estimate would be within 24 hours of you signing up with them.

My hosting costs a month are pretty low. Is that a bad thing?

Not at all. Every Web host out there is trying to “lowball” the next by offering a bigger and better deal for even less money. Try to do your best to research the company before signing on the dotted line and you should be ok in most cases.

Related Podcast Link: Listen to Episode 104!

Why will my host not let me backup my personal backup files to my Web hosting account?

Some Web hosts might but most will not let you store personal backups of your photos or documents. This is because they just are not in that sort of business. There are plenty of places that are though and I would recommend going with them.

What are some Online hosting backup solutions?

My favorite from all the ones I have personally reviewed would be Box.net. Another popular choice out there is Carbonite.

I am a Web host and I keep getting bad press and reviews. What should I do?

I say turn that negative press into inspiration to make yourself better. Peoples’ opinions count and you should listen to as many as you can – then do your best with the most popular requests and thoughts you get.

I would like to find somebody to back my Online project. How do I find a Web host who would do that for free?

Find somebody out there (or maybe a few) and just ask them if they can help. You might get a few Web hosts laugh at you and your idea – but eventually you’ll run into that Web hosting business that will want to help you out.

When was the date of your very first Web hosting podcast and where can I find it?

The very first Web Hosting Show podcast as recorded February 14th, 2005. You can find it by searching WebHostingShow.com or by clicking the “All Archives” link on any of the Web Hosting Show’s Web pages.

Related Podcast Link: Listen to Episode 101!