I am in the process of transferring posts from one WordPress install to another. I can use WordPress’ Tools –> Export to export the XML I need for my posts. On the new install, I then use Tools –> Import to load the XML. I check “Download and import file attachments” and then finish the import. The pictures that are inline in my post work, but there are no images to be found in the posts’ media gallery. The gallery tab under Upload / Insert is nonexistent, meaning there are no attachments associated with the new post.
I currently have the posts migrated, but attachments are still not. How can I do this? And also include the existing captions, descriptions, titles, etc.
Edit: I should add that this was a migration, so the site URL stayed the same — It it just the server / WordPress install that changed. Therefore the image paths stayed the same, but they pictures just aren’t registered in the posts’ Media Gallery.
In case if your images are lying in some other folder of your previous wordpress install, then did you try copying that entire folder in your current install?
Best way to move a site to a new server – either with out without a domain change – is to export the database. That way, the site will retain all meta data that is lost with a WXR export and import. Of course, you also have to move the uploads folder in wp-content/uploads/ and all subdirectories in it.
If you move the database, all media metadata is retained and all images will still be in the media library. See http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Backups and Moving WordPress « WordPress Codex