Transferring Your Hosting Account

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So you want to host your Web site with Cheap Hosting For You, but you want to avoid costly mistakes and excessive site downtime. The process of moving your Web site from one hosting provider to another can seem like a daunting task. This guide leads you through the process of transferring your account to our secure servers while minimizing unfavorable downtime.

Essentially, when you host your Web site and its content, you are storing the files and data on a remote computer. The access and management tools provided make it easy for you to move and maintain your files and data. You can successfully transfer your Web site hosting from your existing hosting provider
to our secure hosting with minimal interruptions to your site activity.

To help the process run smoothly, you should know who your current hosting provider is and the company where your domain name is currently registered. In many cases, this is not the same company. To begin the process of transferring your hosting account, purchase a hosting plan that suits your needs and then follow the steps outlined in this guide.

SETTING UP YOUR HOSTING ACCOUNT

Your account is not automatically set up when you purchase a hosting plan. You must set up the new account in the Hosting Manager, where you configure hosting account functionality.

To Set up Your Hosting Account

1. Log in to your Account Manager.
2. Under the Hosting & Email section, select Hosting Account List.
3. Next to the hosting account you want to set up, click Setup Account.
   
   
   
   
4. On the Account Setup page in the Hosting Manager, type in the domain name you want to use for this hosting account.
5. If you want to use FrontPage for this account, select Install.
6. If you want Java Enabled for this account, select Setup.
   
   
   

   The FrontPage and Java options will only display if you have purchased a hosting account that includes these features.

   
   
7. Create a User ID and Password for this hosting account. This is the User ID and password that you will use to connect to your hosting account using an FTP client. This is also the User ID and Password that you will use to access your free Web Statistics page.
8. Click Continue.
9. Verify your account information. If everything looks correct, click Submit.A
   
   Congratulations message displays, letting you know that your hosting account should be ready to use in a few minutes. You will receive an email message once your hosting account is ready to use. This email message will include all of your basic account-management information.
   
   

   If your domain is registered with us, we automatically change your name servers. You need to point your new host record to your old site until you finish this process.

CHANGING YOUR A RECORD

If your domain is registered with us, we recommend that you point your A record (host record) to your existing(old) hosting provider.This will help to avoid site downtime until you complete your data transfer.

Changing your A Record

1. Log in to your Account Manager.
2. From the Domains drop-down list, select My Domains.
3. In the Domain Manager, click on the domain name you want to change.
4. Expand the Total DNS Control menu.
5. Click Select Total DNS Control and MX Records.
6. Click Launch Total DNS Control Manager.
7. Select Edit for the A record, and enter your IP address from your existing(old) hosting account.

Once you complete the transfer of your files and data to your new hosting account, you can change the records back to your new IP address.

TRANSFERRING YOUR WEB SITE CONTENT

Once you have set up your new hosting account, you can begin transferring files
and data. There are several popular tools that you can use for uploading files and
importing databases. This section provides instructions for using some of the
most popular tools and links to more information.

Uploading Your Files
To upload files to your Web site, you need an FTP client. FTP, or File Transfer Protocol, lets you connect to a host computer with your new hosting account. The Hosting Manager has a Web-based FTP client that you can use to upload your files.

If you need to transfer a lot of large files, we recommend that you use Windows
XP Network Places or a standard FTP client such as FileZilla.

For instructions on uploading files with Windows XP Network Places, see Using
Windows XP to Upload Your Site.

For instructions on uploading files with FileZilla, see Using FileZilla to Upload
Your Site.

Using the Hosting Manager FTP Client to Upload Your Files

1. Log in to your Account Manager.
2. Under the Hosting & Email section, select Hosting Account List.
3. Next to the hosting account you want to modify, click Open.
4. Under the Content section of the Hosting Manager, click the FTP Client icon.
5. If a security certificate window displays, click Yes to accept the certificate and open the FTP program.
6. You can transfer files back and forth from your local system to your hosting account (remote system) using the arrows in the middle of the FTP client.

Importing Your Data

Before you can import data into your new hosting account, you must create a new SQL database in that account. Depending on the operating system on your host server, you use a SQL tool to create and manage your database.

Setting up a MySQL Database for Your Web Site Content

MySQL is a database server that you can use in conjunction with PHP and other scripting languages to create dynamic Web sites.

1. Log in to your Account Manager.
2. Under the Hosting & Email section, select Hosting Account List.
3. Next to the hosting account you want to modify, click Open.
4. Under the Databases section of the Hosting Manager, click the MySQL icon.
5. Click Create New Database.
   
   
   
   
6. Enter a user name and password, and click Continue.
7. Verify your MySQL database settings. If everything looks correct, click Create Database.
   
   

   It may take a few minutes to create your database. Click the Refresh button in your browser to check and see if your database is ready.

Importing Your Database Using MySQL

1. Log in to your Account Manager.
2. Under the Hosting & Email section, select Hosting Account List.
3. Next to the hosting account you want to modify, click Open.
4. Under the Databases section of the Hosting Manager, click the MySQL icon.
5. Click Open Manager next to the database you want to configure.
6. Click the Query Window(SQL) button.
   
   
   
   
7. Click the Import Files tab.
8. Click Browse, select your SQL file, and then click Go.
   
   
   
9. Your database information is imported.

Setting Up a SQL Server Database for Your Web Site Content

SQL Server is a relational database server from Microsoft that you can use in conjunction with Web programming languages to create dynamic Web sites.

1. Log in to your Account Manager.
2. Under the Hosting & Email section, select Hosting Account List.
3. Next to the hosting account you want to modify, click Open.
4. Under the Databases section of the Hosting Manager, click the SQL Server icon.
5. Click Create New Database.
6. If you want to use DSN with this database, select Create DSN.
7. Enter a user name and password, and click Continue.
8. Verify your SQL Server database settings. If everything looks correct, click Create Database.
   
   

   It may take a few minutes to create your database. Click the Refresh button in your browser to check and see if your database is ready.

Importing Your Database Using SQL Server

Once your new database is set up, you can transfer the data from your existing database. There is a link to the SQL Server tool in the Hosting Manager.

1. Log in to your Account Manager.
2. Under the Hosting & Email section, select Hosting Account List.
3. Next to the hosting account you want to modify, click Open.
4. Under the Databases section of the Hosting Manager, click the SQL Server icon.
5. Next to the database to which you are importing, click Open Manager.
6. In the Navigation panel, click Connection.
7. In the Connection panel, click Connection.
8. Enter the User Name and Password you used when setting up the database.
9. Click Connect.
10. Expand the Tools folder on the left and click CSV import wizard.
11. From the Database drop-down menu, choose the database in which to import your data, and then click Next Step.
    
    
    
12. From the Table drop-down list, select the table into which the data will be imported, and then click Next Step.
13. Select the database columns into which the data will be imported, and then click Next Step.
14. Choose the CSV file to import and specify the file's characteristics.
15. Click Submit.

TESTING YOUR TRANSFERRED FILES

After you have set up your new hosting account and transferred files, you can easily verify that your Web site looks the way you want it to before you make it live on the Internet. You can test your Web site by adding the IP address and Web site name to your Windows host file.

To Modify Your Windows Host File

1. Go to c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts and open the host file in Notepad. Note: hosts is the name of the file you need to modify, not a directory.
2. Add your IP address and Web site name below the last entry. The entry should look like this: 100.55.55.52 www.coolexample.com. Add each entry on an individual line with the IP address preceding the site name.
3. Save and close the host file.

Verifying the Transfer of Your Web Site Files

Once you have transferred your files and updated your host file, you can verify that your Web site works. To view your Web site, open a browser window and type your domain name in the address bar.

CHANGING YOUR DOMAIN NAME SERVERS(DNS)

In order to complete the transfer of your Web site hosting, you must change your domain name servers(DNS). A domain name server(DNS) is an address assigned by the computer where your Web site files are hosted. The address is associated with your domain name so that your Web site can be viewed on the Internet when someone enters your domain name. The process for setting up your name servers depends on the company where your domain is registered. Check with your domain name Registrar for specific instructions on how to change your name servers to:

• ns3.secureserver.net
• ns4.secureserver.net

These name servers will point your domain name to your new hosting account.

Once you have verified that your Web site works, you can cancel your account
with your existing(previous) hosting provider.

For more information on hosting, visit our Help Center