How to Backup and Restore a Course v2
Overview
Course backup and restoration support continuity in education by preserving the integrity of instructional materials. Whether for archiving, migrating, or replicating courses, this function ensures that valuable content and configurations can be quickly retrieved or reused as needed.
Step Tutorial
Part A – Backup
1. Open a course.
2. From the course content page, click More, then select Course reuse.
3. Select Backup.
These are the steps you need to complete before you can backup your course:
Part 1 – Initial Settings
1. A list of options for what you can include in the backup will appear. Select (check the box) according to your preference.
NOTE: The file size of your backup will depend on what you choose to include.
2. Once done, click Next.
Part 2 – Schema Settings
1. In this section, you will be prompted to specify which activities or resources to include in the backup. Select (check the box) according to your preference.
2. Once done, click Next.
Part 3 – Confirmation and Review
1. This section is simply a confirmation of your selections from Parts 1 and 2. A default filename is provided for the backup file, but you can change it according to your preference.
2. Once done, click Perform backup.
Part 4 – Perform backup
The LMS will begin the backup process — wait until the confirmation message appears.
Part 5 – Complete
Click the Continue button.
4. You’ll be redirected to the backup area. Here, you will see a list of the courses you have backed up. Locate the course you want to retrieve, and click the Download button next to it.
NOTE: Wait for the download to finish. Make sure to save the downloaded file in a location where you can easily find it, as we’ll use it in the next part of the process.
Part B – Restore
1. Open a new or other course.
2. From the course content page, click More, then select Course reuse.
3. This time, select Restore.
4. Upload the backup file you downloaded in the previous step. You can do this by clicking the Choose a file button and locating the file, or by simply dragging the file into the backup file area. Wait for it to load, once done, click Restore.
These are the steps you need to complete before you can restore your course:
Part 1 – Confirm
This is simply a confirmation of all the settings and activities in your file. Scroll to the bottom of the page, then click Continue.
Part 2 – Destination
In this section, the LMS will ask where you would like the restoration to be done. You have three options:
1. Restore as a new course - The LMS will automatically create a new course and add the contents of your backup file to it.2. Restore into this course - The LMS will restore the contents of your backup file to the course you open for the restoration3. Restore into an existing course - The LMS will perform the restoration to another course.
Select the option that best fits your needs. For this tutorial, we'll use 'Restore into this course' (merge the backup course into this course). Click the Continue button.
Part 3 – Settings
In this section, the LMS will allow you to modify settings. Select the options that best suit your needs. Once done, click the Next button.
Part 4 – Schema
In this section, the LMS will allow you to select or deselect activities to be restored. Once settled, click the Next button.
Part 5 – Review
In this section, the modifications you made in the previous steps will be displayed. Scroll to the bottom of the page, then click Perform restore.
Part 6 – Process
The LMS will begin the restoration — wait until the confirmation message appears.
Part 7 – Complete
Click the Continue button.
You should now see the activities and resources within the course.
The main benefit of performing a backup and restore is to ensure the safety and continuity of your course content. It protects against data loss caused by accidental deletion, system failures, or human error. Additionally, it allows for easy duplication or transfer of courses across terms, instructors, or learning platforms—saving time and effort in recreating materials. Backups also support version control and enable the recovery of previous course states, if needed.
Congratulations on completing this tutorial. We hope this has been helpful to you and your organisation. For any questions or concerns regarding this function, please reach out to the contact support via email.
FAQs
What is a course backup?
A course backup is a saved copy of your LMS course, including activities, resources, and user data (if selected), which can be restored later.
Why should I back up my course?
Backing up ensures you have a copy in case of accidental deletion, server failure, or if you want to reuse the course in a future semester or on a different site.
Can I include student data in the backup?
Yes, the LMS allows you to include or exclude student data (e.g., submissions, grades) during the backup process. This option appears in the initial steps of the Backup wizard.
Where are backups stored after completion?
After the backup is complete, it is saved in the course's backup area (accessible via the Restore option), and you can also download the .mbz file to your device.
Can I restore a course into a new course?
Yes, during the restore process, you can choose to restore the backup into a new course or merge it into an existing course.
What should I do if the backup process fails?
Check for errors such as file size limits, server timeouts, or permission issues. Contact your administrator for assistance if needed.
Is it possible to back up and restore between different LMS versions?
Generally, backups can be restored in the same or newer versions of LMS. Restoring from a newer version to an older version may not be supported.
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