Akeeba Dev to Live Restore Without Overwriting Users & Orders

[PRO]

This tutorial will HELP NOT GUARANTEE you to move your updated development site onto your live site WITHOUT overwriting orders & users with Akeebah Backup.
Here is Akeebah's article    https://www.akeebabackup.com/documentation/walkthroughs/advanced-site-transfers.html

NOW: the Virtuemart Information you will need to know.

What you should do is create a NEW "backup profile" and name it "dev to live" etc.
For users and orders, THESE tables have to be EXCLUDED in your development site.


#__user_profiles
#__user_usergroup_map
#__users
#__virtuemart_invoices
#__virtuemart_order_calc_rules
#__virtuemart_order_histories
#__virtuemart_order_items
#__virtuemart_order_payment_paypal
#__virtuemart_order_payment_standard
#__virtuemart_order_userinfos
#__virtuemart_orders
#__virtuemart_payment_plg_authorizenet
#__virtuemart_payment_plg_paypal
#__virtuemart_payment_plg_standard
#__virtuemart_rating_reviews
#__virtuemart_rating_votes
#__virtuemart_ratings
#__virtuemart_userinfos
#__virtuemart_vmusers


WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is MORE

IN THAT list, for MY SITE.
I also exclude
#__virtuemart_shipment_plg_pro_ship
Thats the shipment plugin I am using.

This table ADDS a new record for EVERY ORDER that is placed.

The same for Payment Plugins
Payment Plugins are named  like   virtuemart_payment_plg_NAME
Shipment Plugins are named like   virtuemart_shipment_plg_NAME


So make sure you EXCLUDE plugins specific to your site.


You want to test this locally, or on a separate site first.

Backup your live site, and install it locally or on a development domain.
Then Backup your development site USING the backup profile you created.
FTP/Move your development backup into your backups folder for the site you want to overwrite (REMEMBER TEST SITE FIRST)
"Import Archive Files" with Akeebah
Restore your development site

Check to make sure your latest users & orders are correct.
If all goes well, backup your live site BEFORE trying this.
Then Install your development backup on top.

IF, Some things were lost., or malfunctioning. LOOK in your database for tables that have to do with orders, custom field plugins that are saved with orders, payment plugins, shipment plugins.