useabilitymedic --
1) If she could upload her files via an IP address, but not through her domain name, it means that the 24-72 hr process of transitioning her DNS from one webhosting company to another was still in progress; she needs to learn how to do a whois (
www.dnsstuff.com if a good place to start)
2) Most WH plans ARE shared IP -- it's far more rare that it's not, especially if it's a UNIX-based system; however, if she'd previously been on a Windows-based system, she would have been assigned a static ip and she needs to verify just what her plan is with the new WH company
Purehost.
3) I've never heard of anyone NOT being notified of an acquisition change; therefore, it's likely that her whois information is out-of-date in terms of the admin email address and the notifications didn't get through to her. Again -- the whois will show this information. Also, it is standard practice for a Registrar to notify the domain owner of any DNS change; again, if admin email is wrong, it won't get delivered.
There are a series of beginner's skills that people need to learn to survive:
a) How to find a URL (I typed in purehost.com and hit the site; otherwise, I would have typed purehost into Google to locate it).
b) How to do a whois on one's own domain -- to find out i) who the registrar is; ii) where the DNS is pointing; iii) if the owner's info is current.