Is it better to:

Are you better off doing a complete backup of your site and database or ftp-ing the whole tree down to yourself and then backing up the database?

Does it do the same thing?

I'm new so just asking and would like to know what others do. :cool:

I'm not really sure what you're asking.

Unless someone has come up with a combined backup of some sort, the database backup is separate from backing up your Zen Cart folders and files. The database is backed up using phpMyAdmin from your webmaster panel. This should save the result to your PC.

I usually have Zen Cart unzipped on my PC and make my changes there which I then upload to the site, so I have an automatic backup of sorts of the Zen Cart portion, but there's no reason you can't FTP the Zen Cart folders and files - or just the custom folders which contain your changes - to your PC.

You can also zip up the whole site using CPanel's File Manager, and download the zip file. The DB will have to be done separately, though.

I realize the database is separate but when I do a cpanel home directory backup it is almost 500 megs, it downloads everything on the entire site.

That's why I use the 'Compress' action in CPanel File Manager. You can select only the Zencart directory.

What do you have in your Zencart site that totals 500Mb?

Nothing that I know of, but a "Home Directory" back-up is huge.

AL

You must have some monster log file or something. I just did a CPanel Home Directory backup of one Zencart site - 15.5Mb compressed, less than 40Mb uncompressed.