How to Reinstall a WordPress Website from a Backup Creator
You have a major malfunction with your WordPress website. It is very sad to see your content go down the drain but there is a way to bring it back. If you are reading this article, I assume that you are a WordPress user and you are trying to figure out how to reinstall a WordPress website from a backup created by a reliable backup service.
The first thing you need to do is figure out what went wrong with your installation. Was it a configuration error? Or did someone break into your website and steal all your content?
When something like this happens, you will have to start from scratch and you will lose all your content, including posts, pages, and comments. Fortunately, you can restore most of the content from a backup you created previously. But before you start worrying about your lost data, take a deep breath and do some research in how to properly reinstall WordPress.
If you are using a hosting provider, you will have to contact their support team for assistance. Some web hosts offer a service to restore a MySQL database from a dump file. This is usually a one-time offer so be sure to take them up on it. They will help you out for free.
Create a New Database
To make sure your data is safe, create a new database and migrate your content into it. You can use the Backup and Migrate features in WordPress to easily move all your content. For a more technical audience, you can use the PHPMyAdmin tool to connect to your database.
Make sure that you have a unique and strong password for this database. You must also choose a strong and complex password to keep your data secure. A good practice is to use an automated tool to generate random passwords and store them in a secure place. For example, you can use Dashlane to generate random passwords and store them in a safe place on your phone so you can access them whenever you need them. This way, if someone hacks your e-mail account or breaks into your WordPress website, they will not be able to access your password because it will be randomly generated and stored securely on your phone. So you can change your password without worry.
Set Up a Recovering Password
While you are creating a new database, you can also set up a recovering password for your existing blog. This can be a lifesaver if you forget your password and you have to restore it from a backup. Just follow these simple steps:
1. Login to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to Settings → Password in the left menu.
3. Check the box that says “I have a secondary password to protect my content from being published in the event that I forget my primary password.”
4. Type in your secondary password when prompted.
5. Click the Apply Password Changes button at the bottom of the page.
Remove Unnecessary Plugins
Once you have restored your content and set up a new password, remove all the unnecessary plugins from your WordPress site. You don’t need all of them and it is a good security practice to remove any unneeded plugins. Remove all of the plugins except for the ones you need for your blog purpose. For example, if you run a food blog, you might want to keep the WordPress SEO plugin but remove the Akismet plugin, which is used to protect your blog from spam.
To remove plugins, navigate to Plugins in the left menu. Find the plugin you want to remove and click the Remove button to the right of it. If you do not want to remove the plugin, click the Edit button to view the options for the plugin. You can also deactivate plugins so they will not interfere with your blog posts if you decide to activate them later.
Rename Your Blog
The next step is to rename your blog. If you did not put a lot of thought into the name of your blog when you first launched it, take the time to find a better name for it. Just remember that this will be the name you use when you register your new domain and when you link to your blog on social media platforms. So, do not choose a name that is already being used by another site. You can use the Generate short URL tool in WordPress to create a short link to your blog. That way people can easily find your content online even if they do not know your blog’s name.
Import Your Old Blog Posts
You can now import all of your old blog posts into your new WordPress site. Start by looking at the oldest posts in your archive and decide which ones you want to bring over to the new site. You do not have to do this all at once, but it is a good idea to start small and then add more content as you go along. Remember to keep a copy of your old blog posts somewhere safe and then overwrite the files on your new site with the old content.
Customize Your Blog’s Theme
The last step in the reinstallation process is to customize the theme of your blog. Choose a theme that is closest to what you had on your old site. If you used a free theme, you can install the same theme on your new site. Otherwise, you will have to find a similar theme that is licensed under a free or open-source license and is easy to customize.
Take your time reading through the instructions that come with the theme you choose. This will ensure that you install the theme correctly and that you have all the necessary backups as discussed earlier. If everything is done correctly, you will have a functional and looking-exactly-like-the-old-blog WordPress site in no time!
Hopefully, this article gave you enough information to successfully reinstall your WordPress website. By taking the time to prepare for this eventuality, you can save a lot of stress and anxiety down the line. Backing up your site regularly and testing the restored content in some way or another will help you ensure everything is running smoothly and that you do not have any nasty surprises once the site is live again.