The ideal settings to do a backup via phpMyAdmin are shown below.

NOTE: BEFORE clicking on "Export", you should select your database from the dropdown, so that its tables are displayed. THEN click on the "Export" tab.

- CHECKED: Structure
- CHECKED: Add DROP TABLE
- CHECKED: Add AUTO_INCREMENT value
- CHECKED: Enclose table and fieldnames with backquotes
- CHECKED: Data
- CHECKED: Complete Inserts
- CHECKED: Extended Inserts
- CHECKED: Use hexadecimal for binary fields
- Export Type: INSERT
- CHECKED: Save as File
- Filename Template: __DB__
- Compression: "gzipped" (or whatever you prefer... gzip makes smaller files)



TO RESTORE THE DATABASE:
- open phpMyAdmin
- select the database you wish to restore INTO, from the dropdown menu
- click on the SQL tab
- click on the Browse button, and select the file you downloaded when making the backup
- click Go