Hosting Question

[harmony]

This is simple, so if you are with one host, and would like to switch to another, do you lose all your date and files?
My friend and I have a offline website, and are emails have problems, and sometimes there are little errors going on. Since its a small offline friend website for me and my friends, we used a free host. (stonerocket)
and we want to switch..

 

[webfreak]

You would need to transfer your files from your old web host to your new one. This can easily be done through an FTP client such as SmartFTP. If you have MySQL databases, these will need to be backed up.

 

[weblord]

if you have a backup you won't not unless you forgot to backup mysql databases

 

[harmony]

Yes I have mysql databases...

 

[weblord]

back them up first, use phpmyadmin or via ssh or ask your old hosting provider to do it for you to be sure and make sure also that you upload the backup first on the new one to see if it actually works, just a tip.

 

[{insert name here}]

The best move is to follow these steps.

1. Do not tell your current host you are leaving just yet.
2. Pay for, and get your new login info for the new host.
3. Login to your old host, make a full backup of your account, if you are using cpanel you can use the cpanel backup feature for this.
4. Download the backup to your local machine.
5. Upload the backup to the new host.
6. Restore the files to the correct location on the new server.
7. Since you have a database, you will need to recreate a new database with the same name on this new server.
8. Then import the database backup to the new database.
9. Now verify that all this works correctly on the new host. (ip/~username/)
10. Change dns to the new host.
11. After dns changes and all looks good, now cancell with your old host.

#11 is the most important. never cancell unitl you are sure everything is smooth.

 

[JYM]

Well said Zac

There should never be any problems transitioning from one host to the next. If you are having difficulties, contact someone from your future host and they should set it all up for you. If not.. well.. then they are a lousy host with lousy support :P

The main reason I started web designing was because I was tired of using stupid sitebuilders or websites like freewebs where you really can't back things up. I got hacked and lost everything and so I began learning to design my own sites which I could back up whenever I pleased. If you can upload the files to the server, you have a backup already of those files stored on your harddrive (unless you, for some reason, delete them). With databases it is just a matter of downloading them from cpanel, plesk, or whichever control panel you are using.

 

[jmweb]

Or you could make it simple if your moving from one cPanel host to another...


1) Ask your host to run /scripts/pkgacct <usernamehere> and place it in a publically accessable spot
2) Ask your new host to download it and extract the backup file and your done

If your current host asks why you need that, tell them you want a full backup done that way.

But honestly, you shouldn't need to worry about your current host shutting you down unless they are an unprofessional one. For the more serious hosters, you shouldn't have such problems with shutting down your account like mentioned above...

back to bed I go...

John

 

[harmony]

Thank You

I'll try that now..
Theres a backup provided in cpanel.