A clean way to move Magento from Local to Server without edit any file (12 steps)

1.  Compress your local Magento folder in a zip file, and put the package in a safe place in your hard drive.

2.  Export Magento data base with phpmyadmin (make sure to check SQL and the “save as file” option) and save the data base in a safe place in your hard drive

3.  Upload the Magento zip package in your live server (root directory), and uncompress it (I use c-panel file manager).

4.  Once unzipped the package, make sure there is nothing in the cache directory (if you found some files delete them)

a.  var/cache /

b.  var/session/

5.  Delete this file: app/etc/local.xml (This run a new installation, that we start on step 10)
(Making sure that Magento connect will work)

6.  Download an original installation package of your Magento version, and copy this file:

a.  downloader/pearlib/clean

b.  downloader/pearlib/ pear

c.  downloader/pearlib/ peardev

d.  downloader/pearlib/ pecl

7.  Go to your live server Magento folder: downloader/pearlib/ and replace the files that you find, with files copied in step number 6 (you need to use on more time an ftp client)
(data base setup)

8.  Open your live server phpmyadmin and create a new data base for example magdb

9.  Import inside your new data base (for example magdb) the SQL data base that you have exported in step number 2
(Installation of Magento)

10.  Go to your domain using your favorite browser, and run a new installation of magento

11.  Connect it to the data base created on step number 8

12.  Choose your final data ex: admin patch, user and password, etc. And make sure to save the new Key encrypt
That’s all.
Note that all of your extensions are installed and operating, including Magento Connect
Possible problems divided by step

• Step 3: If you don’t’ have an unzipper tool on your hosting upload the uncompressed folder using an ftp client

• Step 9: if your data base is too big, try to upload it in phpmyadmin as a zip file

• Step 10: If you find any errors, make sure folder permissions are set to 755 and file permissions to 644. If your administration submenu pulldowns don’t work, make sure /js/index.php is 644.

• Step 11: If your Magento installation does not connect to the data base, make sure to use the data access of your live server data base, and make sure that the step number 4 is done