How to Restore?

[JDog21]

I MUST get a certain module installed.

My latest attempt has totally screwed up my project site. It worked perfectly (well, semi-perfectly) on my test site, but when I actually go to the "real-deal" with the install, everything goes haywire. Just my luck.

I tried to reinstall my backup files over my old files. The whole site. I also restored my database backup over the screwed up database.

It alll is screwed up, still.

Do I have to delete the old files, delete the old database, and then restore everything? Is that really necessary?

Additional questions for future reference (I'm trying to figure out why this happened):

1)I always rename YOUR_TEMPLATE directories "classic," even though I have a custom override directory in one section. Should I name YOUR_Template after the new directory? I tried that before, and it didn't make any difference.

2) I renamed the admin in my project site. If I am uploading an admin directory as part of a module, I should rename that directory to match, right?

3) Does FileZilla "add" the files to directories, or does it's files overwrite (erase) stuff? Example: I am uploading a directory called "includes;" does this directory "get integrated" to the existing includes, or does it "replace" the earlier directory?

[JDog21]

I just thought of something. Awhile back I restored my back up database to another test site, just to see what it would do.

That test site has changed it's config files, etc., to reference the original database. I have not yet gone into the test site's config file to change it's reference back to it's own database.

Could the project site be referencing this test database, and vice versa, since they are all configured to draw info from the same database?

[gjh42]

A few answers:
If the mod that broke things had files that were not in your backup, reinstalling the backup over the screwed-up site won't remove the mod files. You will have to make sure those are gone.

1) You must rename /your_template/ folders to the name of the template you are using, whether that is /classic/ or /something_else/. It is a bad idea to use /classic/ for your custom template, as that eliminates the possibility of switching to Classic to see if a problem is template-related or deeper. Also, all modified /classic/ files will be replaced with the standard /classic/ versions whenever you do an upgrade, destroying your custom work.

2) Correct - rename the mod's admin folder if there is one.

3) Filezilla will not remove or replace any existing folders on the remote server when uploading, but it will replace any files that have identical names and folder locations.

[JDog21]

Ok,

So I guess the best thing to do would be to start over, with brand new everything.

I am trying to install Fast and Easy Checkout. It is not hard to install, at least from what I experienced on the test install.

Anyway, going back to m main concern, I will delete and then restore the files, and the database. Hopefully, I can do this without having to do a full reinstall....


Red Herring Clarification

I just went to my other test site's (the one where I restored my project directory to) and the config files are NOT changed. In my server admin area (GoDaddy), the database name list references, in the test site slot, the name/number of the project database. That just confused me (I'm easily confused).