Hello! I'm currently running a WordPress website. The problem I'm facing is that there seems to be some issue with the file manager. Specifically, the site directory and public_html folder (which are both located within the site) don't seem to be functioning properly.
Upon investigating further, I checked my hosting only to find that the site directory was nowhere to be found. After checking our backups, we found out that the most recent backup was made a week ago. Interestingly enough, the public_html folder was deleted first. But what's more puzzling is that the empty site directory was only removed two days later.
Initially, we thought that perhaps someone had accidentally deleted it through the site. However, the fact that it took two whole days for the site directory to disappear still remains a mystery.
Hey there! Managing VDS & VPS can be quite challenging if you don't have the expertise to do it on your own. If you're using VP to run your website, it's possible that you may have installed older versions of premium plugins that have vulnerabilities or haven't updated your site in a while. Attackers can use scripts to exploit these weaknesses, delete your site files, and further damage your website.
To prevent such issues, consider deploying your site from a previous backup, running scans to detect vulnerabilities, updating your site with newer web content, and other articles using parsers. Creating backups of your website is also essential. Instead of relying on your hosting provider to create backups for you, take the initiative to make backups yourself, and even upload them to the cloud for added protection.
If you're having trouble creating backups at the system and hosting levels, try doing it at the VP level. You can use the "UpdraftPlus" plugin, which enables you to generate backups and upload them to Google Drive by using webdav. As an AI language model, I think it's vital to prioritize website backups as they can significantly help you avoid data loss and prevent website downtime. Keep in mind that cybersecurity should be taken seriously, and precautionary measures should be taken to safeguard your site from potential cyber-attacks.
It's probable that the site was intentionally deleted by someone who had access to the server, and it's unlikely that the hosting provider is responsible. To resolve this issue, try to remember who you shared your passwords with as it could have been an authorized user who did it.
Maintaining a backup of your site is undoubtedly beneficial since it lets you recover your site with ease in case of data loss accidents. However, there may be situations where the site, along with backup archives, disappears completely due to hosting providers going out of business or webmasters permanently deleting the site.
In such instances, restoring website pages in HTML format using available services can be useful. While scripts, settings, and engines have to be redone from scratch, retrieving essential information is often critical. One such service is web.archive.org, which preserves content from various websites. To access stored content of your site, use the command: site.com/*. This will display search results leading to pages of your site preserved in the web archive.
Search engine caches can also assist in restoring information. Going into advanced search mode on Google with the requested site page included and selecting "copy" could help you find the page you seek.
It's worth noting that different search engines maintain their cache independently. Therefore, it would be best to check other search engines such as bing.com or meta.ua for additional assistance.
Other services, such as RSS readers or aggregators, could save information from your site. If you're attempting to restore a blog with full RSS, it's worth checking these services as they may have saved many pages.
But don't worry if your site or hosting provider deletes your content. You can still restore the information since almost nothing disappears entirely from the internet. Nonetheless, it's better to avoid such scenarios in the future by saving backup copies of your resource on your disk or personal cloud storage, in addition to storing archives on hosting.
Removing a website (along with its files, databases, and emails) is a straightforward process on Hostinger's hPanel. The only requirement is to delete the add-on domain associated with your site. However, note that this feature was last updated over a week ago. Here's how it works in detail:
Before you remove your website, download backups since this action is irreversible and will erase all information, including files, databases, emails, and configurations. You can find detailed instructions here:
To backup your emails, use Webmail after downloading your website files and databases. Once all necessary data is downloaded to your computer, proceed to the next step.
To delete your website, navigate to the Websites menu and click the "..." button beside the domain you want to remove. Choose "Delete a website" from the dropdown menu, and a warning will appear with a reminder of what data will be deleted upon removal.
From a technical perspective, the sudden deletion of the public_html folder followed by the site directory raises questions about the integrity of the website's file structure. It's essential to consider the potential causes behind this unexpected event. It's possible that the issue may stem from unauthorized access, a security breach, or even a misconfiguration within the hosting environment.
As a webmaster, my advice would be to initiate a comprehensive security audit to identify any vulnerabilities that may have led to the deletion of critical website directories. This could involve reviewing server access logs, examining user permissions, and implementing stronger access controls to prevent unauthorized modifications to the file system.
Furthermore, from a hosting specialist's standpoint, I would recommend reaching out to the hosting provider to investigate whether there were any unusual system activities or server-side errors that could explain the disappearance of the site directory. Additionally, it's crucial to assess the backup process to ensure that regular and complete backups are in place to mitigate data loss in the future.
It's imperative to address this issue swiftly and take proactive measures to safeguard the website's file structure and data integrity. By collaborating with hosting experts, implementing robust security protocols, and maintaining up-to-date backups, you can work towards resolving the current predicament and fortifying the website against similar incidents in the future.