Switch your web hosting without having your web site go down

1. Sign up for any web hosting package before cancelling your old web hosting account.

2. Download your entire old web site using a FTP program, or using cPanel backup utility. Then upload your entire web site to your new web hosting account by FTP or using cPanel backup utility again. If you are using FTP, you will need to re-chmod your folders if you are running scripts.

3. After you have moved all your files to your new account, you need to change your domain name's name servers. Make sure everything is working by using a temporary address at your new hopefully great web host before you update your nameservers. Then go to where you registered your domain name or email them directly. Update your name servers to the NEW name servers your new host emailed you when you signed up.

<edit>

4. After 24-72 hours your domain will be fully propegated and pointing to your new web hosting home.

5. You can now cancel your old web hosting and your web site should be fully up and running on your new account.

And that's it, after those 5 steps, your site is fully up and running with no downtime experienced at all. In all cases it's great to backup, cPanel has a great tool to allow it.


<edit>

Thanks Everyone!!

If you use MySQL database go to phpmyadmin and export your db. Then go to phpmyadmin in your new web host and import the data.

You forgot about the emails! There may be some leftovers at the old server for some time. You may have to use IP address to use POP facility.

Great I'll learn to do your step.

you can also do backups on your mysql by the cpanel backup function, but a FULL cpanel backup should include your dbs and everything...Thanks!

Most webhosts would do the transfer for you if your old server uses cPanel. Ask them first and save yourself a lot of work.

If you have a ded server you can use WHM copy feature.

Anyway, do a full back up from cPanel first. It might help speed things up if you give your webhost the full back up of the site so they can restore the entire account on the new server exactly as it was on the old one (db and mail included)

I'm a newbie, and find this interesting because I am not to happy with who I chose to host my site(s) so far.

What I am wondering though, is how to change nameservers, as I have not had to do that yet (I am assuming thats because I registered the domain as part of the hosting package)

If you don't have access to your domain management, you'll have to ask whoever registered it for you to change it.

Thanks - I am assuming that I do have DM, as the welcome letter said to point my nameservers to the new domain, unless I had registered the domain with them in which case I didnt have to. The hosting company I use has cpanel, which is mentioned earlier in this thread, would I change nameservers from within that?

No, you should have a specific admin area for your domain. Ask your host if you have that. Many times the hosts that offer this kind of package will manage the domains themselves.

thank you id work

No problem, very happy people can get their stuff moved with this info! and yes most hosts will import your backup for you, thanks all!

Here is an easy way to take Full Back up to your New Host Account, even before your Domain name server is resolved to New Name Server.

Old Host:

1. Go to Control Panel
2. Click on Back up
3. Click on "Generate Full Backup"
4. Choose "Remote FTP Transfer"
5. Remote FTP Server: Type the IP address of your New Host Here
6. Remote FTP Server User: Type the username of New Host Account
7. Remote FTp Password: Type the Password of New Host Account.
8. Click ok

After few Minute... (Depending upon the File Size)

New Host

1. Go to Control Panel
2. Click on File Manager
3. On Home Directory, you will see the back up file, if not wait for some time and check again.
4. Do not click on that backup file or try to extract it. It should be restored by your System Administrator.
5. Submit a support ticket requesting a Cpanel restore. Give all detail. It is good to mention the backup file name and file size.
6. Once you hear from that cPanel backup was sucessfully restored, you can change the Name server, so that without any interruption your will site will be up and running.

This method also reduce the hassel of downloading files and uploading files by you. Through this method, all your Database Files, Web Statitics Report and E-mails will be restored to your New Host Account Automatically.

Tips: It is good if you create the New Host Account Username same as the old Host Account Username. Password can be defferent.

Remember that if you have forums or such you'll want to use an .htaccess file on the origin site to redirect users to the new site while it is propogating, otherwise you'll have at least some downtime.

i am planning of moving my forum to a new host but during sign up, they would ask you what domain would you like to use right? can i put in the same domain that i'm currently using for my forum? how does that work?