Moving to a new server, same domain

If the domain will be the same all you should need to do is make a database on the new server and move a backup from the old one to the new one and then copy over the website files. You might need to edit the wp-config.php for the new database info. If you don’t know how to backup and import a database then I would ask both hosts for help with that.

There may be an internal IP change (I doubt it), to be sure, ask your host’s support team if DNS changes will be implied.

If there are indeed some DNS changes, given the propagation delay, your blog will appear offline for a few hours to your visitors, you may want to post a warning about that a few days before the move…

Here’s a quick to-do list, the specifics will depend on your requirements.

1) copy over your database and uploaded images, etc
2) copy over, or upload fresh wordpress files of the same version
3) set your NEW wordpress install to use the NEW database.

and this is the clever part:

4) set the OLD wordpress install to use the NEW database by providing the IP address of your new server instead of ‘localhost’.
5) change DNS settings.

now, no matter which site your visitors get during the DNS delegation process (assuming there is one) — they’ll be accessing your new database for your newest posts, and commenting into it…. even if they’re accessing that new database via the old wordpress files on your old host for a couple of days.

6) get beer, enjoy.

So basically, I could download all WP files, including a Databse, from my old site and simply upload it to my new site? That is. I guess on a dedicated server my MySQL would be at ‘localhost’.

When you guys say that we should copy/save, aka: download, current database to our hard drive, do you mean we should do it through MANAGE > EXPORT Select “all” > Download ?

I also found alternative way to move WP site, but I don’t know if it’s good. It seems that this way only articles are moved, and obviously we should activate site theme or upload custom theme. Basically, they say:

1. Install a new WordPress blog
2. Go on old blog Admin panel. Here, in Manage > Export select “all” in menu Restrict Author.
3. Click on Download Export File
4. In new blog go on Manage > Import, choose WordPress item.
5. In the page that will be shown, select the file just exported. 6. Click on Upload file and Import
5. It will appear a page. In Assign Authors, assign the author to users that already exist or create new ones.
6. Click on Submit
7. At the end, click on Have fun.

Using this way, with a wordpress export file (wxr I think it is) this is likely to work, but I don’t know if it saves really everything.

My way is different.
Save all html files, carefully note which files had different permissions.
For the database, go into phpmyadmin (ask your host how to make that), click export, select all tables, keep all options just add gzipped, and save it to your hard disk. With your new hosting account, open phpmyadmin, import your database, search for the complete URL of your blog (e.g. https://www.myblog.com ) and the 2 results of the options table will have to be edited with the new adress of your blog.
And that saves everything, all options, all comments, all dates, all posts.

But, I don’t want to offend you, it looks like you didn’t know about phpmyadmin.
Are you sure you want to move to a dedicated host ?
I’m already strugging very hard with my own VPS (a virtual private server is halfway between mutualized and dedicated), I don’t see someone unused to phpmyadmin, basical stuff, go into dedicated hosting, which is too complex and too easy to mess up.

Hi Sabinou,

I don’t do anything in phpadmin, it just seems to complicate things. I will be using dedicated server with a Plesk, so things should be much easier. You can add clients, create databases, backup etc, everything with a click. I will try to do a fresh installation of wordpress, then I will Manage > Export all > files (database) from my old blog and import them into a new database. Then, I will upload a theme and activate plugins, and then I will overwrite the theme with my custom changes. You have given me an excellent tip, I should make sure to check file permissions.

Yes, I know that dedicated servers are pain in the butt, but I hope Plesk will make easier.

hey Sabinou, that “Export” database thing in phpadmin is very easy! Thank you for letting me know. I always learn something from you guys!