[solved] Issues with moving to new domain?

[rialni]

Hi,

 

I have been working all day trying to move an existing shop to a new domain, but I have not succeeded yet and almost ended up breaking all the existing site in the process, so now I am asking your advice. These are the steps I took to complete this action.

 

- I backed up the existing database and PS files.

- I created a new database (with new user etc.)

- I went to the backoffice of the existing site, but it in maintenance mode and changed the URL to the new domain.

- I then downloaded the database to local folder and uploaded this content to the newly created database successfully

- I moved all folders to new directory

- In the new directory I cleared the cache/smarty cache and I changed the information in the setting.php file to the new database parameters.

- I was able to log into the backoffice at the new domain, check that the URL was correct.

 

- I put the new domain in active mode and NOTHING looked alright.

 

So that's clearly not the right way to do it.

 

Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong?

 

The directory of the new domain is placed in the root folder of the existing domain (moving from xxxx.nu to xxxx.dk and the folder xxxx.dk is placed with the files from the xxxx.nu folder, as it's of course in the same server - using cpanel)

 

Edited February 10, 2014 by rialni (see edit history)

[the.rampage.rado]

Did you delete you .htaccess and after that recreated it with save in SEO?

[benjamin utterback]

Did you delete you .htaccess and after that recreated it with save in SEO?

 

A couple ways to do this. You can delete the htaccess manually, it's usually located in the root of public_html folder. 

 

Second way would be to go into your back office and toggle on and off etc.. of the "Enable Friendly URL" in the Preferences/SEO&URL's menu in the Back Office. 

 

Do you agree with me rampage?

[rialni]

I haven't touched the htaccess file for the first try. But the solution that you give Benjamin is, I think, what saved the whole thing, when I thought I had broken the site. i turned friendly Url off and back on and then it worked after my last backup.

 

Right now xxx.nu is in the public_html folder and as an addon domain xxx.dk is also located here, so when i go to xxxx.dk I'm automatically redirected to xxxxx.nu. Can I change that around easily by changing the URL and doing the friendly url htaccess trick? and then avoid foolind around with the database? or do I need to change it to .dk somewhere else too in the database? Can I just keep the existing database?

 

(It's just a question of SEO that I want to move the .nu to .dk that has been used for this shop for years and therefore has some good links everywhere that improves ranking)

 

So instead of .dk pointing to .nu I want the opposite, having them both placed in the same root folder. Shop was built on .nu

[rialni]

I'm not sure if I need to do something else? But it seems that it was that easy!!! I changed SEO/URL to xxx.dk and turned off friendly url. Now that I turn it back on they are pointing the other way around (dk ->nu)

 

Can it really be that simple? Or do I need to do more? Should I regenerate robot and sitemap in google etc. for SEO to work properly?

[rialni]

Anyway, the issue is solved, so I'll mark it as such. I can't believe how well it works. As soon as the topic is opened, the solution is there.

 

Thanks

[the.rampage.rado]

A couple ways to do this. You can delete the htaccess manually, it's usually located in the root of public_html folder. 

 

Second way would be to go into your back office and toggle on and off etc.. of the "Enable Friendly URL" in the Preferences/SEO&URL's menu in the Back Office. 

 

Do you agree with me rampage?

Yeap... went through this few days back..  

 

No issues.

 

But migrating my site gave me a question. In settings.inc.php for 1.5.6.2 (and versions before that) we find 

define('_PS_DIRECTORY_', '/../../');

Is this depricated because it causes no change for me? So I left it as it was on my old server.