How are you importing?
Is it through the wordpress import or the cpanel?
WordPress’s export file only includes post/page content and comments. It doesn’t include plugins or themes, so that’s odd.
How exactly did you export your site?
I am using WAMP right now to design the site. I’ve never known how to access cpanel through WAMP servers. The wordpress importer has a 2mb limit and my xml file is 9.55 mb.
I exported through the wordpress tools exporter. Then I also copy/pasted my entire database and www folder. Everything is there, but nothing is being recognized except the plug-ins and themes (but the them didn’t load).
Are you sure that you also export your MySQL database?
All of your content, settings, and the index part of the media library are in the MySQL database.
I don’t know if those backed up, but I copied from the root folder manually. Is there a way to get everything reloaded? I can go through the folder and see everything there.
The folder isn’t everything, it’s just the WordPress core files, the themes, the plugins, and your uploads (but without the media library’s index).
All of your content, settings, and the index part of the media library are in the MySQL database: https://wordpress.org/support/article/wordpress-backups/
If you don’t have your MySQL database, then I’m afraid you’ve lost all of that.
Couple of things then. Why would WordPress mislead you on the back up instructions on their own import/export page if it clearly isn’t backing things up? Even my automatic back ups didn’t actually save anything. This is nothing short of a huge hole in both logic and function.
What is the MYSQL file that I’m supposed to have? Where would I find it if it isn’t in my back up folder that was automatically backed up during the supposed back up process? It is weird that I have every single .php file that is required for the site to work, but nothing will actually load. Is there a way to manually get things recognized so I don’t have to input over 500 products and product descriptions again?
If I got MYSQL in localhost I can see pretty much everything that should be there. So is the XML loading everything but the files aren’t being properly pointed to? I find it odd that literally everything is there but layout/design is ignored. Can I just make this by hand?
Ok, doing some digging, I found my SQL file. It was backed up the same date as the XML. If I try to load it, nothing changes. And still, no images, products, or anything are loaded. I don’t understand why the back up feature exists if it isn’t backing anything up…
Why would WordPress mislead you on the back up instructions on their own import/export page if it clearly isn’t backing things up?
Our backup instructions are at https://wordpress.org/support/article/wordpress-backups/
The export page says “This format, which we call WordPress eXtended RSS or WXR, will contain your posts, pages, comments, custom fields, categories, and tags.”
But you aren’t referring to that, you said earlier you could not import your export file, so you simply downloaded the files only. That is neither the backup instructions, nor an export file.
Even my automatic back ups didn’t actually save anything.
WordPress doesn’t have built-in automatic backups, so you’ll need to check with whichever backup plugin you were using for that.
I found my SQL file. It was backed up the same date as the XML. If I try to load it, nothing changes.
Make sure you have restored it following the guide at https://wordpress.org/support/article/restoring-your-database-from-backup/
If that didn’t work, check with the documentation for the backup plugin you were using.
Ok, I’m done trying to get the back up files to work. How do I manually connect all the files without rebuilding the site? All the php files and other database files are still here with all the settings. I can see them and they have everything I did. Is there a way to manually get them recognized, even if it is one file at a time?
If the MySQL database is properly restored in MySQL, make sure that the database connection details in the wp-config.php file are properly set to connect with the database.
