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Thanks Walter for your thoughtful response. &nbsp;I too use site workflows like you - however I inherited this list I'm working with with 1,300 records and about 125 pre-existing fields. &nbsp;I'd have to convert all of those fields to site columns which was really a non-starter considering the migration effort and of courses it's a live system with updates going on all day &nbsp;I've done the whole copy/paste routine to another workflow but it has problems with 2010 workflows - you have to re-declare every workflow variable, frequently constants have to be redone, and there are other issues. &nbsp;I once had a corrupted workflow (refused to publish) and had to re-create the workflow through copy/paste. &nbsp;Perhaps it works better on 2013 style workflows but I'm stuck with 2010 workflows on this server unfortunately. &nbsp; &nbsp;As a tip, you've probably discovered already, you can make a WF non-publishable by moving a condition block up or down especially if it would combine two conditions into a if-else block. &nbsp;So I only copy/paste things around - never move up or down if there's a condition involved. &nbsp;That seems to work properly. &nbsp; But I treat SPD with kid gloves when working on this workflow - it's about 12 pages long at this point with 40 or so variables, etc etc. &nbsp; I would like to split it up into mulitple workflows but that invites over complications since the order of processing is important. <br />
sigh - oh well, you'd think there would be a way to backup/restore and stage releases with WFs but I can't find a way to reliably do it. <br />
Thanks for your helpful response regardless. &nbsp; I've leave the question open for a bit to see if anyone else has any clever ideas.. <br />
Happy holidays
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Thanks Walter for your helpful tips... I don't' think we have a really good solution to this problem however. &nbsp;But I'll go ahead and close the question at this point. &nbsp;Happy Holidays
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Thanks and Happy Holidays to you too.<br />
<br />
I hope one day workflows are improved!
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I'm on on premises SP 2013 but limited to SP 2010 workflows. <br />
I have a long complicated workflow that I'm working on. &nbsp;I need to backup it periodiocally so that I can restore it to its previous configuration if the workflow becomes corrupted (which it can during designer editing on rare occasion). <br />
I can see the workflow detailed files under all files in the workflow library but can't download these directly from Designer. <br />
You can't view this library as a normal library with views and it has special behind the scenes handling evidently even if you make that library visible to the browser. &nbsp;<br />
Since it's not a 2013 workflow, you can't save as a template. <br />
Does anyone have the DETAILED steps for backing up the workflow files and then restoring them over top of a more recent change if needed. &nbsp;I've attempted to download the contents of the workflow files themselves and then restore them but this doesn't work as SP keeps track of the the saved copy and the published copy separately. <br />
I' ve read the blogs - please only answer if you have actually successfully and have restored a 2010 workflow back to a previous configuration. &nbsp;<br />
I've searched on the Internet blogs and here but can't quite get it to backup and restore properly on the same list.<br />
<br />
EDIT:<br />
If it matters - I don't care about preserving the state of previously running copies of the workflow. &nbsp;It runs within a few minutes and finishes so there's no active workflows running under normal conditions.
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I'm on on premises SP 2013 but limited to SP 2010 workflows. 
I have a long complicated workflow that I'm working on.  I need to backup it periodiocally so that I can restore it to its previous configuration if the workflow becomes corrupted (which it can during designer editing on rare occasion). 
I can see the workflow detailed files under all files in the workflow library but can't download these directly from Designer. 
You can't view this library as a normal library with views and it has special behind the scenes handling evidently even if you make that library visible to the browser.  
Since it's not a 2013 workflow, you can't save as a template. 
Does anyone have the DETAILED steps for backing up the workflow files and then restoring them over top of a more recent change if needed.  I've attempted to download the contents of the workflow files themselves and then restore them but this doesn't work as SP keeps track of the the saved copy and the published copy separately. 
I' ve read the blogs - please only answer if you have actually successfully and have restored a 2010 workflow back to a previous configuration.  
I've searched on the Internet blogs and here but can't quite get it to backup and restore properly on the same list.

EDIT:
If it matters - I don't care about preserving the state of previously running copies of the workflow.  It runs within a few minutes and finishes so there's no active workflows running under normal conditions.

SharePoint 2010 workflow backup and restore

Microsoft applications include a variety of software programs, including development and digital authoring programs (Expression and Media Center), educational programs, Internet software, including Essentials, Skype and the Live family, anti-virus, productivity applications and suites like Office, Excel, Word, Outlook, Access and PowerPoint, video games and server applications such as Exchange, SharePoint, IIS and Virtual Server.

Microsoft Applications

Microsoft Sharepoint is a software platform and family of software products used for collaboration and web publishing combined. These capabilities include developing web sites, portals, intranets, content management systems, search engines, wikis, blogs, and other tools for business intelligence and collaboration. SharePoint has a Microsoft Office-like interface, and it is closely integrated with the Office suite.

Microsoft SharePoint

Microsoft server applications are those applications developed specifically, but not necessarily exclusively, on the Windows Server platform. In addition to well-known products like SQL Server, Exchange, Internet Information Services (IIS), Microsoft Dynamics, Forefront, Lync and Sharepoint, they include applications like Skype, BizTalk, Hyper-V, Groove and Commerce Server. Server applications are managed with the Microsoft System Center.

Microsoft Server Apps

Small Business Server (SBS) is a line of server operating systems targeted at small businesses by bundling the operating system with a number of other Microsoft products that would normally need to be purchased or licensed separately. The most notable inclusions are Exchange, SQL Server, SharePoint and ISA/TMG (Microsoft's firewall and proxy server).

Databases are organized collections of data, most commonly accessed through management systems including schemas, tables, queries and processes that allow users to enter and manipulate the information or utilize it in other fashions, such as with web applications or for reporting purposes.

Databases

Computer data storage, often called storage or memory, is a technology consisting of computer components and recording media used to retain digital data. In addition to local storage devices like CD and DVD readers, hard drives and flash drives, solid state drives can hold enormous amounts of data in a very small device. Cloud services and other new forms of remote storage also add to the capacity of devices and their ability to access more data without building additional data storage into a device.

Storage

The term "Backup" means the methods and processes involved to copy computer data (system data as well as application data) to media other than the ones where the data originally live (disk, tape, optical, cloud). "Restore" in turn means the methods and processes involved in data recovery, i. e., bringing back copied computer data to their original location. Backup/Restore primarily serves as a means of protection against data loss, be it due to disaster, corruption or sabotage. It can also be used for recovering data from an earlier point in time and even for cloning machines or applications. There is a wide variety of backup/restore software available, from expensive commercial products to free or open source tools.

Storage Software

Storage devices include any device used for storing and retrieving digital information. Hard disk drives (HDDs) use one or more rigid ("hard") rapidly rotating disks (platters) coated with magnetic material. Data is accessed in a random-access manner, meaning that individual blocks of data can be stored or retrieved in any order and not only sequentially. The primary competing technology for secondary storage is flash memory in the form of solid-state drives (SSDs), but HDDs remain the dominant medium for secondary storage due to advantages in price per bit and per-device recording capacity. CD-RW (Compact Disc-ReWritable) is a digital optical disc storage format that allows information to be stored outside the mechanical HDD.

Storage Hardware

Servers are computing devices that are similar to desktop computers in that they have the same basic components, but are significantly different in size, configuration and purpose. Servers are usually accessed over a network, and many run unattended, without a computer monitor, input device, audio hardware or USB interfaces. Many servers do not have a graphical user interface (GUI), and are configured and managed remotely. Servers typically include hardware redundancy such as dual power supplies, RAID disk systems, and ECC memory, along with extensive pre-boot memory testing and verification. Critical components might be hot swappable, and to guard against overheating, servers might have more powerful fans or use water cooling.

Server Hardware

Networking hardware includes the physical devices facilitating the use of a computer network. Typically, networking hardware includes gateways, routers, network bridges, modems, wireless access points, networking cables, line drivers, switches, hubs, and repeaters. But it also includes hybrid network devices such as multilayer switches, protocol converters, bridge routers, proxy servers, firewalls, network address translators, multiplexers, network interface controllers, wireless network interface controllers, ISDN terminal adapters and other related hardware.