Had to reinstall wordpress and now can’t get the backup imported. COMPLICATED!!

I did a stupid, stupid thing and now my entire website is down. I have a backup of the original database, but no clue how to get it back in place. I could potentially lose my job over this, so PLEASE — if you know how to fix my mess, let me know!!! The sad story:

1. I installed WordPress on our Windows server and built 90% of the website. Discovered a couple of plug-ins we really needed didn’t function properly on Windows, and was advised by the forum here to switch to Linux.
2. I migrated the site from its original Windows server to Linux, in the hope that those plug-ins would work. End result: not only did the plug-ins not work, but now the entire admin upload tool does not work and I can’t upload images or new plug-ins.
3. I was advised (by GoDaddy, who hosts the site) that the new problem was due to switching servers after the application had been installed, and I needed to uninstall and reinstall to fix things.
4. I made a backup of the SQL database.
5. I crossed my fingers and deleted WordPress, along with all its files and databases.
6. I reinstalled WordPress, logged in to phpMySql and imported the database.
7. Nada. No website. And now, even though much of this was GoDaddy’s idea in the first place, they’re telling me this is beyond their support services and I’m on my own. Nice.

This part is probably important, and equally stupid of me: the original WordPress app was in a sub-directory on our live site (www.doublecircleranch.com/wordpress); my thought was that I’d build out the site there, and when it was ready, I’d bump it all up to root level and overwrite the placeholder site. Sure, a few links will have to be rebuilt, but I could do that. When I got to #6 and reinstalled WordPress, I had the bright idea to put it where I need it this time, at the root. So I have gone from Windows to Linux AND I have moved the application up a directory level, all in the same process.

And now I am completely flummoxed. I do have the backup and I’ve already imported it, but clearly there is more I need to do. My hunch is it has something to do with the changed directory levels, but this is now so far beyond my experience and comfort level I’m only guessing. So what I have is a backup of a Windows database that I need to get into Linux, or at least, that’s what it’s sounding like.

Lesson learned: Never change horses mid-apocalypse!!!

Please, please, please, I am beyond desperate here and as I said, could potentially lose my job over this if I can’t get it back up and running by mid-day Friday when the bosses will all be looking for it. HELP!!