In such case (restoring device after some sort of malfunctioning, specially if previous and current ROS version is the same), using (binary) backup files is perfect way. Device gets restored to previous state.
Both text export and binary backups are benefitial in different use cases:
as already mentioned, binary backup is perfect for restoring same device to some previous state because it contains full state (including user with passwords, certificates etc.). It can also be used when restoring to another device of exactly same model (and preferrably same ROS version), possibly with some additional steps (such as reseting/changing MAC addresses) to avoid any chance of collisions on same L2 network
text export is perfect for monitoring configuration changes (simple diff does the trick), it can also be used as aide when transferring configuration to different device model and/or running much newer ROS version. In latter case I prefer to build on default setup as it is evolving (doesn’t get apllied when upgrading ROS, only when reset to factory dedaults) and generally makes a very solid foundation (much more solid than most asorted internet sources)
I don’t have any automation put in place. But when I decide it’s time to take backups, I create both (and copy them off device). So far I always used text exports because I was lucky enough not to experience device crashes like the one you described in OP.