Http 500 internal server error

[largesse1]

Thanks, Ajeh and DrByte.

The tool kit search produced the following:

Line #31 : define('DIR_WS_TEMPLATES', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'templates/');


Also,

I have attempted to access my catalog many times since 3/24; however, my attempts haven't resulted in any additional error messages. I just get the same blank page.

[DrByte]

Okay, then your problem is probably not a PHP issue at all, but rather your server is rejecting something ... probably a "500 Internal Server Error". Talk to your hosting company for the information in the server's logs that will explain the cause of the error.
ref: https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=63

[largesse1]

Thanks, DrByte.

Unfotunately, I have actually been down this road already. In brief...

*The problem began after, I changed the name of my admin folder for added security. After changing the name, I received a 500 internal server error upon attempting to access my online catalog.

*I questioned my host. They advised that I revise the file and folder permissions.

*I changed the permissions as instructed and the 500 error remained.

*I then reached out to the Zen Cart community. With everyone's help, I determined that I inadvertently confused my configure.php files.

*After making a few initial corrections to the includes/configure.php file, the 500 Internal server error disappeared and a blank page took its place.

*My Host's only other suggestion was that I restore the site from my backup. Unfortunately, the backup contains the original error that started this problem.

[DrByte]

Okay, so you're running in to a PHP error, most likely a result of a syntax error you've created by editing the files, or by something no longer being locatable after renaming folders.
The renaming of the admin is a very straightforward thing: rename the folder, and update the configure.php file to point to the new foldername. But, if your editor damages the file while editing, or if your FTP program mangles it, or if the file's permissions are wrong, those can break things.
Things to consider:
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/i...hp?article=313
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=87

[largesse1]

Thanks, Dr. Byte.

I followed the option that advised creating a configure.php file to show the errors on the webpage. I discovered a syntax error in the includes/configure.php file.

I corrected the error and now text is showing on the page. Unfortunately the text indicates that I have a 500 Internal Server Error.

The error logs on my host's server are found below. Would you have any idea regarding a resolution? As always, all suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

[Sun Mar 27 21:13:15 2011] [error] [client 69.253.8.129] File does not exist: /home/drea2221/public_html/404.shtml

[Sun Mar 27 21:13:15 2011] [error] [client 69.253.8.129] File does not exist: /home/drea2221/public_html/favicon.ico

[DrByte]

I followed the option that advised creating a configure.php file to show the errors on the webpage. I discovered a syntax error in the includes/configure.php file.

I corrected the error and now text is showing on the page. Unfortunately the text indicates that I have a 500 Internal Server Error.

The error logs on my host's server are found below. Would you have any idea regarding a resolution? As always, all suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

[Sun Mar 27 21:13:15 2011] [error] [client 69.253.8.129] File does not exist: /home/drea2221/public_html/404.shtml

[Sun Mar 27 21:13:15 2011] [error] [client 69.253.8.129] File does not exist: /home/drea2221/public_html/favicon.ico

Those are harmless, and they're the logs from apache directly.

But, if your server's security system is complaining about something, such as the mod_security feature, then *that* system's error logs will need to be consulted to see what's actually triggering the server to reject things.

The reason the "500" error is so vague is because if it told the actual issue to you in your browser, then a hacker could use the info to figure out how to work around security things, and thus leave you vulnerable. It's the same reason why Zen Cart doesn't show actual PHP errors on-screen, but instead logs them to a file, and just shows a blank page instead.