Copy main MS site to clean MS install as main site

  • Resolved Toni

    (@tools4toni)


    8 years, 4 months ago

    I don’t know what I’m doing, so I don’t know how to search for answers.
    Problem: I have a MultiSite that I want to transfer to a different host, site by site. Probably by using export/import plugin. Not backups.
    FIRST: I need to know how to duplicate or export/import the main site only, ideally with themes and plugins.

    There are plugins that deal with the subsites, or the entire network, but the main site alone seems to require special attention.

    Why tranfer site by site and not the entire MS network as a whole?
    1). My current host server has serious issues, it keeps timing out. Current host Tech Support can’t create a usable backup to tranfer: all backups created have been corrupted. New host tech support couldn’t do it either. Even when trying to tranfer a minimal backup of 5GB.
    (Example: server times out after updating 6 plugins. I have to update in batches.)

    2). I want to transfer files into a new, fresh, clean, WP MS install.
    – my current MultiSite is bloated. I don’t know why exactly. Current full backup is +20GB, but I only actually use 5 GB of files according to tech support. There’s a lot of excess baggage I don’t need or want.
    – I’ve probably messed up the integrity of the WordPress structure with plugins, etc.

    Any input is valued. I’m not a tech literate person, only in very basic measure. I can follow instructions or hand it over to tech support.

    Thank you

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

  • I personally would try to fix the existing system.

    > Support can’t create a usable backup to tranfer: all backups created have been corrupted.
    What are they backing up? There are two main things to backup: 1) database, 2) files

    Usually backing up files are straightforward. I am assuming that your database is huge. Why? Are you a high traffic site? Or you just dont know? I would use phpmyadmin to access and analyze the database. See what tables are huge. My guess is you installed a plugin that is probably generating tons of logs. Identify the plugin(s) and see if you can purge some/most of the database data.

    Thread Starter Toni

    (@tools4toni)

    Hi, thanks for responding.

    We’ve now gotten the backup down to around 5GB. There was a plugin causing the time out issues. Deleted and disabled many things. So the backup might work this time.

    I am concerned that I may have compromised the core WordPress framework with all the plugins that I’ve tried and used over time. I thought that I could take advantage of the chance to get a new clean WordPress install to import my files into.

    Maybe that doesn’t make sense?

    > I am concerned that I may have compromised the core WordPress framework with all the plugins that I’ve tried and used over time.

    Generally most plugins do not affect core WP once disabled. This is why I say you should use phpmyadmin to look at the database tables. You can see which ones are not core WP; and decide whether to delete them or not.

    > I thought that I could take advantage of the chance to get a new clean WordPress install to import my files into.

    5GB is too much data. Either your import will break or will not import/export all the data.

    Thread Starter Toni

    (@tools4toni)

    I just wanted to transfer the main site without the rest of the subsites first. The entire backup is 5GB. The export file is very small, I did it from the main site.

    Thank you for the database tables info. I have played a small bit with PHP, but never the database manually. I’ll at least take a look around to begin to get familiar with it.

    I’m going to have to rebuild with import/export, not the backup. It’s taking far too long to download the back up. A lot of work, sigh. A lot of plugins, layout, and settings.

    Thank you for your time and info. I appreciate it immensely!

    Thread Starter Toni

    (@tools4toni)

    I’m doing a cPanel Backup Wizard download of the files and database separately.

    Thread Starter Toni

    (@tools4toni)

    We were able to transfer my MultiSite intact. The web hosts took care of it.

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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