View Zip Backup as a website offline

You might not have your database in there. Make sure you have that also in your backup.

You need to install/restore that backup with your database onto a server somewhere to see your website. That server could even be a WAMP server. That’s a good option if your backup is good but you won’t know that until you try it even if it does unzip.

Another option might be to download the content from the site and then upload that content elsewhere like a free account at WordPress dot com. Your results might be acceptable but this option may not render your site as you expect.

https://en.support.wordpress.com/moving-from-self-hosted-wordpress-to-wordpress-com/ I’m not recommending you do this but it is included as an option. Some of the advice in the above article might help you move content elsewhere so it’s a worthy read.

Another option yet might be to install HTTrack on your home PC and have it download your whole website.

My best advice is to weigh carefully the value you place on your content and the website itself before killing the website.

One final bit of advice… see if your site is being archived at the Wayback Machine. https://archive.org/web/

—-
If it’s a matter of price or service then you might be better served by moving your website. https://www.ads-software.com/hosting/

I hope something here helps you.

I have downloaded my site as a zip file backup from my host. I’m probably going to cancel my subscription with them, but of course I don’t want to lose all my work, and I’d like to still have access to it, even though the site will be offline.

What exactly is inside this “zip backup file”, and how did you generate it?

I’m asking because I fear it may not include the database which contains your posts, or it may be in a control panel’s proprietary format that can only be restored to a hosting environment running the same control panel (eg cPanel’s “full backup” option).

So, what can I do to view my site using this zip file? It seems to me that this should be easy, as I have the entire site on my computer, but I just don’t know what to do with it!

IF your zip backup includes both the database and media files, you can install a local web server, install WordPress, and restore the backup to your local WordPress installation… if you really want the site to be available offline.

Perhaps the easiest way to pull this off would be Local by FlyWheel: https://local.getflywheel.com/

Another popular all-in-one local WordPress server is DesktopServer from ServerPress: https://serverpress.com/

Both software are available for Mac and Windows.

Thanks guys. I do have the databases downloaded separately from the zip, so I hope they can be used together.

I tried serverpress, but that won’t do what I want it to unless I buy the premium package. I am going to try Local, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the same story.
You’d think it would be easy to view files that you created and have on your PC for free!