How to Restore a Third-Party cpmove Backup to a New WHM Server Print

Overview

This guide explains how to restore a third-party cpmove backup file to a new WHM server using the Transfer or Restore a cPanel Account tool. This method restores all website files, databases, email accounts, and account settings.

Prerequisites

• Root or reseller access to WHM on the destination server
• A valid cpmove backup file in one of the following formats:
  • cpmove-{user}
  • cpmove-{user}.tar
  • cpmove-{user}.tar.gz
  • {user}.tar
  • {user}.tar.gz
  • backup-{date_time}_{user}.tar.gz
• Sufficient free disk space on the server - at least double the size of the backup file

Step 1 - Upload the Backup File to the Server

The backup file must be placed in one of the following directories on the destination server before WHM can see it:

/home
/home2
/home3
/root
/usr
/usr/home
/web

1. Connect to the destination server via SFTP or SCP using a tool such as FileZilla or WinSCP
2. Upload the cpmove backup file to /home (recommended)
3. Confirm the file has fully uploaded before proceeding

Step 2 - Log In to WHM

1. Open your browser and go to your WHM URL (example: https://yourserver.com:2087)
2. Log in with your root or reseller credentials

Step 3 - Navigate to the Restore Tool

1. In the WHM search bar at the top left, type Restore
2. Click Transfer or Restore a cPanel Account from the results

Step 4 - Configure the Restore Options

1. Select Restore from a local cpmove file as the transfer method
2. Select the backup file from the dropdown list - it should appear automatically if placed in the correct directory
3. Review and configure the following options:
   • Restricted Restore - recommended to leave this enabled; it performs additional security checks and skips any portions of the backup with security issues
   • Overwrite an existing user - check this only if the account already exists on the server and you want to replace it with the backup data
   • IP address handling - choose whether to replace all instances of the original server's IP addresses or only basic cPanel-provided A records
   • Assign a Dedicated IP Address - optional; only available if free IPs exist on the server

Step 5 - Run the Restore

1. Click the Restore button
2. The Account Restore interface will appear and display progress in real time
3. The restore process will continue even if you close the browser window
4. To check restore progress from the command line, run:

/usr/local/cpanel/bin/view_transfer [domain or username]

Step 6 - Verify the Restore

1. Once complete, review the restore log for any warnings or errors
2. Log in to WHM and confirm the account appears under Account Information > List Accounts
3. Log in to the restored cPanel account and verify:
   • Website files are present
   • Databases are intact
   • Email accounts exist
   • The website loads correctly

Notes

• If the backup file does not appear in the dropdown, confirm it is placed directly in /home on the server itself, not inside a user's home folder
• For large backup files, uploading via SFTP and using the local file restore method is more reliable than uploading through the browser
• Restricted Restore may skip certain components if security issues are detected - review the restore log carefully after completion
• DNS records will need to be updated separately to point to the new server after the restore is complete
• If the account uses PostgreSQL databases, the user's database password will not be restored and will need to be reset after the restore