OK so I have more info.
I export from WordPress.com into the usual XML file. I am doing it in small increments (no more than a month).
I then try to import those into my otherwise working brand-new wordpress.org site, hosted at 1and1.com. Otherwise this is fine (and I host another blog there, all fine too). But the impoirts all fail.
And not all at the same point. It seems an import will run for a few seconds, then stop. So if I include media they all fail very miserably. But even when importing posts, it will just hand half way.
If I then repeat the same import, it will recognize the ones it has done and say "already exists", and it will import maybe one more post. And so on: every time I repeat it will do a little more.
At this rate it will take me a week to import my many posts. Halep.. anyideas?
I am using the wordpress import plugin, and there's only one as far as I can see.
Help.. can anyone give me any advice?