Support

When you extract your site its .htaccess file is extracted under the name htaccess.bak. This is intentional. The .htaccess file changes how your server works; if the file backed up on your old server is incompatible with your new server you'd think that the problem is with our software. The name htaccess.bak is inert, the server does not take it into account.

When you clean up, the very last thing it does is rename htaccess.bak back to .htaccess and redirect you to your site's frontend (if cleaning up through the restoration script) or a page asking you if you want to visit your site's frontend (if cleaning up through Kickstart).

If the .htaccess file that had been backed up on your old server is incompatible with your new server guess what happens? That's right, error 500.

So, delete the .htaccess file. Then Joomla's default htaccess.txt into .htaccess which is a bit safer and allows SEF URLs to be used.

FYI, for the past two years you can do that from the restoration script (ANGIE) itself. In the Site Setup page you have an option about what to do with your site's .htaccess file. Choose to use the default for what I described above to happen automatically.

Can you please confirm in no uncertain terms that you deleted the .htaccess as I told you and the problem remained? I never ask you to do something just for fun. It's a critical data point in troubleshooting. When your response implies that you didn't even try what I suggested I can no longer help as you are denying me the information I need to do my job.

Okay, you'd said the error was at the end of the restoration and your server log only said there's a PHP timeout. If that happens again please file a ticket under the Site Restoration support category and I'll probably have you send me the backup so I can take a better look at what is really going on.