I decided to consolidate some websites. I no longer feel the need to have multiple web hosting accounts. There was some paranoia about only having one host for your sites cause Google could ban your IP address and blah, blah, blah. All I’m doing is serving up garden variety niche sites and blogs. Nothing to get excited about and nothing that should get me banned. That thinking was so 2005 when everybody was slinging portal sites.
So I decided to move all my blogs and XSP sites to one host. What a pain in the ass.
I have most of my domains purchased through GoDaddy. I cannot, effing stand their interface. Hate it. Have to change all the DNS. Not a big deal and got through it. Some of the DNS propagated quickly. Others did not.
Time to move the sites. The XSP sites are a breeze. No database to worry about. Just upload them again basically. Some I zipped up on the server, downloaded the file, uploaded to the other host and unzipped it. Saved time when I had multiple folders or files in the domain.
And then there were the blogs. A little slice of PHP heaven. This is why I hate Wordpress sites. So you say why not export the site file then simply import it to the new location. It doesn’t work so well when the export file is greater than 2 mb. So time to fire up PHP administration and export the database. Not a big deal. Make sure all your tables are selected and download the file.
I also went into the file manager and zipped all the Wordpress content to import into the new host. Themes, plugins, uploads, etc.
Of course you have to create a new Wordpress blog on the new host. One after another rebuilding the skeleton. Some domains I have two WP installs: One for the main site and one for the datafeed store. Once those are ready you have to go back in to PHP administrator on the new host and import the old database. I dropped all the tables that Wordpress initially builds to make it a clean import. Then FTP all the plugins and themes back into your new WP build.
Time to see if your handy work is functioning. The first time I typed in one of my URLs there was nothing but a blank screen. WTF? So I log in and Wordpress pops up a page saying the database needs upgrading. WTH? Is this a good thing or bad thing? Click the button and WP says it’s satisfied with the effort. Then I went in to figure out the blank page. Ah. The first time I did this I hadn’t uploaded the themes and plugins first. It had no theme to use. I gave it a theme to use and it was happy.
So then I go through the site clicking around making sure everything is groovy. On one I clicked at the bottom of the page to go to previous pages and bam! I get a handler error. Had to redo the permalinks. Another one I didn’t FTP the upload folder so all my videos and photos weren’t on the blog. Little things.
So now I think I’m up. Unless I’m simply running cached versions of everything and this post will be read by no one. I have freed up $18 a month. Now I can spend the money on two domains.
Free hosted sites and XSP are a helluva lot more convenient. And I still haven’t gone back in and reinstalled my StoreStacker sites that I have hanging off the domain. I decided to get rid of the vast majority of subdomains. The domains that those hung off of are going to have a re-focus. They have almost 3 years of age on them so they might be worthwhile.
Good times.
11 responses so far ↓
Dan // Mar 5, 2009 at 2:56 pm
I think you’re good to go – I see you! Yesterday for several hours, though, your blog was down – all you could see was the standard WP Kubrick theme with the hello world text. Glad you’re back online!
Mike @ Anna Maria Island // Mar 5, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Sounds like you have it down. First time I tried moving WP I got a bit messed up when I copied one site’s files to a new site and got all the old posts appearing. The copied site’s wp-config.php file was pointing to the old database. Good to learn the process and all the steps and pitfalls. Backups are prudent
P.S. I suspect several of my previous comments went to askimet so this is also a test.
Splork // Mar 5, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Thanks guys.
Amanda // Mar 5, 2009 at 8:20 pm
That sounds pretty maddening. I hope the worst is now behind you. I still get a bit miffed when I think about my web hosting. When I first started MMO I listened to some goober who told me I needed to signup for the Hostgator reseller plan because it was soooo much easier to give each of your websites its own cPanel. Yeah right! Now I spend twice as much on hosting as I should. Oh well. Such is life . . . live and learn I guess.
aaronk // Mar 5, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Ugggghhhh…….sounds like tons of fun…….NOT!
Sorry, that sounded so 2002. Kind of the reason I hesitate anytime I start a new self-hosted blog…I start thinking about the potential headaches (extra work) that will come down the road
Splork // Mar 5, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Thanks Amanda. Things seemed to have worked out OK. I gave up a reseller account. Now I’m pretty much all add-on at this point. I have a fast host, unlimited domains and unlimited bandwidth. Never had a minute of downtime in 4 years. The one I gave up gave me headaches almost weekly with a lame database. Was slow. And you know there is a lot to be said for FTPing into one account and accessing all your sites, instead of having to FTP into each domain individually.
Splork // Mar 5, 2009 at 10:53 pm
aaronk that’s why I like free hosted. Then again I don’t own the sites so there is that problem if they decide I’m no longer welcome.
Zania // Mar 6, 2009 at 2:16 am
That sounds like a nightmare.
And I did wonder what was going on with the ‘test post’ RSS which came through to my email account
I have 6 different hosting accounts (not so much for different IPs – although I have loads of them – more to do with not hosting everything in the US).
It would be so tempting to transfer at least 4 of those accounts to my best host – they are so fast and (knock on wood) so reliable. But the thought of transfering all those WP blogs just fills me with dread.
In fact, the more I think about it lately the more I hate Wordpress!
Glad to see you up and running again anyhow.
Online Privateer // Mar 6, 2009 at 8:40 am
I was wondering myself about how to move a wordpress blog recently. Now I know. Sounds like a real PITA. Gotta do it soon though, I don’t think my buddy wants to host one of my WP blogs anymore, it’s turning into a bit of a bandwidth eating monster.
dave // Mar 7, 2009 at 10:47 pm
It is such a pain to move sites. I have had a couple bad times doing it in the past. I am glad that it was not to bad for you.
rob 0'gnome // Mar 31, 2010 at 12:14 pm
Cpanel hosters used to copy accounts from your old hosts for you when you sign up – provided the old host is also cpanel. I mention this because cpanel’s WHM will copy entire accounts with domains, databases, email accounts and, I think, even cron jobs, from another cpanel account. You only need the cpanel and ftp login info.
This might be available on a reseller account but the reseller’s whm doesn’t have all the tools that the root has. Another reason to have a VPS if you can swing it.
Obviously, hosts are more likely to do this for you gratis if you are signing up for a new account. But I am guessing you were moving to an existing account. Also, I have never dealt with mass-market (large reptile) hosting companies so my experience may be atypical.
But it’s something to think about if your IP gets banned or you get pissed with your host.
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