If someone had a hosting account that expired a few months ago and they never renewed it, can they now go and renew it and pick up where they left off or is it a matter of getting a whole new contract?
Yes it is possible to reactivate your hosting account at any time by simply paying the fees and then logging in to the relevant service and continuing with the same account, at least that's what happened with me.
Your hosting company doesn't back up your files and folders. It may be possible to renew your account but it may not be possible to recover the files. I stand corrected though.
