Moving an ASP.NET website to a new Windows server is mostly careful preparation: know what your site depends on, copy files and database in the right order, test on the new server before visitors see it, and only then switch DNS. This guide walks through a migration to Domain India Windows (Plesk) hosting, with the parts that differ from a PHP site move.
Before you move, list your site's .NET version, databases, mailboxes and scheduled jobs, and check the new server has the .NET version you need. Publish your app, upload it into httpdocs over FTP with explicit TLS, recreate the MSSQL database in Plesk and move the data, then update the connection string. Test through your computer's hosts file, then point the domain at the new hosting. Keep the old host running until the site and email have worked for a few days.
1. Take stock before you move
Most failed migrations come from something nobody wrote down. Before you order or copy anything, list:
Shared hosting can't run your own Windows services or install software, so a site that depends on them needs a different design, or a server. Check that before you buy; the Windows hosting features overview lists what shared Windows hosting does not include.
2. Check the new server fits your app
In Plesk, open your domain's hosting or ASP.NET settings and look at the .NET versions offered. If your app targets a version that isn't listed, either retarget it to one that is, or publish it self-contained so it carries its own runtime. Ask support if you are unsure. Also check that your plan has enough MSSQL databases and storage; plan limits are in Windows hosting plans comparison.
3. Copy the application
Upload the published output of your app, not the source folder.
- Publish locally.Use
dotnet publish -c Releasefor ASP.NET Core, or a Visual Studio folder publish for .NET Framework. - Connect with FTP.Use port 21 with Require explicit FTP over TLS. Windows hosting has no SSH or SFTP.
- Upload into
httpdocs.Yourweb.configand main DLL must sit directly inside it. - Copy runtime files too.Download uploads and
App_Datacontent from the old server and upload them to the same paths.
The full walkthrough, including web.config and "file in use" errors, is in how to deploy an ASP.NET application in Plesk. If your app writes files, set write permission on those folders afterwards; see managing ASP.NET file permissions.
4. Move the database
Create the database and its user in Plesk first; see creating an MSSQL database in Plesk. Then move the data with one of these routes:
- Plesk's import option. If your Plesk offers an import or restore option for the database, upload your export or backup file there.
- A SQL script. In SQL Server Management Studio on your own computer, use Generate Scripts on the old database with schema and data, then run the script against the new database, if you can connect to it.
- Ask support. If neither works for your database size or type, open a ticket with the backup file ready and say which database it belongs to.
The ASP Business and ASP Enterprise listings include remote MSSQL access, but the standard SQL Server port 1433 did not answer from outside when we tested our Windows server in September 2026. Ask support for connection details before you plan to connect SQL Server Management Studio from your own computer.
Then update the connection string in web.config or appsettings.json. Use the server name exactly as Plesk shows it in the database's connection details; see what to use for an MSSQL connection string.
5. Test before you switch DNS
Your domain still points at the old host, so test the new copy directly. Take the server IP from the Access tab of your hosting service in the client area, and add one line to your computer's hosts file (C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts, edited as administrator):
203.0.113.10 yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.comReplace the example IP with yours. Your browser now loads the site from Domain India while everyone else still sees the old host. Test logins, forms, uploads, any payment flow and a few database pages. A certificate warning at this stage is expected; the free certificate is issued once the domain points at us. Remove the line when you finish.
If a page fails, the reason is in the logs; see checking Plesk logs.
6. Switch over
- Freeze changes on the old site.If the site takes orders or posts, pick a quiet time and stop changes, so no data is left behind.
- Copy the latest data.Move the database again, and any files uploaded since your first copy.
- Point the domain.Set the hosting nameservers, or the A records, shown for your hosting service. See how do I change my nameservers.
- Issue SSL.When the domain resolves to the new server, install the free certificate in Plesk; see install SSL in Plesk.
- Recreate mailboxes.Set up the same addresses in Plesk. To bring old mail across, add both accounts to a mail app over IMAP and drag the folders.
DNS changes take time to reach every network, so for a while some visitors see the old site and some the new one. That is why the old host should keep running.
7. After the move
Keep the old hosting until the site and email have worked from Domain India for a few days. Then take one last backup of the old account before you cancel it. Watch your logs daily for the first week: errors that only real traffic triggers show up there first. For backups on the new hosting, see creating backups in Plesk.
For a PHP or WordPress site moving to Linux hosting, follow the general website migration guide instead.
8. Where Domain India fits
Domain India Windows hosting runs ASP.NET, .NET Framework, classic ASP and MSSQL sites in Plesk. New shared hosting purchases, Windows included, can be refunded in full within 30 days; renewals cannot. Not sure your application will run? Ask support before you order. The live card shows today's price, excluding 18% GST.
- 30 GB Storage
- 150 GB Monthly Bandwidth
- 5 Websites
- 50 Email Accounts
How do I move an ASP.NET website to Domain India?
Publish your app, upload the output into httpdocs over FTP with explicit TLS, create the MSSQL database in Plesk and move the data, and update the connection string. Test through your computer's hosts file, then point the domain at your new hosting with nameservers or A records.
How do I move my MSSQL database to Plesk?
Create the database and user in Plesk first. Then use Plesk's import option if it offers one, or run a script generated with SQL Server Management Studio's Generate Scripts, or ask support to help with the backup file.
Can I connect SQL Server Management Studio to my database from home?
Remote MSSQL access is listed on ASP Business and ASP Enterprise, but the standard port 1433 did not answer from outside in our September 2026 test. Ask support for connection details before relying on it.
My app needs a .NET version that isn't listed in Plesk. What can I do?
Retarget the app to a version Plesk offers, or publish it self-contained for Windows so it carries its own runtime. Ask support if you are unsure which works for your app.
Will my site go down while I migrate?
It shouldn't if you keep the old host running until DNS has changed everywhere. Visitors see the old site until their network picks up the new DNS, then the new one.
Can I run a Windows service or scheduled program on shared Windows hosting?
You can't install software or run your own Windows services on shared hosting. Check for scheduled tasks in Plesk, or ask support about server options before you migrate a site that depends on them.
Ready to move your .NET site? Compare the Windows hosting plans, or open a ticket with your .NET version and database size to check the fit first.
Tell us your .NET version, database size and how many sites you have, and we will help you plan the move.
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