There’s plenty of interest in installing & developing WordPress locally but how about if you already have a live WordPress site? How do you transfer WordPress to your local PC or restore your site backup locally?
If you haven’t already installed your own XAMPP or WAMP server locally, you’ll need to do that first. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to restore backup of your WordPress files and databases locally on your own PC to WAMP (Windows, Apache, MySQL, PHP)
You can use this tutorial if you are using MAMP for Mac or LAMP (Linux)
Remote Server Backup
Backup Your Files
Using FTP or cPanel, simply create a backup of your files. The easiest way to do this is to download a backup of the entire folder your WordPress installation is located. Its normally named something like your site name and located in your public_html directory folder.
Tip: If you are using Cpanel or Unlimited FTP within cPanel, i suggest you download a zip version rather than .tar.
Backup Your Database(s)
Using PhpMyAdmin in cPanel, create a database backup copy of your database(s) to your desktop
Local WAMP Restoration
Create a new database(s)
Using PHPMyAdmin in WAMP, simply create a new database user while adding a new database and import your database backup.
WordPress Backup Folder
Drag or extract your WordPress files into WAMPS www directory. Left click the WAMP icon in your system tray and click www directory. If you’re using XAMPP navigate to this address in C drive:
XAMPP Locations: WordPress Local Folder: C:\xampp\htdocs
Create XAMPP Database: http://locahost/phpmyadmin/
WAMP Locations: Left click on the WAMP icon
Edit Config File
Try and use the same database name, username and password you used on your live server when creating a new database on WAMP otherwise you will have to edit the wp-config.php file with your new database details.
Open wp-config and change the database name, username and password. Save changes
Edit PhpMyAdmin wp_options Table
PhpMyAdmin wp_options table
Here you’ll need to change 3 settings.
Site URL – Change To http://localhost/wordpress/
Home URL – Change To http://localhost/wordpress/
File upload_url Change to http://localhost/wordpress/wp-content/images
Tip: Try the Search facility in PhpMyAdmin as you may have too many tables to find your File Upload_url settings
No they don’t have an office in Bangalore. Where will my posts be in the backup that they have given to me. Can I see them. If so, then I it will be easy for me to backup the files. Isn’t it?
The files do not contain any content. You need to login to your site and export the content or do the same thing by exporting the database.
Thank you for your quick responses. They have backed up the files on the server in a folder. There is no sql file in there. I called them so many times but in vain. The files are in mywebsite/backup folder. How to login and export your database from phpMyAdmin? Which account should I log into? Should I create a new database and then login to export or how is it? Please suggest.
I would login to your control panel and export the database.
Hoe many accounts do you have with them?
Do they have an office in Bangalore?
I thought they are only in the U.S.
Than you for the detailed blog. I had downloaded the blog files from FTP. But didn’t do this step “Using PhpMyAdmin in cPanel, create a database backup copy of your database(s) to your desktop”. I deleted the hosting account which had my blog. Now I am left with the files copied from FTP server. uploads, themes, …
Can you please help me out. My blog was started in 2009 and I had lot of posts since then. Is there any chance that I can get my blog running as it was before? Please help.
I would contact your host ASAP and see if you can get a database backup otherwise you’ve lost all your content.
They have not given me the backup of all the files. But the backup looks similar to the backup I had taken from FTP. How will I know if they have taken the backup from mysql?
Hi Niak
Who are they?
What is the name of your host?
Godaddy.
It should contain a sql file. Why can’t you login and export your database from phpMyAdmin?
Just wanted to say thanks. I was having trouble with the local restore and this sorted me out.
No worries Charles
Brad,
thanks for your precious info, as I am a beginner with WordPress. I have tried backing up my online website following yours and other similar methods but what happens is that when I try to launch my new project from the localhost on Chrome, I am asked to save a file. Very confusing.
I have been able to add the user and datatables, as well as changing the files that u’ve mentioned. Also Wamp seems to be working ok though.
Any ideas on where to go from here?
Cheers!
The easiest way is to use the export/import tool in WordPress. Your images will still be hosted on your web server but its a really simple way to import and export content.
If you have a large site, export by category or month so you stay under the import limit of 2mg.
This won’t import your featured image url’s so they won’t display but its good enough for testing.
You can download your entire wp-contents folder an drag it into your local WordPress installation easily.
Did that answer your question Luis?