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Troubleshooting Common UpdraftPlus Restoration Stalls and Failures

27 threads Sep 10, 2025 Plugin → Updraftplus: wp backup & migration plugin

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Experiencing a stalled or failed restoration with the UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin can be a frustrating roadblock. Based on common community reports, this guide outlines the typical reasons a restoration might hang and provides practical steps to resolve the issue.

Why Do Restorations Get Stuck?

Restoration processes are complex and can fail for various reasons, often related to server limitations, file sizes, or connection problems. The most frequent symptoms users report include:

  • Being stuck on messages like "Downloading backup files if needed" or "Cleaning up rubbish..."
  • The restoration process restarting in a loop.
  • A generic "500 Server Error" or browser "Out of Memory" error appearing.
  • Only one component (like Uploads) being available to restore, indicating an incomplete backup.

Step 1: Locate and Examine the Restoration Log

The single most important diagnostic step is to find the restoration log. This file is your primary source of truth for what went wrong.

  • Where to find it: Connect to your website via FTP or your hosting provider's file manager. Navigate to the wp-content/updraft directory.
  • How to identify it: Look for a file with a name like log.4f9343ee80d5.txt. The correct log will contain the word "restore" in its contents. The most recent log is usually the one you need.
  • What to do with it: Open the log and scan for error messages near the end. Copy its contents to a text-sharing service like Pastebin.com if you need to share it for further help.

Step 2: Apply Common Fixes Based on Symptoms

Fix for Download/Connection Issues

If the process stalls while downloading files from remote storage (e.g., Google Drive, AWS):

  • Rescan Remote Storage: In the UpdraftPlus "Backup/Restore" tab, click the "Rescan remote storage" link to refresh the backup list.
  • Re-authenticate Remote Storage: Ensure your connection to your cloud storage service (like Google Drive) is still active and valid.
  • Manual Download Workaround: A highly reliable workaround is to manually download all backup files from your remote storage (e.g., Google Drive) to your computer. Then, in the UpdraftPlus "Backup/Restore" tab, click "Upload backup files" and drag-and-drop the files. Finally, click "Rescan local storage" to see the backup and attempt the restore again. Backup filenames typically follow a pattern like backup_2021-01-30-2310_YourWebsiteName_99e85e36da23-database.zip.

Fix for Server Timeouts and Resource Limits

If the log shows the process timing out or being killed, especially on large restorations:

  • Restore Components Individually: Instead of restoring everything at once, restore one component at a time (e.g., Plugins, then Themes, then Uploads). Always restore the Database component last.
  • Check Server Resources: Contact your hosting provider and ask them to check for PHP process timeouts, memory limit exhaustion, or strict FTP restrictions that could be halting the process. The log can provide clues for them.
  • Manual Extraction: For a very large Uploads folder, you may need to manually download the backup ZIP files, extract them on your computer into a single "uploads" folder, and then upload the entire structure via FTP to your server's wp-content/uploads/ directory.

Fix for a "Stuck" Restoration Message

If a restoration fails and you cannot dismiss the "Unfinished Restoration" message:

  • Wipe Settings: UpdraftPlus includes a "Wipe Settings" feature that will clear out the old restoration state. You can find this option in the plugin's settings. Note: You will need to reconfigure your remote storage connections after doing this.

When to Suspect a Problematic Backup

Sometimes the issue is with the backup itself, not the restoration process.

  • If only one component (e.g., only Uploads) appears in the restore options, the backup may be from a different site or may not have completed successfully on the original site.
  • Click "Rescan remote storage" to ensure UpdraftPlus has the complete list of files.
  • If a backup is reported as "not existing," try manually uploading the files using the method described above.

By methodically checking the log and trying these targeted solutions, you can often overcome common restoration hurdles and successfully recover your website.

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