My hosting provider has decided to go out of business, so I am in the process of moving this blog to a new host. The domain name remains unchanged, so you won’t need to update links or any such thing. I am praying for all to go well, so there should be uninterrupted service. I have backed up everything to be on the safe side.
I’m rolling up my sleeves and getting to work now, transferring the blog. If anyone has any tips on MySQL or phpMyAdmin, I’d be grateful if you could email them to me. Here’s praying for success.
UPDATE. Warning, technical post alert.
(9 May 2007; 3.42am.) Move to new server hasn’t yet taken place. I ftp’d my files to the new server, created a new database, imported the old database to the new server, etc. I had a preview on the temporary url thingy and while all the styles etc have fed through, I am getting a 404 and the blog content (ie posts and comments) is not showing up. My feeling is that it is something to do with the database. I have edited the wp-config file so that it contains my new MySQL database name and password, etc. I can’t think of what else I have left out. Bedtime now. I shall take another look tomorrow. If anyone has any ideas, please email me.
(Normal discussion about politics etc to resume shortly. I have to first make sure that this blog has a roof over its head.)
May 9th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
I could be wrong, but there may be a slight time lag in the DNS records updating to point people at the new IP address for your site.
May 9th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Hi Tony, I haven’t pointed to the servers of my new host. I want to make sure the website is working first, ie that the database has been imported properly to the new server. I am monitoring this using the temporary url I got from my new host. I don’t want a situation where I pointed at the new servers and after the DNS records updated, the blog wasn’t working.
May 9th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
ok devide and conquer
a) have you successfully transfered your data - find a way to verify the data exists on the new dtaabase sa you intended.
for example assuming you used phpmyadmin to export the data from your first server expot it from your second server and check the files are the same , if they are different then thats a possible clue.
when you export the data use the same settings you used the first time - maybe post the settings here ( whcih boxes you clicked etc )
b) if the databases are the same then its possible that when you coppied over your blog scripts that you did not change the configuration to point to the new data.
Its possible that somewhere in your blogging software is a configuration file that includes the username, password and address / port that the blogging software will use to connect to your sql database. I know that when i have changed providers that i have had to use a different config.inc file
good luck - will post more ideas if i have them but basic problem for computer problems comes down to three techniques
a) state an assumption that must be ture and then check if it actually is
b) try and pick a question that will split the problem into two and repeat
c) pray or random swearing according to your religious beliefs
May 10th, 2007 at 8:44 am
one final thought…
if all else fails…
try and set up a new blog - with a new database, if that works then you know its just your data import and that your configuration is ok
good luck
May 10th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Hi dolbyn, thank you very much for that. I am trying your first two suggestions right now. I exported the data and the files are the same, so that’s a good thing. Then I edited wp-config, this is the wordpress configuration file that contains details of database name, user name and password. I edited this to point to the new data.
I will set up a new blog with a new database, and see how that goes. Thank you very much!
(I am being told by someone who transferred his blog this way that you get a 404 error until you point your domain name at the new host’s nameservers, so there is a possibility that everything is ok, and all I need to do now is point the domain accordingly)
May 10th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Will keep fingers crossed - being a programmer and a little ocd i write my own blogging software rather than use an off the shelf product. That said two last thoughts
am assuming that wp-config is written using php, webservers sometimes need to be configured to use php - most are as its so common - but you could check that your new service provider has php enabled for your account - i cant imagine that they would not, but as i say always verify your assumptions. Also when you access a sql server one usually has to provide username/password as you say but ALSO you sometimes have to state the host name or ip address for the sql server you want to use.
In theory you could put your php files on your new server and point them to any mysql server in the world - but normally you point php at the mysql server provided by the same hosting company that does your web server.
anyways if you can set up a new blog and it works at least you know your config works ok
computers are like politicians, sneaky creatures that never lie to you but often dont tell you the complete truth either. And sometimes one wants to throw things at them