2013 Marjon | v 2.

LS Help: Restoring LS Modules

Restoring a course
LearningSpace gives you the opportunity to restore a course to a previous state or populate a new empty
course by uploading a previous backup file. This feature will be invaluable if you accidently delete course
content and need to restore your information or if you want to merge content from two courses together.

This guide will show you how to select and restore a backup file to the course of your choice.

First things first, navigate to the course that you would like to perform a
restore to in LearningSpace. This might be a new blank module with a
brand new course code or the course in which you have accidently
deleted some content.

Then you will need to navigate to the restore page by clicking the
‘Restore’ link that can be found in your Settings box;

There are two ways in which you can about restoring a course
depending on if you select a backup file to use from your LearningSpace
list or from your computer:

Import a backup file

The first method we will look at is importing a backup file to restore from your computer;

Moodle 2.4 includes a new ‘drag and drop’

feature that allows you to drag the file you
wish to upload directly from your computer’s
explorer window onto the highlighted box on
LearningSpace;

LS Help: Restoring a Module

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Alternatively, you can simply select the

‘Choose a file’ button to display the file
picker window;

In the File picker window ensure that

you have selected ‘Upload a file’ in the
left hand column and then click ‘Choose
File’ next to the Attachment heading;

Navigate your Windows explorer file system until you have found the backup file you wish to import.
Highlight the file by clicking on it and then select ‘Open’;

Click to highlight the file

you wish to import.

Then click ‘Open’ to attach

for upload in the File
picker.

Now select ‘Upload this file’ in your File picker and your file will import into LearningSpace ready to be
restored to your lesson. To make sure this process has been successful you will notice that the filename
is now visible in the box below the ‘Choose a file’ button. Select ‘Restore’ and the process will begin;

Uploaded file, now ready

to be restored.

LS Help: Restoring a Module

 2013 Marjon | v 2.0

User private backup area

If you don’t have a file on your computer to import then, alternatively, you can select from your list of
backups stored within LearningSpace.

You can do this by navigating to ‘User private backup area’, the same section that you used to download
your backup file.

Find the backup file you wish to use in the table and click ‘Restore’ on the right hand side;

Backup file stored within LearningSpace Restore button

Restoring a course – Step 1. Confirm
When you click ‘Restore’ you will be taken to the first of seven steps you will proceed through as part of
the course restoration. This first section will give you full settings, course details and course sections of
the backup file you have selected to restore.

Much like the backup process, if you decided to include enrolled user information in this particular
backup then the right hand column will be populated with green ticks alongside the activities that have
been included so you should see something like this;

LS Help: Restoring a Module

 2013 Marjon | v 2.0

Look through the backup details, backup settings and course details to make sure everything is as
expected then, when you are happy, scroll to the bottom of the page and select ‘Continue’.

Note: Make sure you check through every detail thoroughly on the confirmation page to ensure you are restoring the
correct backup file.

Restoring a course – Step 2. Destination

You will now be prompted to decide if you would like your backup file to restore into a brand new
course, merge into any existing content currently inhabiting the course or if you want the restore
process to delete any contents of the course and then restore the backup content;

If you are populating a new

empty course then you will want
to select ‘Delete the contents of
this course and then restore’.

Once you have selected this radio

button click ‘Continue’ to progress
on to step 3 of the course
restoration.

Restoring a course – Steps

3. Settings

Steps 3, 4 and 5 are very similar

in nature to the confirmation
and review stages of the backup
process that we performed
earlier. Step 3 will give you the
option to remove any content
from the restoration such as
activities or blocks. If you
decided not to include enrolled
users in this particular backup,
Leave these check
the majority of restoration
boxes ticked to
settings will be unavailable and
make sure you
displayed as such using a red cross; restore activities,
blocks and filters

In the majority of course restores you will want to include all of the information and content held within
the backup file so leave each check box ticked and click ‘Next’.

Note: The additional options in the ‘Restore settings’ box are available on courses that have been backed up to include
enrolled student details.

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Restoring a course – Step 4. Schema

Step 4 – the Schema page will take you a level deeper into the content of the backup file and give you
the opportunity to deselect individual resources and activities so that they will not be included in the
restore process. Simple deselect the items that you do not want included;

Course name and short name can be left as is

Course resource and activity list

Above the list of resources and activities you will notice a number of input boxes displaying the current
name, short name and start date of your backup course. These names are purely cosmetic and will not
override the name that was originally given to the blank course you are restoring so they can be left as
they are.

The course you are restoring may last for the entire study year or it may simply be a week long short
course. Either way you will want to amend the ‘Course startdate’ to reflect the beginning of the new
course.

The ‘Overwrite course configuration’ drop-down menu gives you the opportunity to restore the
configuration settings of your backup course along with its content. You will find that if you are simply
restoring a backup file over a new course then you will not need to overwrite these configuration
settings and therefore can leave the drop-down menu selection as ‘No’.

LS Help: Restoring a Module

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Once you have selected your new course start date and are happy with the resource and activity
selections that will be included in the restore process, click ‘Next’ and you will have one more
opportunity to review all of your restore settings before you initiate the process.

Restoring a course – Step 5. Review

Once again this screen will feel very familiar to the review step
when you performed your course backup. Check the ‘Backup
settings’ box to confirm the restore process will include the correct
content. All content included will have a green tick located to the
right;

The ‘Course settings’ section will display your choices for course
name and short name along with the start date and a yes or a no depending if you decided to overwrite
the existing course configuration data with that of your backup file;

You will also see the green tick appear next to your chosen resources and activities.

Note: This will be you last opportunity to review all of the course content that will be included in you restoration
process so make sure it all looks correct!

If you are happy with the restore review then click ‘Perform restore’ to start the process. Like the
backup process, this may take a few moments depending on the size of the course you are restoring.

If the process is successful then, after a few moments, you should see this message;

LS Help: Restoring a Module

 2013 Marjon | v 2.0

By clicking ‘Continue’ you will be taken to the home page of your restored course and presented with a
list of topics that have been successfully restored from your backup file. Your restored course is now
ready to be used in its new state.

Further Support
If you require any additional help or advice, please contact the e-Learning Team:

LSHelp@marjon.ac.uk | ext: 5673

LS Help: Restoring a Module