Title: Database backup/restore
Last modified: August 18, 2016

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# Database backup/restore

 *  Resolved [adeco2](https://wordpress.org/support/users/adeco2/)
 * (@adeco2)
 * [20 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/database-backuprestore/)
 * Backed up my database, but when restoring the site can barely be read. It’s written
   in a foreign language. I tracked the problem down to differences between the 
   database (accessed though phpmyadmin.powweb.com) and the back up file.
 * Database on line says: ” contradicció “
    Backup file reads: ” contradicciÃÂ
   ³ “ Or ” però ” vs. ” però ”
 * When restoring the website reads ” però “
 * I’m told that I need to convert the backup file to a different format. Like utf-
   8, but I don’t know how to do it, nor I have the appropriate tools. What’s more,
   I don’t know why I need to convert the file. Wouldn’t it be better if the file
   was ok in the first place, or even the database (don’t understand why it’s stored
   that way).
 * Can you help me with this?

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

 *  [Mark (podz)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/podz/)
 * (@podz)
 * [20 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/database-backuprestore/#post-229597)
 * This database problem – there are a few threads – is resolved.
 * Solved by using Notepad++, utf-8 and a lot of copy/paste.
 *  [sannek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sannek/)
 * (@sannek)
 * [20 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/database-backuprestore/#post-229600)
 * IF your WP tables store entries in utf-8 (most likely), you need to make sure
   to set an appropriate utf-8 character set and language when you log in to phpMyAdmin(
   the language drop down field on the login screen) before exporting the database,
   so phpMyAdmin knows about the right character set.
 * If the character sets of WP and phpMyAdmin don’t match, the special characters
   get distorted by an export.
 * Which character set WP uses can be seen under Options/Reading/Encoding for pages
   and feeds
 * I don’t know if you can convert your sql file back to utf-8, but you can try 
   to do it using a text editor that has this capability. I don’t know of one on
   Windows, on Linux you can use Bluefish for that.
 * Character sets are a bit confusing, I hope I could help you anyway.
 * Sanne
 *  [sannek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sannek/)
 * (@sannek)
 * [20 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/database-backuprestore/#post-229601)
 * Ah, didn’t see your post, podz. Sorry to have rambled on, I’m glad it’s resolved
   🙂
 * Sanne
 *  [paperlion](https://wordpress.org/support/users/paperlion/)
 * (@paperlion)
 * [20 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/database-backuprestore/#post-230282)
 * Ain’t getting no satisfaction on this elsewhere – and this is a different angle
   on it, so…
 * I’m running 1.5.1.2 and still having encoding issues on database restores. I’ve
   tested with Notebook++ and other text editors/converters, and all with the same
   results – on restore – but when pasting into WP before backing up characters 
   are all still fine.
 * Does anyone know the details of the problem and the fix – after months (okay 
   part-time) this still eludes me. Is it still necessary to use a command-line 
   sql restore with the iconv filter to convert to UTF8 even after this fix? If 
   so, what are the characters in the database that will need this extra attention?

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

The topic ‘Database backup/restore’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [database](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/database/)

 * In: [Installing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/installation/)
 * 4 replies
 * 4 participants
 * Last reply from: [paperlion](https://wordpress.org/support/users/paperlion/)
 * Last activity: [20 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/database-backuprestore/#post-230282)
 * Status: resolved

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