Images and posts import via XML but image links are broken due to renaming?

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  felciano · Member · Oct 30, 2011 at 7:00 pm

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  Hello —

  I am trying to migrate a blog from Movable Type to WordPress.com. I have had good success in using https://github.com/niallkennedy/Movable-Type-WordPress-export to generate a WP export XML file from our MT installation, which does a much better job (among other things) dealing with line endings and post formatting than the straight MT-to-WP export. However, I’m having trouble getting images and posts transferred in a coordinated manner.

  The specific issue is that while posts and images are correctly copied over to WordPress.com during import, the image locations appear to be renamed and the corresponding links in the posts are not updated appropriately. I think this may be an issue with the WP XML format. Below is an example XML excerpt, where a post at is trying to load this image, described as a media asset item.

  What happens during import is that this image:

  http://www.emmacarlson.com/emmablog/archives/2011/10/06/bad-habits/

  is renamed to:

  http://movabletypeimporttest.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/waterman-apostrophe-fountain-pen-in-black-1-12.jpg

  What is weird is that if I delete all the posts and images and re-upload the XML file, the same image is now renamed to:

  http://movabletypeimporttest.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/waterman-apostrophe-fountain-pen-in-black-1-13.jpg

  If I try again, I get:

  http://movabletypeimporttest.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/waterman-apostrophe-fountain-pen-in-black-1-14.jpg

  Is there some sort of internal invisible counter being used during import? Any suggestions on how to tweak the XML so that these links remain intact?

  Ramon

  <item>
  <title>Bad Habits</title>
  <link>http://www.emmacarlson.com/emmablog/archives/2011/10/06/bad-habits/</link&gt;
  <pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 2011 10:10:49 -0800</pubDate>
  <dc:creator>emma</dc:creator>
  <guid isPermaLink=”false”>http://www.emmacarlson.com/emmablog/archives/2011/10/06/bad-habits/</guid&gt;

  <description></description>
  <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class=”alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-1912″ title=”waterman-apostrophe-fountain-pen-in-black-1-1.jpg” src=”http://movabletypeimporttest.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/waterman-apostrophe-fountain-pen-in-black-1-1.jpg?w=168″ alt=”waterman-apostrophe-fountain-pen-in-black-1-1.jpg” width=”168″ height=”168″ />I write on my hand. </p>

  <p>(text omitted for brevity)</p>]]></content:encoded>
  <excerpt:encoded>I write on my hand. Well, my palm. Yes, like in 5th grade, I jot things down on my hand. I write down to dos, reminders, notes. In ink. On my hand. It's only on my left hand because, really,…</excerpt:encoded>
  <wp:post_id>2013</wp:post_id>
  <wp:post_date>2011-10-06 10:10:49</wp:post_date>
  <wp:post_date_gmt>2011-10-06 17:10:49</wp:post_date_gmt>
  <wp:comment_status>open</wp:comment_status>
  <wp:ping_status>open</wp:ping_status>
  <wp:post_name>bad-habits</wp:post_name>
  <wp:status>publish</wp:status>
  <wp:post_parent>0</wp:post_parent>
  <wp:menu_order>0</wp:menu_order>
  <wp:post_type>post</wp:post_type>
  <wp:post_password></wp:post_password>
  <wp:is_sticky>0</wp:is_sticky>
  <category domain=”category” nicename=”news-nuisance-miscellany”>News, Nuisance, Miscellany</category>
  </item>

  <item>
  <title>waterman-apostrophe-fountain-pen-in-black-1-1.jpg</title>
  <link>http://www.emmacarlson.com/emmablog/images/waterman-apostrophe-fountain-pen-in-black-1-1.jpg</link&gt;
  <pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:43:24 -0800</pubDate>
  <dc:creator>Emma</dc:creator>
  <guid isPermaLink=”false”>http://www.emmacarlson.com/emmablog/images/waterman-apostrophe-fountain-pen-in-black-1-1.jpg</guid&gt;
  <description></description>
  <wp:post_id>1912</wp:post_id>
  <wp:post_date>2011-10-06 11:43:24</wp:post_date>
  <wp:post_date_gmt>2011-10-06 18:43:24</wp:post_date_gmt>
  <wp:post_name>waterman-apostrophe-fountain-pen-in-black-1-1.jpg</wp:post_name>
  … other tags removed for brevity …
  <wp:attachment_url>http://www.emmacarlson.com/emmablog/images/waterman-apostrophe-fountain-pen-in-black-1-1.jpg</wp:attachment_url&gt;
  </item>

  The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

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  felciano · Member · Oct 30, 2011 at 7:02 pm

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  Sorry copy-paste error on my part. The original image source link text is

  http://movabletypeimporttest.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/waterman-apostrophe-fountain-pen-in-black-1-1.jpg

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  timethief · Member · Oct 30, 2011 at 7:11 pm

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  This support forum in only for those who have free hosted WordPress.com blogs. Please read WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org as you are posting to the wrong support forum. We cannot help you here. You must post to http://wordpress.org/support/

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  felciano · Member · Oct 30, 2011 at 8:08 pm

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  Hi Timethief —

  I think I’m posting to the right place: I’m trying to migrate a MT blog on a 3rd party site to a free WordPress.com blog, using the import functionality on wordpress.com. FWIW, I am testing out the migration at http://movabletypeimporttest.files.wordpress.com.

  Please let me know if I’m still posting to the wrong forum.

  Thx,

  Ramon

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  timethief · Member · Oct 31, 2011 at 12:29 am

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  @felciano
  Thanks for the URL. That is a free hosted WordPress.com blog so yes you are posting to the correct forum. However, the blog is private and Volunteers cannot view it. I believe you would be best served by contacting Staff directly for assistance.