Transferring files from another server

I inherited a web site to host that is currently on a different server with another hosting company. I am a web designer that has basic knowledge of php and mysql (very basic). The current site is a mess. It started out as another shopping cart and then at some point was changed to a zen cart. The structure contains several copies of the same zen cart folders and files (actually about 4 copies of the zen cart folders and files). In addition, there are redirects to other web sites and plenty of hacks. There are more than 20,000 files! Honest! Many of them have no use and effectively clutter the site. It's very difficult to determine which files are live and which are just dead weight.

My original idea (not yet knowing at the time the colossal mess) was to upload the files to the new server (different hosting company as well), and modify the configure files. I have never work with Zen Cart, but I have known about for a long time and been aware that there is a strong Zen Cart community that is very supportive.

Uploading the files to my server and modifying the configure files hasn't work for me because of all the hacks and moving of files. There are also 3 different databases in phpMyAdmin for this site. I create backup files for them and imported them into my server. I then noticed that the databases were duplicates with the same tables. I found the one that was populated with info (like settings, customer info, etc) and I am using that one.

I am trying to get this done this weekend so I may be asking some questions on the forum.

My first request is to get some feedback from some expert that may have been down the same road. What I decided to do is this: Start fresh with new Zen Cart files and then try to make some sense out to the old files to reconstruct the web site. Does anyone have any advice or warnings?

Follow this FAQ on the topic of moving from one server to another: https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=100
No doubt you've already got the content from the old server in backups.
Follow the FAQ to do the basic config for the new server. Preserve the generated config files. Upload the old files. Replace the old config files with the new ones.
Import the old database into the new one. You can determine which of the 3 databases was in use by finding it in the DB_xxxx settings of the old site's configure.php files. If you're only restoring Zen Cart data, you only need that database. You can deal with the content in the other databases some other time down the road, if ever.

Thanks for the advice but I have done all you suggested before I posted my reply-even looked at that tutorial. I have spent days trying to rehabilitated this site and I think the best idea, as I mentioned, is to start a new site and use some of the old files if I need to. I think I will need some help with the templates when I get to them, so I hope that you and others will be kind enough to help me with some questions I might have soon.

john_c:

... will be kind enough to help me with some questions I might have soon.
Sure. If your questions are unrelated to the issue discussed in this thread, be sure to post a new thread for the new question.