'This site can't be reached' message after restoring

[braxtonParticipant]

I just set up a Wampserver to provide a localhost test site for a new website development in WordPress. The server set up and WP installation went smoothly, so I downloaded my backups from my live website and restored them to my test site. The restoration seemed to go well and all of the files (plug-ins, media, etc) appear in the test site’s directories. However, as soon as I tried to switch pages (after the restoration was finished), I got the following:

This site can’t be reached
localhost refused to connect.
Try:

Checking the connection
Checking the proxy and the firewall
ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED

Now, I can’t get into my test site at all. I keep getting this message. It was suggested to me that I restart my DNS Client service. No change. Rebooted. No change. Again, all of the files appear to be there, but I can’t get the site to open. I’m not a big techie so any and all help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Bryle CroduaModerator]

Hi,

Could you try to temporarily deactivate all your plugins? See if you are able to view your site if you do that?
It is possible that one of your plugins is causing the problem.

Regards,
Bryle

[braxtonParticipant]

Bryle,

Thanks for the reply, but I can’t get into the site at all.

[Bryle CroduaModerator]

Hi,

Please check this article on how to deactivate a plugin when can’t access the dashboard https://www.wpbeginner.com/plugins/how-to-deactivate-all-plugins-when-not-able-to-access-wp-admin/

Regards,
Bryle

[MarkParticipant]

Your symptoms are similar to this and several other threads where a restore effectively crashes WordPress. Nothing works, and if you check it the database has not restored correctly. See this thread for more info. It is an acknowledged problem. https://updraftplus.com/forums/topic/failure-to-restore/

[braxtonParticipant]

After going to that wpbeginner.com post, I found that all of my plugins were already deactivated, except UpdraftPlus. Ultimately, I found a reference in another support forum about the error I was having. At their suggest, I cleared my cache in Chrome and could then get to the log-in window, but the password I had entered wouldn’t work. I used phpMyAdmin to fix my password, because for whatever reason WP saved its suggested PW and not the one I had entered when setting up WP. Now I am up and running.

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