M01g - Course restore

Keywords: backup, store, download, save, restore from backup

What is it?

The Moodle course Restore allows course editors to restore an entire course from backup, or particular activities and resources (excluding student data) into an existing course on Moodle.

Why use it?

If you want to copy a Moodle course from another Moodle installation (with similar versions and plugins), such as the UCL Moodle Snapshot, you can create a backup file and then restore this into a UCL Moodle course.

Although you can backup and restore activities and resources, it is easier to import items instead.

Who can use it?

Course administrators and tutors can restore a course (excluding student data) into an existing Moodle course for which they have edit rights. If you need a new course set up for this purpose you can

Before I start...

Obtain the Moodle backup file (with .mbz extension) that you would like to restore and make sure you have a Moodle course to restore it to. See M01f - Course backup

To prepare a module or programme course for the next academic year

NOTE: If you would like to prepare a module or programme course for the next academic year you should not use 'backup' and 'restore' but instead use the Moodle Course Rollover procedure.

Meeting the Baseline

There are no relevant elements of the UCL Connected Learning Baseline.

How do I backup a course?

Go to your Moodle course then Course navigation > More > Course reuse > Restore, if you are restoring into a course.
Upload the backup file or choose a file in the course backup area or user private backup area and click Restore.
Confirm - Check that everything is as required then click the Continue button.
Destination - Choose whether the course should be restored as a new course or into an existing course then click the Continue button.
Settings - Select activities, blocks, filters and possibly other items as required then click the Next button.
Schema - Select/deselect specific items and amend the course name, short name and start date if necessary then click the Next button.
Review - Check that everything is as required, using the Previous button if necessary, then click the 'Perform restore' button.
Complete - Click the continue button.

Full course backups (including user data) created by the Digital Education team can be restored by the Digital Education team on request.

Further help

Further guidance on Course restore is available from Moodle Docs.

If you find any inaccurate or missing information you can even update this yourself (it's a communal wiki).

If you have a specific question about the tool please contact the Digital Education team.

Caution

Due to a change in Moodle security, manual course backups created by tutors or administrators can no longer contain student data, this includes all contributions made by students into any course.

If you would like a full backup copy of your course, for whatever reason, please contact the Digital Education team.

Examples and case studies

- None at this time.

Questions & Answers

- None at this time.

Further information

See M01f - Course backup.