If you change host providers you will need to move your website from one server to the new one.  Here's how to do it.

Step 1: FTP site to my harddrive

Step 2: Using phpMyAdmin, export database

Step 3: FTP site from my harddrive to new web address

Step 4: Create new database

Step 5: Edit configuration.php file and re-upload this file with new settings.  The main ones that changed were:

var $log_path
var $tmp_path
var $host = ‘localhost’;
var $user = ‘new name’;
var $db = ‘new_database_name_joomla’;
var $dbprefix = ‘jos_’;
var $mailfrom = new email address (was using mine)’;

Step 6: Import old database into new one using phpMyAdmin

Step 7: browse to web address holding breath and expecting weird error messages and several hours of going “what the @@##%%”

Step 8: There it is, my joomla site, with my custom template and everything working like a dream.