Restoring Your WordPress Database

WordPress 2.x.x  uses a cache file. You MUST delete everything in the /wp-content/cache cache directory or this will not appear to have worked.

Delete everything in the /wp-content/cache directory before you upload the new files and before you do the following restore.

Moving to a new host You need to backup your data base before moving to a new host. Then all you have to do is to create a new database, NOTHING ELSE. Just make sure your wp-config.php files have all the correct details.

In cPanel go to MySQL Databases > phpMyAdmin and on left side of that page, choose the database from the drop down section. Click the name of your database, then the SQL tab from the header tab choices.

Choose IMPORT tab and import your .sql file

Restoring your site to same old database on an existing host.
WordPress 2.x.x  uses a cache file. You MUST delete the /wp-content/cache cache or this will not appear to have worked.

Delete everything in the /wp-content/cache directory before you upload the new files and before you do the following restore.

You must backup all your data and have a .sql backup file in order to restore to the database. In cPanel go to MySQL Databases > phpMyAdmin and on left side of that page, choose the database from the drop down section.

When you restore your database it means deleting everything that previously existed there. MAKE SURE that this is necessary and you have a full backup of your WordPress tables. There is NO "undo" function.

Click on all the WordPress tables and chose "drop" from the pull down in the footer menu below the file list. Click CHECK ALL (and the "drop" in the pull downs) then GO. Click YES if you are sure.

In the left of the page will say "No tables found in database."

The easist way is to then click IMPORT from the header tabs and browse for the location of your .sql backup file and press GO.

Or you can past the file into the window. If you past the file in the window use WordPad and NOT Dreamweaver or a word processor program.

See visuals on http://www.tamba2.org.uk/wordpress/restore/ for what to include.

Problems
At http://www.tamba2.org.uk/wordpress/restore/ they say "If after moving everything you get a blank page when looking at your blog, check your themes. A faulty theme file will cause this blank page. Try changing themes or uploading a new theme then changing to it.

If this does not help, check that all the WordPress files are present and are the correct size. Download a new set of WordPress files if needed and use your ftp client to do this."

Using Semiologic

In An Existing WP Be sure the wp-config.php does not exist in the upload transfer otherwise it will wipe out the similar file in an established WP site

Also delete everything in the /wp-content/cache directory before you upload the new files

For reinstalling to an existing site It seems like one has to eliminate the WordPress folder in the Fantastico cPanel folder for the site in question. Then re-install WordPress using the Fantastico cPanel.

Then update by uploading the lengthier Semiologic wp-content folder for the site and change permissions througout the site

The following folders should be writable by the server (chmod 777):

uploads
uploads/File
uploads/Flash
uploads/Image
uploads/Media
wp-content
wp-content/cache
wp-content/gravatars
wp-content/plugins

The following files should also be writable (chmod 666):

.htaccess
sitemap.xml
sitemap.xml.gz
wp-config.php
wp-content/wp-cache-config.php

In order to set up sub domains, use a different table prefix for each site. this is configurable in the wp.config.php file.

Subdomain WordPress Blogs

Backing Up Your Data

Backup your data before an upgrade, changing hosts or just to keep safe.

In cPanel go to MySQL Databases > phpMyAdmin

Click on Databases. You may have several for the various blogs. Choose the one you want to backup

In the header tabs, choose EXPORT

On the View dump (schema) of database page

- Select SQL

- Select ONLY those that are your Wordpress blog.

- Check the "Add DROP TABLE" box

- Check the "Complete inserts" box

- Check the "Save as File" box

- Check the "None" for compression. If your database is very large use a compression method.

- Click Go. The data will now be saved into your computer.

Refer to http://www.tamba2.org.uk/wordpress/backup/ for visual picture reference