Backing Up and Restoring a Moodle ISU Course [Faculty]

Backup course content, or add information from an old course into a new course.

Description

A backup file can be created from a previous semester, saved on your computer, and uploaded into your most recent course.  Once uploaded, your backup file can be restored in your new course.

Warning: The ITRC is not responsible for storing/archiving course backup files. For more information visit, ITRC’s Archive Policies.

[Note: Restoring content into a brand new course with zero configuration will result in all course materials and the gradebook setup being an exact copy of the original course. If you make modifications: adding activities or changing the gradebook setup, the restored content will add to the existing content and will need additional configuration]

This Guide Will Help You to:

• Backup course data from previous semesters

• Restore course data to current courses

• Manage backup files

• Seek further assistance

Backup course data from previous semesters

Note: Course backups do not save user data (student names, grades, submissions, etc.) The ITRC recommends downloading this information separately if you would like that information archived. The document Export Moodle ISU Student Data for ePortfolio [Faculty] contains more information on how to download and archive this data.

1. Access the course you want to backup.

2. In the upper-right corner of your screen, toggle editing on. 

3. On the course navigation, select the More option.

4. In the More option, select Course reuse. 

5. Under the course navigation is a menu to select your activity, select Backup.

6. On the Backup settings page, these options are checked automatically:

   • Include activities and resources

   • Include blocks

   • Include files

   • Include filters

   • Include calendar events

   • Include question bank

   • Include groups and groupings

   • Include competencies

   • Include custom fields

   • Include content bank content

   • Include legacy course files

7. At the bottom of the page, choose one of the following options:

   • Jump to final step: this option automatically creates a backup file including everything in the course. (continue to step 11)

   • Next: this option takes you to the next page to select the items you wish to include/exclude in the backup file (continue to step 8).

8. On the following page, Check/Uncheck the boxes next to the items or weeks you may or may not wish to include in the backup file.

Note: You can check/uncheck the entire course by clicking All or None at the top of the page.

9. Once you have selected the items you wish to include, at the bottom of the page, click Next.

10. On the next page, you will see the backup filename, settings, and included items. The included items will be checkmarked and the items not included will have an 'X' next to them.

11. At the bottom of the page, click Perform backup.  

Note: The backup process may take a few minutes. Do not do anything with the computer until the progress bar reaches 100%. If you get an error take a screenshot and contact the ITRC - (208) 282-5880 or email itrc@isu.edu

12. After you receive the message,'The backup process has completed', click Continue.

13. On the next page, locate the Course backup area. 

14.  The top file should be the most recent backup file created for the course.

15.  To the right of the filename, click Download.

16.  In the pop-up, select Save File.

17. Click OK.

18. Select an area on your computer to save the backup file.

Note: You can also save the backup file to a removable storage device.

19. Click Save File.

Restore Course Data to Current Courses 

Moodle ISU allows you to restore content from a backup file that has been created from a previous course.

1. Access the course you want to restore.

2. In the upper-right corner of your screen, toggle editing on. 

3. On the course navigation, select the More option.

4. In the More option, select Course reuse. 

5. Under the course navigation is a menu to select your activity, select Restore.

6. In the Import a backup file section, click Choose a file. 

Note: You can also drag and drop the file to the Files box.

7. Click Browse, look for the backup file on your computer.

8. Click Upload this file.

9. Once the file is loaded, click Restore.

Note: If you receive the error message, “This file is bigger than the maximum size,” or, if you experience other problems while restoring, take a screenshot and contact the ITRC - (208) 282-5880 or email itrc@isu.edu

10. The Backup settings page shows all the items included in the backup file.

11. At the bottom of the page, click Continue.

12. On the next page, in the Restore into this course section, click Continue to merge the backup course into this course.

13. On the Restore settings page, the following are automatically checked to be included in the restore process:

    • Include permission overrides

    • Include Activities and Resources

    • Include blocks

    • Include filters

    • Include calendar events

    • Include groups and groupings

    • Include competencies

    • Include custom fields

    • Include content bank content

Note: Any item with an 'X' next to it will not be included in the restore.

14. Uncheck any setting you do not wish to include in your restore.

15.  At the bottom of the page, click Next.

16. On the Course settings page, scroll down to the items with checkboxes.

17. Check/Uncheck any item you may or may not wish to include in the restore.

    • You can check/uncheck all of the items in the restore by clicking All or None at the top of the page.

    • If you would like to add specific items from a week or section, you must select the name of the week or section and then check the specific items you wish to include in the backup file.

18. At the bottom of the page, click Next.

19. On the next page, you will see the items you have selected to include in the restore as check-marked items.

    • The items not included in the restore will have an 'X' next to them.

    • If you wish to make any changes to your selections, click Previous at the bottom of the page.

20. At the bottom of the page, click Perform restore.

21. Wait for the progress bar to reach 100%.

Note: The restore process may take a few minutes. If you get an error take a screenshot and contact the ITRC - (208) 282-5880 or email itrc@isu.edu

22. When you receive the message, The course was restored successfully…, click Continue.

Manage Backup Files 

The following will show you how to download backup files for archival purposes.

To download backup Files:

1. Access the course you want to restore.

2. In the upper-right corner of your screen, toggle editing on. 

3. On the course navigation, select the More option.

4. In the More option, select Course reuse. 

5. Under the course navigation is a menu to select your activity, select Restore.

Note: There are two backup areas--Course backup area and User private backup area. You will need to do the same process for all the files contained in both areas.

6. Download a copy of the backups for yourself for archival purposes.

   • To the right of the backup file name, click Download to save the file to your computer.

Delete excess backup files: 

Once you have downloaded your backup files, you can delete them out of Moodle.

Note: You just saved a copy, so you are good to delete the duplicate files.

1. For both the Course backup area and the User private backup area, click Manage backup files.

2. Click on the file you want to remove.

Note: You can only select one file at a time to delete.

3. Click Delete.

4. You will be prompted to confirm that you want to delete the file, click OK.

5. Once all the files have been deleted, click Save changes.

Seek Further Assistance 

For additional assistance please contact, ITRC at (208) 282 5880 or itrc@isu.edu.

For more information please visit, Moodle.org

•  Course Backup

•  Course Restore

---

This work was created by the Idaho State University Instructional Technology Resource Center and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License