Where do I start with Zencart??

[blanko]

Looking for some help in very simple terms. I have just taken over a little online shop with zencart. It is all running pretty much as I would like it to be (is in maintenance mode at the moment). I dont have zen cart software etc. on my own computer- I have been logging in to the site admin to make changes to items etc. How do I install the stuff I need on my computer for a site/store that is already running?? I purchased the zencart e book and it seems to be just for setting up from scratch. Any help would be appreciated, but I'm no computer expert (the simpler the better)
Thanks

[afo]

You can download the existing files and folders from the running site to your local computer. This will create an "instant backup" of the site and allow you to see the structure and edit files with a good text editor like Notepad++ or Crimson Editor.

If you want to be able actually run Zen Cart locally, check the forum and Wiki. There are lots of people who do that. I don't do it personally, so I can't really advise you about that.

[stevesh]

Also understand that there isn't any software that's required to be installed on your computer to use Zencart. It's web-based, so what you're doing now (logging in to Admin) is the way it's done. Editing files, templates, etc. is done via FTP.

[ADE Cyber Emporium]

Looking for some help in very simple terms. I have just taken over a little on line shop with zen cart. It is all running pretty much as I would like it to be (is in maintenance mode at the moment). I don't have zen cart software etc. on my own computer- I have been logging in to the site admin to make changes to items etc. How do I install the stuff I need on my computer for a site/store that is already running?? I purchased the zen cart e book and it seems to be just for setting up from scratch. Any help would be appreciated, but I'm no computer expert (the simpler the better)
Thanks

Don't you just love some of the help you get!!
Most of the people must think we all know as must as they do.
me, I'm brand new to this. i have had my site for 8 Mth's, i have 12 items on it for sale now, just found out it's not secure and i have not made one sale from it yet!!!

You ask a question and get the answer as, just change this comer in that file to this.
well you spend four hours looking for that file then you get in there and can't find the comer or anything that should look like it, just to find that your in the wrong folder because there is three of them in the site.

anyways.

As for "Any help would be appreciated, but I'm no computer expert (the simpler the better)" I'll do my best. Try this out.

What "stevesh" said is true,Zen cart mostly happens on line.
However if like me you don't know what a FTP is that stands for File Transfer Protocol i think anyway filezilla is free and easy to use.Just email your host for the setup info for it.

make a couple of folders on your hard drive for your site, for example : on my hard drive i have site backup, site file keep, site files modded and uploaded, site pics master, site pics large, site pics med, site pics sml and last of all site add ons downloaded.

Also as mentioned before, First thing is make a backup of your site as it is. with filezilla your hard drive is on the left and the host server is on the right, just drag and drop from one to the other.
easy as eating a cake.

check out the how to for image prep then you will understand why four pics folders, you use filezilla to upload the med & large pics to the folders on the server however the sml pics get loaded when you do each product listing.

If your going to mod any of your site like i am trying to then learn from my mistakes. MAKE A COPY of the file you are going to mod and put it in your site files keep folder, once you have a copy of it safe and sound in it's original state then you can mod it and save it to the site files modded and uploaded. Again use filezilla to put the modded copy back in your site.

Please feel free to email me or message me.
Hope this helps.
Andrew

[stevesh]

Most of the people must think we all know as must as they do.
me, I'm brand new to this. i have had my site for 8 Mth's, i have 12 items on it for sale now, just found out it's not secure and i have not made one sale from it yet!!!

I can remember (not that long ago, actually) when I first encountered the need to know how to use FTP. My solution was to Google the term, and browse the links returned for the information I needed, then tried using it for myself.

We don't necessarily think that everyone who comes here with a question knows as much as we know, but we don't have any way of knowing how much they do know, and we can't clutter every post with detailed explanations of every aspect of using a computer to answer a simple question.

blanko's question was a very general one, and he got three pretty general (and helpful, I think) answers in reply.

Now it's on him to use the info he got from those replies and try stuff for himself. That's how we all learned it.

As for your site, ADE, try posting a link in the Reviewer's Corner, and we may be able to help figure out why you're not making sales.