Losing data on your VPS can feel stressful, but recovery is often possible – depending on the backup options you’ve enabled. This guide explains how Contabo backups work, how to check if your VPS has recoverable data, and what steps you can take if something was deleted by mistake.
Contabo does not store customer data by default. This means that if data is removed directly from your VPS, we cannot restore it unless you have previously created a backup. The good news is that with the Auto Backup add-on enabled, your VPS is protected with daily backups stored securely on separate infrastructure.
How Contabo Auto Backup Works
If Auto Backup is active on your VPS, your system is backed up automatically once per day. These backups are stored outside your server on isolated Contabo systems, giving you a safe recovery point if something goes wrong.
Auto Backup includes:
- Daily backups
- Storage on separate infrastructure
- A retention period of 10 days
These features ensure your data stays available even if accidental deletion or corruption occurs.
How to Check if Auto Backup Is Enabled
To see whether your VPS is protected by Auto Backup:
- Log in to your Customer Control Panel.
- Navigate to Servers & Hosting.
- Select VPS Auto Backup.
- Look at the Backup Status column for your VPS.
If you see a scheduled backup time, your VPS is currently protected.
Why Your Backup May Be Missing
If you don’t see a backup available, there are several possible reasons:
- The daily backup has not yet run today.
- Auto Backup is not enabled for your VPS.
- Your previous backup was older than 10 days and has been removed.
You can check the upcoming backup schedule in the same Auto Backup overview.
How to Restore Your VPS
If Auto Backup is enabled and at least one backup exists, restoring your VPS takes only a few clicks:
- Open VPS Auto Backup in your panel.
- Find your VPS.
- Click Restore Last Backup in the Quick Action column.
Your VPS will then be restored to the state saved in the most recent backup.
Important note:
When your snapshots are older than the restore point, you can’t roll them back via the Control Panel. If you need assistance, the Contabo Support Team is happy to help.
If You Don’t have Auto Backup
Without Auto Backup or your own external backup, restoring deleted data isn’t possible. This is why we strongly recommend keeping regular backups – either automated or manual.
Alternative Backup Options
If Auto Backup isn’t the right fit, you can still protect your data with:
- Manual or automated backup scripts
- Guides from the Contabo blog to set up your own backup routines
Any of these options help ensure you always have a recoverable copy of your important data.
Watch Our YouTube Video on Recovering Deleted Data
If you prefer watching instead of reading, the connected YouTube video walks you through every step visually.
Conclusion
To recover deleted data from your VPS, first check whether Auto Backup is active. If it is, you can restore your latest snapshot directly from your Customer Control Panel. If not, make sure to set up a backup solution right away to avoid future data loss.