UpdraftPlus Restore Error: 524 – Common Causes and Easy Fixes

Encountering a 524 error when attempting to restore your website with UpdraftPlus can be an exasperating experience. The intimidating timeout error message stares back at you, and suddenly, you’re unsure how to proceed.

It’s a critical moment—your website is down, and downtime can mean potential losses in user engagement, revenue, or even your own peace of mind.

Fortunately, there are solutions to address the 524 error effectively. By pinpointing the root causes of the timeout issue—whether it’s tweaking server settings, optimizing your backup process, or seeking additional support—there are actionable steps you can take to resolve the problem and get your website back on track swiftly.

TL;DR: The UpdraftPlus 524 restore error can be quite troublesome, but it’s often resolved by either restarting your network device or extending your server’s execution time. For a more reliable solution, try BlogVault. By storing backups off-server, such errors are avoided and successfully restoring your site is guaranteed.

What is the UpdraftPlus restore error: 524?

The UpdraftPlus restore error: 524 is quite similar to the UpdraftPlus 504 error and primarily indicates a timeout issue. A restoration operation is terminated if the server takes too long to respond to a request initiated by UpdraftPlus, causing this error.

This occurs if your backup is large and the server is overwhelmed or lacks essential resources like CPU or memory to manage the restoration. Additionally, improper server configurations could also be causing the issue.

If your site utilizes Cloudflare, it could also be the source of the problem. Cloudflare imposes a rule: any request that takes longer than one minute is aborted, resulting in a timeout error. Given that restoring large backup files can be a time-consuming process, Cloudflare might misinterpret the delay as a problem and halt the operation, thus triggering the 524 error.

The fallout? An abruptly interrupted restoration that leaves your website in a risky, incomplete, or unstable state. This makes it all the more critical to understand and quickly address this issue.

Note: A 504 error is a general gateway timeout, while a 524 error is specific to sites not receiving a timely response from the origin server.

Step 1: Figure out the issue

First things first: why are you encountering the 524 error during your UpdraftPlus restore? Is it due to server resource limitations or simply a misconfiguration?

Multiple factors could be causing this error, and identifying the right one can save you from endless frustration. Here are some common reasons to consider:

Server resource limitations: Your server might lack the necessary CPU or memory to handle the intensive restoration process.

Network issues: Delays in transmitting data over your network can trigger timeout errors. Even intermittent network issues can hinder the restore process.

Large backup files: Massive backup files can extend the restoration time, leading to a timeout.

Low server timeout settings: Short timeout settings can abruptly cut off lengthy processes.

Low server memory limit: Insufficient memory allocation can disrupt the restore operation.

UpdraftPlus configuration issues: Misconfigurations like incorrect credentials or URLs for services like Dropbox or Google Drive within UpdraftPlus can cause unexpected timeouts.

Cloudflare-related issues: If your site uses Cloudflare, it might terminate requests that take longer than a minute to complete.

Hosting provider restrictions: Some hosting providers may have restrictions impacting the backup and restore processes.

Step 2: Resolve specific issues

1. Initial fixes

After identifying potential causes, the next step is to tackle the most common ones that might trigger the 524 error. Surprisingly, simple fixes can sometimes do the trick, getting your restoration process back on track without needing to dive into tech-intensive troubleshooting. 

Here are some quick, straightforward fixes to start with:

Reload the page: It might sound basic, but sometimes a simple page refresh can clear up temporary glitches and hiccups.

Clear browser cache: Cached versions of your site might cause conflicts during the restore. Clearing the cache can remove outdated data and eliminate potential problems. If you use them, also clear out those created by caching plugins.

Switch browsers: Different browsers can handle requests differently. Trying a different one could rule out browser-specific issues affecting the restoration.

Disable plugins: Plugins might conflict with the restoration process. Disabling them and retrying the restoration process can ascertain if a plugin is the troublemaker.

Check your internet connection: Ensure your network connection is stable. Intermittent connectivity disruptions can affect the restoration process.

Check the website’s status: Confirm whether your website itself is facing downtime or other broader issues like server outages that might be out of your control. You can use tools like Downdetector.

2. Deeper troubleshooting

When the basic fixes don’t cut it, your next option is to get into deeper troubleshooting. This section provides targeted troubleshooting steps that require you to take a technical approach. 

Disable plugins: Connect an FTP client like Cyberduck to your site. Then, deactivate all plugins except UpdraftPlus. You can do this by renaming the plugin’s folder by adding a number at the end, for example. 

Once you deactivate them all, gradually reactivate each plugin by deleting the number you added from the folder’s name. Retry the restore process after each reactivation to pinpoint the problematic one.

Delete old files through FTP: Access your server via FTP and clean out any outdated or unnecessary files that might be cluttering your directory and affecting performance.

You can look for old backup files that are no longer needed. These files usually have dates in their filenames. You should also remove unused or inactive plugins and themes.

Increase server timeout limits: These limits can be relaxed by extending the time your server allows PHP scripts to run. Edit your wp-config.php file through FTP, or cPanel’s File Manager. Open the file and paste the following line of code with your desired value just before the line that says, ‘That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging.’:

set_time_limit(300);

This line of code instructs PHP to allow a script to run for up to 300 seconds before it times out, reducing timeout errors. 

Increase PHP memory limit: The 524 error might be due to your server hitting its memory limits. To increase the memory limit, access your wp-config.php through an FTP client like Cyberduck. If you have access to cPanel, this can be done through File Manager too. Open the file. Add or edit the line just before, ‘That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging.’:

define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');

This line of code instructs PHP to allocate up to 256 megabytes of memory for WordPress processes.

Review server/CPU usage/resources: Monitor your server’s resource usage. You can do this with server monitoring tools like New Relic. Or use tools provided by your hosting service to identify if it’s being overwhelmed. Implement practices like clearing the cache to optimize its load.

Disable or pause Cloudflare temporarily: If your site uses Cloudflare, this might be contributing to the issue. Disable it temporarily to see if the error resolves.

Caution: Disabling Cloudflare should be done as the last resort. It might render your site unavailable for many users for approximately 4 to 5 hours. Be prepared for this impact before taking this step.

Step 3: Try the restore again

After executing these troubleshooting fixes, it’s time to attempt the restoration process once again. If any of the issues we covered were the cause of the 524 UpdraftPlus error, your WP admin dashboard should now be accessible. Access your dashboard and initiate the restoration process. Your website should now be on its way back to full functionality.

The troubleshooting did not work. What now?

If the restore wasn’t successful or if you’d prefer to avoid the troubleshooting steps, you can attempt a manual restore of your UpdraftPlus backup. This process requires a downloaded copy of your backup files.

First, separate your database from your other files by locating the .sql file extension within your backup files and moving it to another folder. Then follow these steps:

1. Restore your files through FTP or cPanel’s File Manager

Before proceeding with this method. Make sure you separate your files and database. You can do this by unzipping your backup file and moving your .sql file to a different location.

Caution: If a large site backup caused the UpdraftPlus 524 error, manual backups might take a really long time to upload via FTP and fail altogether via cPanel. Make a decision accordingly. 

Using FTP: Connect to your server with an FTP client like CyberDuck. Right-click and select Upload, and then upload your backup files. If prompted with Overwrite Files, click Yes to restore your files.

Using cPanel: Log in to your cPanel account and navigate to File Manager, Right-click and select Upload, and then upload your backup files. Check the box to Overwrite Existing Files to replace old files.

Restore your database through phpMyAdmin

Log in to your cPanel account and go to phpMyAdmin or independently through your browser. Select your WordPress database, and drop the existing tables. 

Note: this will irretrievably delete all the current data.

Import your database backup file by selecting the Import tab and choosing your .sql file

Once you’ve restored your backup independently of the plugin, your site should be reverted to the previous working version.

When you don’t have a backup downloaded

If you don’t have a backup and none of the troubleshooting fixes worked, we recommend contacting your UpdraftPlus or hosting support. Provide detailed information about the error and the steps you’ve already taken to troubleshoot it.

Here’s a quick list of what to include:

• A brief description of the issue and error code: UpdraftPlus restore error: 524
• The exact steps you took before encountering the error
• The troubleshooting steps you have already attempted
• Any error messages or log entries you found

Preventative measures

When dealing with backup and restore operations, it’s crucial to implement preventative measures to ensure smooth and reliable processes. Here are some key strategies:

Use a reliable backup plugin: Invest in a backup solution like BlogVault, which handles large restores easily and without errors. Apart from a 100% restore rate, BlogVault is also a one-click backup solution with advanced features. This includes restoring a completely crashed site and storing backups on independent servers preventing server-related issues. 

Optimize backup size: Regularly declutter your files and database entries to keep your backups lean and efficient. You can do this by deleting any plugins, themes, or old backup files that are no longer useful. 

Increase server resources: Upgrade your hosting plan to gain more CPU, memory, and storage—essential for handling large backups and restores seamlessly.

Adjust timeout settings: Configure server and PHP timeout settings to avert interruptions during lengthy operations.

Schedule restores during off-peak hours: Execute restoration tasks during low-traffic times, harnessing the maximum available server resources.

Monitor server performance: Employ monitoring tools like New Relic or tools provided by your hosting service. This can help you track resource usage and tackle bottlenecks before they escalate.

Use quality hosting providers: Opt for reputable hosts that are popular for their performance and have good reviews.

Parting thoughts

The UpdraftPlus restore error: 524 can throw a wrench into your website restoration. This error often appears due to a timeout. Understanding its root causes is key to effective troubleshooting. You can start with increasing server timeout limits and checking server resources.

While BlogVault offers a premium experience, there are also free WordPress plugins available that provide basic backup functionalities, though they may come with limitations like slower restore times or server dependency

Using a reliable backup plugin like BlogVault can prove to be helpful. Since your backups are stored on independent servers, you will not face any server-side issues during a restoration process.

FAQs

Why is the 524 error occurring during my UpdraftPlus restore?

The UpdraftPlus restore error: 524 usually occurs due to server timeouts, which disrupt the restoration process.

Can server timeout settings affect the UpdraftPlus restore process?

Yes, server timeout settings play a crucial role in the UpdraftPlus restore process. Increasing these limits may help prevent interruptions during lengthy restoration operations by allowing the server more time to complete the tasks without terminating them prematurely.

How do I manually restore an UpdraftPlus backup file?

To manually restore an UpdraftPlus backup file, you can upload your backup files via FTP and the database through phpMyAdmin.

When should I contact my hosting support to resolve a 524 error?

Contact your hosting support if troubleshooting steps like adjusting server timeout settings and reviewing error logs don’t resolve the 524 error.

How can server monitoring tools help in preventing timeout errors?

Server monitoring tools help by tracking resource usage and identifying bottlenecks before they cause timeout errors, allowing for proactive issue resolution.