SMF & Backing Up - SMF Backup
I can't tell you the number of times I've seen SMF administrators deleting, moving and changing their SMF related files without first backing up. It is like bungee jumping without the bungee chord. What is worst is everyone that owns an SMF site thinks they are a programmer or designer so they just edit, delete and move file as though they really know what they are doing when in fact... They don't.
Whenever a client wants to hire us for a job the very first thing I ask them to do is BACKUP! If something happens then no one can say there wasn't a backup of everything before we got to their site. Likewise whenever you fiddle with your SMF files though the template or mods then you may be looking for serious trouble if you do not have a backup made first.
Additionally, I don't know why people like uninstalling / installing modifications so often. Usually in the SMF support area the people who have challenges the most are the same people repeating the same mistake: changing their SMF files without making any kind of Backup. This is really another subject... But other than the main Admin panel please don't go editing templates and installing mods unless you really know what you are doing because if you don't your forum will go offline and display an ugly error message in its place.
My lack of backing up my SMF site is what found me here in the first place. I had loads of members, posts, and images... A hacker got in and messed it up. It was a sad and angry day for me. Now I backup daily or at least I got JB to set it up so it does it for me automatically everyday.