config file destroys data in V5 SQL database

My question to you experts is – How can I open a new-SQL V5 database using a WordPress config file that points to a restored old-SQL V4 database?

My experience of trying to do this is that WordPress deletes the contents of the SQL V5 database when the config file is placed on the blo server.

Here are the repro steps:

1) create new-sql 5 database in GoDaddys UI
2) restore old-sql 4 database backup to new-sql 5 through GoDaddy’s UI
3) verify contents of sql 4 database are in sql 5 database through MyPhpAdmin (by looking at comments made in 2005) Example contents at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/thewendyhouse/4640197148/

Then the problems occur when

4) Update WordPress config file with new-sql 5 database detail
5) navigate to blog – get this UI no matter what URL I use: https://wendyhome.com/wp-admin/install.php
6) Add blog title, email and click install button – get taken to new dashboard which does not include any of the blog posts or comments – except a standard welcome post
7) Open MyPhpAdmin and look at the new-sql 5 database – it is now empty (assessment by looking at details of comments made in 2005) bar the one post.

It looks like putting wordpress config details has wiped the database.

I am confident that my config data is accurate because it maps directly to the temporary V5 database currently showing (different username, password, and database name) on https://wendyhome.com