Image Files missing after moving to new server 403 error on Import

Hello all. Okay, so the deal is this: My employer wanted a culture blog last year, and this year decided he wanted a simpler, more direct blog – but wanted to keep the old culture blog and move it to it’s own domain.

So I made two new blogs – the new simpler one in the space in the FTP that used to hold the culture blog, and an entirely new directory for the culture blog.

I backed up the entire old blog, downloaded an XML file before deleting the culture blog and when the new WP installation was finished I put all of the necessary files – excepting the old wp-config file and a few others that would direct the application to look at the old address to the new directory in the FTP.

Everything looks great, the XML file allowed me to get my tags and and posts and all, but something went wrong – my images were not appearing. During a re-import of the XML file, I noticed that when it came to directing where WP should look for image files the following message came everytime:

Remote file error: Remote file returned error response 403 Forbidden

So I looked around and noticed some things I had missed – my .sql and htaccess files.

So, being the clever idiot I am, I figured that all that needs to be done is for the backup to reflect the new address, right?

So I opened the XML file in Dreamweaver and replaced the old address with the new one.

That didn’t work.

The only thing I can think that is causing the issue now is that .sql file – the new one has been replaced by the old file. The problem here is – I don’t have those crucial first 9 digits that come before the sql database name that would have been in the fresh install as I didn’t think that I’d need to backup a blank blog.

I’m guessing, if I had these, my problems would end!

Or am I, as usual, looking far deeper than I should? Thank you in advance for any advice you may give!