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I have installed and used MTW Migrator component but I can't find where the migration file goes... can anyone help me find it ... thanks

I don't think MTW Migrator creates a migration file, it just copies from your old database to your 1.5 database.

I"m confused... I guess I'll have to do some research and get a clearer idea of what is happening ...I was trying to find a module to load a Migration Script from a site backup... as it says in the installation of Joomla...

mwtMigrator is an extension you install in a Joomla 1.5 site, after the site has been installed. You run it from your 1.5 site's backend, give it the details of your old 1.0 database connection and it transfers your old sites content to your new site. It makes no changes to the old 1.0 database, just copies from it.

If you wish to load a Migration Script during the install of Joomla then you need to use the official migrator. This one you install on your old site, run through its wizard and then it creates a dump file. You then backup this file and you select it during the install of Joomla 1.5 when it asks if you have a Migration script.
http://docs.joomla.org/Migrating_from_1.0.x_to_1.5_Stable

So I don't need a migrator if I'm just trying to backup and restore a 1.5 site? I'm trying to make sure i know how to back up and restore my clients site before I get too far and I assumed that was what migrator was for...

The migrators are for migrating from the last version of Joomla, 1.0 to the latest version 1.5. You need a backup extension, I recommend JoomlaPack, but there are others.
http://extensions.joomla.org/extensions/access-a-security/backup

I am also in the process of migrating a 1.0 site over to 1.5. I have a test subdomain set up so I can make sure everything is working as it should. I think I understand the process but just want to clarify. This comment has me a little confused.

mwtMigrator is an extension you install in a Joomla 1.5 site, after the site has been installed.

Does this mean that I install 1.5 in the test site, install the migrator and when I start the migration process it will give me the option of directing it to the test site.

Is that correct? I just want to make sure that the 1.0 site is not affected in anyway.

If you use mtwMigrator you first need to install Joomla 1.5, and the 1.5 database needs to be on the same server as the 1.0 site you are migrating. After 1.5 is installed you install the mtwMigrator extension. You then run the migrator from the admin backend of the 1.5 site. It will ask for the connection info for your 1.0 database. Then it will copy over any data that you select from the old site to the new site. This has no effect on the 1.0 site but to be safe you might want to do this during slow time on your site and take it offline during the migration. After the migration you can put the 1.0 site back online.

I have used mtwMigrator for my 1.0 site, and it worked pretty well. I have two issues, though. My old static content looks nice, but in other content (news articles) my Swedish characters have been replaced with some strange character.

Also, I can't seem to get two of my categories brought over to the Joomla 1.5 site. I have no clue what so ever why these are excluded. I have 8 categories in the 1.0 site, but only 6 are transferred into the 1.5 site. Does anyone have any ideas what to do?

I don't think mtwMigrator does database encoding conversion well. The old database was probably iso and the new Joomla 1.5 database is utf-8 encoded. Can you recreate the missing content and sections? In the long run it might be quicker then retrying the migration.

Thanks for your answer, dpacadmin! I will probably try to recreate some of the missing content. We are talking about approximately 500 news articles, but there's no need for it all to be in my news archives from day 1 =)

Thank you for your response on the migration. I have another question. I think I undertand the initial migration process but the site I work on has 13 different databases/folders that are tied to the main database/folder. When I install the migration tool into the 1.5 site and call the information from the 1.0 site will it only create the main database of the site.

Joomla's database is in a MySQL server, not a folder. If you mean you have added extensions the best thing to do is give it a try and see what does and doesn't work.

Thank you. I have joomla 1.5 installed into a test site and have installed the mtwmigrator. Do I need to change anything in the Global Configuration? Is this where I put in the 1.0 site information or does it ask for the information once I start the migratio process?

Run the mtwMigrator and when it asks for the database connection info it needs the connection info for your 1.0 database. It will then try to migrate your 1.0 site to your 1.5 site.

When I clicked on start migration a error comes up saying unable to connect to database: Could not connect to MySQL. Do I need to add the information for the 1.0 site in the global configuration? It asks for database name, username, password. It already shows the hostname as localhost and the prefix as jos_.

Thank you for your help with this.

I have not used the mtwMigrator so I can not be specific I only know that it should ask for the connection info for the old 1.0 database so that it can import the data to your 1.5 database. It should already know where the 1.5 database is as it was installed to it in the first place.

OK I just remembered there is a video tutorial on how to use mtwMigrator here;
http://joomlaforbeginners.com/joomla-1.5-video-tutorials/migrating-your-joomla-1.0-content-to-joomla-1.5.html

One caveat; as far as I know both databases need to be on the same server although I seem to remember someone posting here that they were able to connect to a remote database using the full address for the database server.

Unfortunately, it only migrated over the front page. I guess I will have to try something different. Thank you for your help.