BLOGGER UPDATE 28 MARCH 2009
Now Deleted blogs appear on Dashboard with option to Undelete them.
Due to a change in Blogger policy last year deleted blogs could only be reclaimed by the owner/account which deleted them. Now login to your Dashboard at Blogger.com and you will see the blogs you deleted on Dashboard with a link to Undelete them. DO NOT DELETE A BLOG TO RECLAIM IN ANOTHER ACCOUNT. Instead Transfer blogs.
Blogs may get deleted in a number of ways. Once deleted a blog is not lost forever so do not panic. However it is always safer to backup your blogs regularly so that there is a fallback solution.
Also remember to backup your template and to backup your widgets template data as further insurance.
There are a number of solutions to recover deleted blogs............
How do blogs get deleted? This may occur in a number of ways :
1. Accidental clicking of "Delete This Blog" button at the bottom of Settings--->Basic subtab. ( Login at Blogger.com----->Click Settings link on Dashboard).
2. If you have contravened the Blogger TOS your blog may get deleted by them.
3. By hacking into your account. Make sure that you have a strong password and change it regularly to prevent this.
4. By deleting your Google Account. This does not delete the blog but deletes the Blogger service associated with your Google account and prevents access to your Blogger Dashboard.
5. Pseudo-Deletion. This happens when you cannot see your blog on the Dashboard after login at Blogger.com. You think the blog is deleted. Actually it is in another account. To locate it login with all the email addresses you have, one at a time. If you have forgotten the password get it reset via : http://www.blogger.com/forgot.g . If login is unsuccessful see the options at Checklist for Blogger Login problems.
Changing Blog Address (URL) does not delete the blog. Your original address may be picked up by spammers also the new address will not get your old traffic. Hence changing the blog address is not advisable for old blogs.
RECOVER DELETED BLOG OFFICIALLY
To recover a deleted blog along with posts and comments you should provide information about your deleted blog by filling up the form here :
http://help.blogger.com/bin/request.py?contact_type=deletedblog
Blogger needs to identify your ownership of the blog before restoring it to you. You cannot request a URL deleted by someone else.
RECOVER GOOGLE ACCOUNT
If you have deleted your Google Account you can get it restored here :
http://www.google.com/support/accounts/bin/request.py?ctx=accounts_hc&contact_type=ara
Only after account is restored you can login at Blogger.com.
RECOVER MALWARE AFFLICTED BLOGS
If your blog has been deleted by Blogger first submit the official request at http://www.blogger.com/problem.g. If no intimation after 7 business days have passed you can submit request here :
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pZHHZdeYKeHgXlmtdMIRfbw&email=true
RECOVER POSTS AND BLOG URL
Deleted blog URLs are only available for reclaiming to the account which deleted them. Other accounts will get "Not Available" response when they request a URL inuse or a deleted URL. Even inactive URLs are considered as 'alive' and in use even though there may be no new posts on it.
To recover a deleted URL simply login to the account (Blogger.com) which deleted it. Click the Create a Blog link on Dashboard and type in same URL and follow the arrows to reclaim it. This will not recover your posts. To recover your posts go to Google.com and type in the search box :
cache:BLOG_URL
Replace the CAPS with your blog url/link/address. Click Search button. This will only work if your blog has been indexed by Google. It will not work with blogs which have been created and deleted within 2-3 weeks of their creation. You can then copy the posts and paste them in your reclaimed blog.
Lastly DO NOT DELETE YOUR BLOG IN ONE ACCOUNT SO THAT YOU CAN CREATE IT IN ANOTHER. Instead Transfer blog from one account to another by changing owner.
Also deleted blogs do not disappear from the Internet instantaneously. They stay in the Google cache as shown above. To totally remove them you have to submit request at Google Webmaster Tools after deletion :
http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/removals
