E-Mail Options: Fields not updating with entered info- fields become/remain blank

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When I select a row and click on it, select edit, an edit box opens with either variable to be edited or radio buttons to select. After editing I click on the update button , this causes the edited row to be blank. It does not retain the value it had before editing and updating. The row does not update with the new values.
The store appears to be operating normally. We use Paypal for payments.
The .htaccess of the clone was modified to remove the redirect from http to https per Go Daddy. The file is not used for anything else. I did leave the rewrite engine command line on in the clone.
Your surmise that the entire configuration table has been corrupted appears to be correct. Changes to two other rows, (Stock and GV coupons) did not retain the value it had before editing and updating. The rows did not update with the new values and are now blank.
Again you are correct, I was able to create a new product but no data that I entered showed up in the preview.
Wow, It is a good thing our products are so static.

In building the clone site, I did use a fresh backup of the folders and files and saved the resulting zip files to the sub folder "teststore". I used phpmyadmin to backup the live site DB to my local machine and then uploaded to the new DB I created for the teststore.

I will attempt to add a new product on the clone shortly.

[nonprofit]

continued reply to mc12345678's questions and suggestions.
In the Clone's site configuration multiple rows can be updated. I was able to add a new product and preview it.

Additional background:

After I built the clone, I was unable to login to the control panel. I ran the following code on the DB to be able to login:

DELETE FROM admin WHERE admin_name = 'Admin';
INSERT INTO admin (admin_name, admin_email, admin_pass, admin_profile)
VALUES ('Admin', 'admin@localhost', '351683ea4e19efe34874b501fdbf9792:9b', 1);

Running the above update query on the clones mySQL DB is about the only difference outside of a few customer orders that have been processed between the live site's DB and the clon's DB. In addition, Our php admin folder was renamed for security reasons back in 2012.

Could running the above update query on the live DB which never had admin login issues as did the clone, reset the DB table issues I am having? (yes, I am shooting in the dark, just guessing) as I am just now committed to learning to administer our Zen Cart store and use the clone to by my test store.

[mc12345678]

continued reply to mc12345678's questions and suggestions.
In the Clone's site configuration multiple rows can be updated. I was able to add a new product and preview it.

Good additional information.

Additional background:

After I built the clone, I was unable to login to the control panel. I ran the following code on the DB to be able to login:

DELETE FROM admin WHERE admin_name = 'Admin';
INSERT INTO admin (admin_name, admin_email, admin_pass, admin_profile)
VALUES ('Admin', 'admin@localhost', '351683ea4e19efe34874b501fdbf9792:9b', 1);

The control panel term used here. You mean the admin window for ZC, correct? In Internet terms, typically the control panel (cPanel) refers to a configuration section directly related to the website as a whole (ftp and associated accounts, htaccess, create and remove email accounts, payment plan for the website itself, provides access to phpMyAdmin). Not being able to access the cPanel would make it difficult to execute the above SQL from outside the admin window and outside phpMyAdmin or similar, but not impossible.

Running the above update query on the clones mySQL DB is about the only difference outside of a few customer orders that have been processed between the live site's DB and the clon's DB. In addition, Our php admin folder was renamed for security reasons back in 2012.

Was this "security" update because of an "internal" need or because something was discovered or occurred from outside? (ie. Thank you for your support, but now that you've left we need to rename the admin folder type thing or was it, oops someone posted the admin folder publicly or there have been multiple attempts to access the folder and we need to change it now?)
If it was for or because of a "malicious" reason, there still is the possibility that the issue was not fully patched/resolved.

Could running the above update query on the live DB which never had admin login issues as did the clone, reset the DB table issues I am having? (yes, I am shooting in the dark, just guessing) as I am just now committed to learning to administer our Zen Cart store and use the clone to by my test store.

Good to consider cause and effect scenarios as such will lead to good defense positions as well. In a normally operating store, the above sql/reset of an admin user, would have zero effect on the rest of the store. In fact the only thing that does is add credentials to the database to allow "that" user to log in. Now, might there be other software that is present that has gotten in the way or is otherwise causing an issue, maybe. Could it be possible that the configuration table needs some sort of database repair? Possibly.

But, I might suggest that before going too much further with either upgrading by rebuild or really trying to discover the difference(s) between the live site and the "backup", that the differences between the live site and a known good version be established/determined. Otherwise, there is the risk that copying the files to another location accessible to the Internet may permit the condition to spread or worsen. If there is any "unintelligent" or rather content that is not some form of directly human readable text, then it is a concern. ZC does not use encrypted code as a part of its operation.

[nonprofit]

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The control panel term used here. You mean the admin window for ZC, correct? In Internet terms, typically the control panel (cPanel) refers to a configuration section directly related to the website as a whole (ftp and associated accounts, htaccess, create and remove email accounts, payment plan for the website itself, provides access to phpMyAdmin). Not being able to access the cPanel would make it difficult to execute the above SQL from outside the admin window and outside phpMyAdmin or similar, but not impossible.

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Yes, I was referring to the admin window or back end of ZC.

[COLOR="#D########3"]

Was this "security" update because of an "internal" need or because something was discovered or occurred from outside? (ie. Thank you for your support, but now that you've left we need to rename the admin folder type thing or was it, oops someone posted the admin folder publicly or there have been multiple attempts to access the folder and we need to change it now?)
If it was for or because of a "malicious" reason, there still is the possibility that the issue was not fully patched/resolved.

[/COLOR]

Our live site was hacked in 2012 and I had a consultant, found through Odesk, do a fresh install and then restore our data and get our site back up and running. The renaming of the admin folder was done as a preventive measure at that time.

Some time in the last year, maybe earlier, we lost our ability to contact others through ZC and built in links. I was led to believe that our site was up to date Per notice on the site:

Both sites have this displayed at the top right of the admin window.

[COLOR="#D########3"]But, I might suggest that before going too much further with either upgrading by rebuild or really trying to discover the difference(s) between the live site and the "backup", that the differences between the live site and a known good version be established/determined. Otherwise, there is the risk that copying the files to another location accessible to the Internet may permit the condition to spread or worsen. If there is any "unintelligent" or rather content that is not some form of directly human readable text, then it is a concern. ZC does not use encrypted code as a part of its operation.[/COLOR]

Please send me a link on how to to that comparison.
Again thank you for your patience.
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[mc12345678]

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Yes, I was referring to the admin window or back end of ZC.

[COLOR="#D########3"][/COLOR]

Our live site was hacked in 2012 and I had a consultant, found through Odesk, do a fresh install and then restore our data and get our site back up and running. The renaming of the admin folder was done as a preventive measure at that time.

Some time in the last year, maybe earlier, we lost our ability to contact others through ZC and built in links. I was led to believe that our site was up to date Per notice on the site:

Both sites have this displayed at the top right of the admin window.

[COLOR="#D########3"]But, I might suggest that before going too much further with either upgrading by rebuild or really trying to discover the difference(s) between the live site and the "backup", that the differences between the live site and a known good version be established/determined. Otherwise, there is the risk that copying the files to another location accessible to the Internet may permit the condition to spread or worsen. If there is any "unintelligent" or rather content that is not some form of directly human readable text, then it is a concern. ZC does not use encrypted code as a part of its operation.[/COLOR]

Please send me a link on how to to that comparison.
Again thank you for your patience.
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Unfortunately no, ZC 1.5.0. is not up-to-date. I can not recall if the image shown is typical for turning off the auto check for the latest version or not, but even if it were, it seems that on the live store at least it won't work to try to change the configuration. The setting is in: Configuration->My Store->Show if version update available. I am thinking that it is turned off in both stores and that it somewhat confirms that by the description of "appearing" to be current.

As for file comparison information, there is some guidance in the following FAQs, but otherwise it is pretty much about identifying differences and then understanding their impact (if any) and what file(s) are of concern.

https://www.zen-cart.com/content.php...-with-zen-cart
https://www.zen-cart.com/content.php?176-using-winmerge

[nonprofit]

To anyone who can help:
I did a file comparison of the admin/configuration.php files using a fresh download of ZC150 and my live site as suggested by MC12345678.
The files were identical:


I believe MC12345678 is offline for the evening/early AM. I am hoping someone else will step in to help me.

If it seems to make sense, I would like some other suggestions on what files/folders to run comparisons on between the apparently functional clone and live store which is having the problems. I know the configuration tables in the two DBs are different. i did export the two tables and ran a comparison. As I expected, the fields that I updated in the clone configuration table are different than the live site which failed to update and left the field blank.

If I ought to be trying something else instead, please advise. I believe I am unable to update the DB of the live site from the admin window while I can in the clone was just created this past weekend.

[mc12345678]

Again, if you need to make a specific database change (to support some operation necessary to do business) it likely is still possibly via the admin, the question becomes how difficult it is to be done or what needs to be done. Right now though, it looks like the "normal" path is not working.

As for what else to do? Would suggest a 100% file comparison (including identifying files present in the store that are not present in a vanilla install). Though would also suggest rereviewing previously stated suggestions and verifying that they too have been performed.

So far have identified that the live site behaves differently than the store that was generated from the same live files and the same database (originally), that on the live site the configuration menu changes basically erase the settings. That the live site operating ZC 1.5.0 is also operating under php 5.4.x (outside the scope of design for that ZC version) and that the admin/configuration.php file matches the file of the same name/location as a fresh downloaded version.

[nonprofit]

Thanks, MC12345678.
Wow.
I think it might make more sense to remake another clone of the live site into another sub folder. Doing a clone again should be pretty quick and easy after learning from my mistakes in doing it the first time last weekend. Hopefully the 2nd clone will have the same problems as the live site.
I could then do the upgrade to ZC 155. If that fixes the problem as I hope it will, I could do an upgrade this coming holiday weekend. I am not aware of any addons or plugin in use.

Let me know if I am barking up at the wrong tree again, that is doing something that doesn't make sense.

Again many Thanks for your patience and perseverance in working with me.

[mc12345678]

Thanks, MC12345678.
Wow.
I think it might make more sense to remake another clone of the live site into another sub folder. Doing a clone again should be pretty quick and easy after learning from my mistakes in doing it the first time last weekend. Hopefully the 2nd clone will have the same problems as the live site.
I could then do the upgrade to ZC 155. If that fixes the problem as I hope it will, I could do an upgrade this coming holiday weekend. I am not aware of any addons or plugin in use.

Let me know if I am barking up at the wrong tree again, that is doing something that doesn't make sense.

Again many Thanks for your patience and perseverance in working with me.

So, not going to say that an upgrade would be a bad idea. In fact it appears to be the overall intention, the thing is the issue may still exist after the upgrade because the source of it has not yet been identified and that the current "backup" is actually operating like it should but the original/source is not. Therefore, "after" the upgrade, what is to say that a problem found is a cause of the upgrade instead of originally existing? In other words which seems easier, finding and correcting a problem that exists now or changing basically changing the underlying framework where the problem might continue to exist as well as possibly some other problem... It doesn't seem like a bad idea to try to duplicate the existing success to see if there was a specific action taken that resolved the problem (and possibly to repeat on the live site), but at the same time, it doesn't necessarily help if the backup is again good and the live site still affected because the cause of the issue on the live site would still need to be discovered.

At least that's based on the amount of information that has been provided. If there were more answers to the asked questions perhaps that would be different.

[nonprofit]

[COLOR="#D########3"]Again, if you need to make a specific database change (to support some operation necessary to do business) it likely is still possibly via the admin, the question becomes how difficult it is to be done or what needs to be done. Right now though, it looks like the "normal" path is not working.[/COLOR]

I do not need to make any specific database changes at the moment. The "normal" path not working on the live store is not a major concern right now. Neither products nor prices are changing anytime soon. Day to day operations of the store appear to be working as they have always done according to the people to operate the store.

[COLOR="#D########3"]As for what else to do? Would suggest a 100% file comparison (including identifying files present in the store that are not present in a vanilla install). Though would also suggest rereviewing previously stated suggestions and verifying that they too have been performed.[/COLOR]

I believe it is highly unlikely that we were hacked. I suspect that I caused the corruption on the live site by being impatient, careless or sloppy. I may have failed to allow for an operations to complete and began redoing or aborting an operation prior to completion of the first incidence of the operation. Lots of session problems, cookie problems using Chrome plus many of the API's in the file manager of my hosting company fail to complete on first use. Going back to repeat/reset the operation can be frustrating. (Only 3 more months on the hosting plan before we can move). Finding I broke the site should be almost a given. I even might of had more than 1 instance of the admin window open for the same site and was performing updates on both at the same time, thinking the windows were for the live site and the store. I did not add the Warning suggested by DrByte on the clone because I hadn't figured out how to do it yet.

It was not my intent to discount your suggestion of the 100% file comparison to a fresh vanilla ZC instance of 150. I have also been trying to do tasks that I have some confidence that I won't mess thing up further. Not having used Winmerge before, I didn't realize that it handled folders and sub-folders as well as files. It makes your suggested task of the 100% comparison much more manageable.

I will re-review all earlier suggestions as well. I apologize for not being clearer on what I have done and not done per your suggestions. Again, I have found no evidence of addons or plugins installed on the site. I was under the impression that was the only way that non-vanilla files would end up on the site.