How to open database backup?

[PudzPud]

I have a create_account issue (seen here: http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=188773) but I was also looking at my database and server backups to see if I can upload an older version of the create_account.php file as it was working fine until a few hours ago. The problem is when I try to open an old database backup file (created through zc admin and ends with .sql) it only allows me to open it as a text document so I cannot get a copy of the old php file, and when I open the main server backup file using winzip it has tons of folders but I cannot find any php files in there either. Can someone point me in the right direction of where in the server backup the php files should be? When i login with ftp I go to public_html and all my sites/folders are there, however in the server backup there are tons of weird folder names i've never seen before but nothing about public_html or with my webite names/

Any help appreciated as I don't know much about php etc and in the meantime I am receiving lots of emails from people saying they cannot create a new account on the main website

Thanks

[davowave]

There won't be any php files in a database sql dump. If you want to get a copy of create_account.php then you'll need to download the full fileset for whatever version (you can find out in admin) you are using and get the file that way.

[PudzPud]

The files have been amended quite a bit from the default ones (i still have the original versions) so for future it would be handy to have a copy of all amended/customized ones. Once I get this problem sorted whats the best way to back up my php files? Would it be to ftp a copy to my pc or is there a better way?

ADDED - would the php files be in the full server backup I do through cpanel?
I have all of these but once opened/unzipped I cannot find anything with .php in the name at all. I would assume ther full cpanbel server backup should contain everything or am I doing something wrong here?

Thanks

[RescoCCC]

Once I get this problem sorted whats the best way to back up my php files? Would it be to ftp a copy to my pc or is there a better way?

That's the way I do it. I back up the file set in uncompressed form. The thing about the cPanel backups is that they are compressed and really only suitable for restoring an entire site, not for replacing individual files.

[PudzPud]

Cheers - I will get a copy backed up now - thanks :)