Can't Login to Admin with Fresh Install

[interactivewest]

Today I uninstalled all files. I deleted old database and created new database. I downloaded 1.3.8a and ran zc_install. Still same issue. I wasn't able to login to Admin.

I was able to resolve issue after many, many hours of research on Zen Cart Forum and Wiki.

I found this info in Wiki:

Turning off "session.use_trans_sid"

Zen Cart uses the PHP "session" infrastructure to handle login security and keep the information for each visitor to your site separate from everyone else.

If the "session.use_trans_sid" setting is enabled on your server, then Zen Cart won't be able to hook into it properly to access its services in a way that lets Zen Cart identify data related to Zen Cart.

As such, it's important that you have this turned off on your site.

If your hosting server's configuration permits this change to work via .htaccess then you may resolve this issue as follows:

In the "root" of your site (ie: where the /index.php and /install.txt are located, create a new file, called .htaccess (or alter the existing one by adding the following to it):

Inside this file, put the following contents:

# to turn off session-trans-sid
php_value session.use_trans_sid 0

That resolved issue FINALLY.

Suggestion -

Include .htaccess file in latest package 1.3.8a so others may not experience same issue.

Adding 1 .htaccess file which took less than 2 minutes work resolved issue that I have spent 5-8 hours over 7 day period to troubleshoot.

[interactivewest]

Well solution below worked once to be able to login to Admin. Then it quit working. I'm currently talking with Systems admin to see if it is possible to easily turn off "session.use_trans_sid" in php.

[interactivewest]

Fixed this again. I relooked at configuration files. I ended up using configuration files for an older 1.3.8a install and changing url. I also added .htaccess file to admin directory that I created in an earlier post.

This now brings me up to 10 hours to troubleshoot.

Honestly, this needs to be easier to install and to be able to login to Admin to begin work on shopping cart.

Can someone tell me please new version will bypass issues I experienced. If not, I'll have to switch to another shopping shopping cart application.

[interactivewest]

I did some work in the admin area. Added products and did some configuration. I log out and now I can' login to ADMIN PANEL.

I clear cookies from browser. Still can't login.

Screw this application.

[Muzz]

I read through your later posts and was disappointed to find that you could not find a solution to get Zen Cart working consistently. I think it is either the server settings for the host or .htaccess scripting problem.

Unfortunaltey, not all web hosts provide the ideal environment for Zen Cart to work on their servers.

I suggest in the future that you check with you webhost if they support Zen Cart on their servers.
If they support the current version of Zen Cart.
Ask to see working examples ON the server you are to be hosted on.

Zen Cart is a relatively easy install for most users (Hardest part is probably setting up the database before installing Zen Cart for a novice) providing your hosting environment supports it. So always check before purchasing web hosting that Zen Cart is supported on their servers.

[interactivewest]

I thought I would give a quick recap of my resolution for admin login described above.

There is a real issue with .htaccess file, need for it in both root of the server and in admin folder and for it to have correct coding so both IE and Firefox and different versions work correctly.

One solution was to add the following code:
# to turn off session-trans-sid
php_value session.use_trans_sid 0

That seems to work when trying to admin site in Firefox (latest version).

I had to clear cache and dump cookies and I was still only able to successfuly login with Firefox occassionally.

The package installs with "Recreate Session" under sessions tab in Admin as "True" When I reset it to false the admin login issue has completely disappeared.

In terms of Internet Explorer browser version 8.0 - with or without .htaccess file in place I'm only able to login once and then can never login again. I'm told by my server admin that there is inherent issue with IE8 with cache/cookies. There is a resolution but nobody seems to know exactly what that is.

As far as comment about web hosting services, this application is hosted on my server where we have dozens of other Zen Cart shopping carts for other customers running so we go to any lengths to support Zen Cart application.

The issue was resolved by adding .htaccess file and turning off "Recreate Sessions" in admin section.

To developers of Zen Cart - please consider adding .htaccess files to download with correct coding for IE as well and turn off "Recreate Sessions" in Admin Setup.