Copying WP data and files into new install?

If your goal is to install a newer version without plugins, you just need to generate a backup of the database and copy the uploads folder along with this database. Afterward, simply reinstall WordPress, import the MySQL database, and go into wp-content, copy the zipped uploads folder that came from the source site and extract it. You also need to install the same theme that you used in the previous version. If the site hasn’t changed its URL (same domain), you don’t need to change anything in the database. But if the domain or subdomain is different, you have to change the URLs via bash script, wp-cli command, or even with SQL command in phpMyAdmin if necessary. I use WordOps for all my sites and configure everything quickly via SSH and rsync, but I think installations with cPanel and others also work.