Cannot access any carts on server

[pewe]

I have 3 carts on the server which are going to be used by a friend.
He has been away for 4 weeks and when he returned today and tried to access the carts to continue work with them he could not access any of them.

All 3 give the same message which implies that the install has not yet been run, or the config files have wrong or missing information OR the server has been changed in some way.

All the config files are in place and correct so I suspect that the server has had some updates (ftp stopped working last week and it took them 2 days to resolve) and if this is what has broken the sites are there any steps I can take to rectify the issue without losing all the data??

Current PHP version : 5.4.26
Current Mysql : 5.1.73-cll

TIA

[lat9]

What, specifically, is the message that you receive? What version of Zen Cart are these stores using?

[pewe]

The page being displayed is the initial 'index' page seen if you go to the cart root before installing.
See here

The sites are all running V1.5.1
Not sure when they stopped as they have not been accessed for a couple of weeks and were working when last accessed then (have had products added etc. as well as various add-ons installed and configured.)

I have had a message back from the hosts with usual 'no changes our end', but nothing has been re-configured an any of the sites either, and the config files/databases still contain all the correct info.

So my thought is how do I restore the sites without losing all the data/settings.

[lat9]

That screen includes: Additional *IMPORTANT* Details: includes/configure.php file contents invalid. ie: DIR_FS_CATALOG not valid or not set, giving you a good clue as to where to begin.

[pewe]

I have already checked all the settings in the config files - and they are correct and have not changed.
I have also checked that the databases are still intact and accessible via phpmyadmin.
The server host has confirmed 'no changes' on the server.

So now I am in limbo with 4 carts not working on the same server.

I suspect it may be a server issue, but have no way of checking what it may be and am trying to find a way of correcting the problem without losing all the settings and data in the carts.

It is typical that this happens today - just as one of the sites has been publicised at a trade fair.

[lat9]

The processing in /includes/application_top.php that detects the condition displayed is

/**
 * if main configure file doesn't contain valid info (ie: is dummy or doesn't match filestructure, display assistance page to suggest running the installer)
 */
if (!defined('DIR_FS_CATALOG') || !is_dir(DIR_FS_CATALOG.'/includes/classes')) {
  $problemString = 'includes/configure.php file contents invalid.  ie: DIR_FS_CATALOG not valid or not set';
  require('includes/templates/template_default/templates/tpl_zc_install_suggested_default.php');
  exit;
}

The processing has successfully found your /includes/configure.php file and, having loaded it, further found that the settings aren't correct.

You don't, perchance, have a /includes/local/configure.php file set? That's the only other factor that could affect this error message.

You could either post (or PM) the contents of your /includes/configure.php file and I'll give it a look-see.

Do any of your admin pages load?

[pewe]

Thanks lat9 - PM sent.

I don't have a '/includes/local/' directory on the server, and I can't access admin either - same page displays.

Something has obviously changed, but on 4 installations at the same time with no server changes !!!???

I appreciate your time.

[lat9]

Take the following teeny bit of PHP code, put into an obscurely-named .php file (like garbledefunk.php) and place it in the root of your Zen Cart installation. Run it as www.example.com/garbledefunk.php; the output will contain the value that should be present in the DIR_FS_CATALOG definition.

<?php
echo getcwd();

Once the file is run, don't forget to delete it! And don't forget to add the trailing slash (/) to the DIR_FS_CATALOG definition!

[pewe]

Lat9
You are a life saver.

I ran the file and it returned a value of
/home2/xxxxx/xxxxxxx/xxxxx etc.

The configure.php had in it
/home/xxxxx/xxxxxxx/xxxxx etc.

So they had changed something on the server after all - any idea what they might have done to have this effect - moved the site or whatever??

Again much appreciated.

[lat9]

They might have simply reconfigured some servers that shouldn't change anything (famous last words)! Anyway, I'm glad you're back in business.