# Empty topics after a successful backup restore

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/empty-topics-after-a-successful-backup-restore/139142
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [20 januari 2020 om 02:54 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/empty-topics-after-a-successful-backup-restore/139142 "2020-01-20T02:54:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 7

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### Author: ![Arkshine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/arkshine/32/298682_2.png) [@Arkshine](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Arkshine)
#### Post date: [20 januari 2020 om 19:29 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/empty-topics-after-a-successful-backup-restore/139142/7 "2020-01-20T19:29:02Z")

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> [@RGJ](#):
>
> I don’t get it, OP said the backup was taken from latest

By latest, I was implying the latest release, not the latest commits from test-passed branch on github.  
But yes, it’s the same base version 2.4.0.beta9.

> [@Remah](#):
>
> Think about the implications of this. What you want would require an industry-wide change of direction.
> 
> Currently, what applies for an in-situ upgrade would apply when an older database is restored. That is consistent and predictable behavior for applications.
> 
> If you want no change in the settings then the normal method is to use exactly the same version of the application.

We are talking about only _backup_ and only _settings values_, nothing else. Discourse version, DB changes, whatever are irrelevant. I don’t see a single justification for changing a setting value from a backup without notifying the admin. You do customize Discourse with those specific settings, it makes no sense to change arbitrarily _your_ settings _values_ just because you’re restoring a backup on a newer Discourse version.

As said, if a value of a specific setting needs to be changed, I would want to expect Discourse to tell the admin what’s going on. It’s just about being transparent and making the admin life less painful. My point is you should never alter _user settings_ unless there is a good damn reason and if so, notifying the admin about it is fine.

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_[View the full topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/empty-topics-after-a-successful-backup-restore/139142)._