Host upgraded servers now customers can't complete an order

[JG64]

Our store has been up and running with ZC for seven years, we've been through many upgrades, but this is the first time we have needed to post a question.
Currently, customers can access the site, login to store, add items to the cart, go through the entire checkout process including applying coupons, but when they try to confirm the order..."WARNING: An Error occurred, please refresh the page and try again." Refreshing the page does nothing.
The zen cart error logs show:

PHP Fatal error:  1364:Field 'account_name' doesn't have a default value :: INSERT INTO zen_orders (customers_id,... (as called by) /home/my_site/public_html/store/includes/functions/functions_general.php on line 965 <== in /home/my_site/public_html/store/includes/classes/db/mysql/query_factory.php on line 155

My hosting company indicated that I needed to upgrade my version of ZC -- I was running 1.5.1 w/o issue. I upgraded to 1.5.4 through their Cpanel script installation page. After the upgrade -- same issue.
When looking at "zen_orders" using PhpMyAdmin the "account_name" field is sometimes blank.
I would appreciate any insights into how to solve my problem.
Thank you.

[lat9]

An "out-of-the-box" Zen Cart installation doesn't include an account_name field in the orders table. What plugins do you have installed?

[JG64]

An "out-of-the-box" Zen Cart installation doesn't include an account_name field in the orders table. What plugins do you have installed?

We have an image handler, payment (purchase order), and shipping (UPS & USPS).

[mc12345678]

A different way to look at it considering that the site has been upgraded over the years is what plugins have ever been installed?

Guessing that at some point a plugin was not carried over to one of the upgrades and the new database server/software has a requirement that previously was a non-issue...

[JG64]

A different way to look at it considering that the site has been upgraded over the years is what plugins have ever been installed?

Guessing that at some point a plugin was not carried over to one of the upgrades and the new database server/software has a requirement that previously was a non-issue...

Ok. So once I understand all the plugins that have ever been used on the site (I think the list was complete, but maybe not), what is the process for narrowing down and fixing the problem?
Should I be looking for the plugin that created the "account_name" db field? Is that the key to my problem? Can I simply find the code for "account_name" and allow NULL as a value? If so, how would I go about that.
Thanks for your help.

[mc12345678]

Ok. So once I understand all the plugins that have ever been used on the site (I think the list was complete, but maybe not), what is the process for narrowing down and fixing the problem?
Should I be looking for the plugin that created the "account_name" db field? Is that the key to my problem? Can I simply find the code for "account_name" and allow NULL as a value? If so, how would I go about that.
Thanks for your help.

Number of ways to approach. I would do something like the following not specifically in this order:
1. Search the files (developers tool kit) for the field account_name to see if it is specifically referenced somewhere in the files.
2. Install lat9's mydebug backtrace to find the specific location/method that the field is attempted to be processed.
3. If found that no longer used and is simply some sort of casualty to previously being added as a result of some no longer used plugin would then evaluate removal from the database. If to be removed would delete the field, if to stay then assign it a default value (which may be null, but allowing null as described above is different than assigning a default value).

As a result of installing ZC through the host's auto installer, would also compare their files to a clean set available from https://www.zen-cart.com/getit. There may be something different in those files as compared to the package provided by ZC.

[JG64]

Thanks for the advice. I will get on with it and can hopefully find the issue.
I have never used the developers toolkit, or the other lat9 mydebug backtrace. Are they open-source?

[lat9]

For the first, go to your Zen Cart admin's Tools->Developers Tool Kit, and search for account_name in any admin/catalog .php file. That will identify all the PHP files that make use of that database field, perhaps giving a clue as to the plugin that's using it.

The myDEBUG Backtrace plugin is a free download from the Zen Cart site: https://www.zen-cart.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=1879.

[JG64]

For the first, go to your Zen Cart admin's Tools->Developers Tool Kit, and search for account_name in any admin/catalog .php file. That will identify all the PHP files that make use of that database field, perhaps giving a clue as to the plugin that's using it.

The myDEBUG Backtrace plugin is a free download from the Zen Cart site: https://www.zen-cart.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=1879.

Thanks!
I did the "lookup in all files" "catalog/admin" ".php only" and it returned:

/home/xxxxxxx/public_html/store/includes/templates/free_template_3/templates/tpl_account_history_info_default.php

Line #145 : if( (($order->info['account_name']) || ($order->info['account_number']) || ($order->info['po_number'])) ) {

Line #150 : <h4><?php echo ENTRY_ACCOUNT_NAME; ?></h4>

Line #151 : <div><?php echo $order->info['account_name']; ?></div>

Is that the correct search? Would "free template 3" be the plugin that created the account-name field? If so, I don't believe that is the template we are currently using.

[JG64]

It turns out that "free template 3" is our current template!
This is the info at the top of the .php file:

 Page Template
 *
 * Loaded automatically by index.php?main_page=account_edit.<br />
 * Displays information related to a single specific order
 *
 * @package templateSystem
 * @copyright Copyright 2003-2006 Zen Cart Development Team
 * @copyright Portions Copyright 2003 osCommerce
 * @license http://www.zen-cart.com/license/2_0.txt GNU Public License V2.0
 * @version $Id: tpl_account_history_info_default.php 3306 2006-03-29 07:15:46Z drbyte $