1.5.1 Blank Page Out of the Blue

[monkeshine]

Been running 1.5.1 for many years.
Suddenly a few days ago it just stopped loading on the front end (the consumer cart). It's just a blank page.
I can still log into the Admin panel, so it's not a hosting issue.
I made no changes to the site at all when this happened.
Checked the host and PHP version is the same as always. Database is still there, though kind of large in size (325 MB) I imagine there are sites with bigger out there.

Spoke to a friend of a friend who thinks it is a db call hangup somewhere. But I can't know for sure. Just happened out of the blue. One day it was working as it has for years, the next day it didn't.

I did a fresh install of 1.5.1 to a new folder on the same server, and that was working with the default template but had no data of course.
I switched the new install config.php files to lookup into the previous site's DB and got the same blank page. No error messages on screen.
The logs don't show any errors that seem related to this - mostly paypal errors and a persistent error "charset `utf8' not supported" in the functions_general.php that has always been there for some reason I could never figure out.

Any ideas where I should begin troubleshooting the original site? What would make it suddenly stop working out of the blue?

[DrByte]

"out of the blue" only means "something got changed without your knowledge"

Could have been a change to server core software like the MySQL database engine or the PHP language (there are much newer versions now than your old store is designed for). That software is managed by your hosting company, and they could be doing their job well by keeping them updated. Unfortunately such updates may break your Zen Cart store if it isn't upgraded to be compatible with those other changes.

If it's a PHP error or a critical database error, then some logs should be getting generated on your server explaining the cause.

There's a whole page related to explaining possible "blank page" causes in the docs: https://docs.zen-cart.com/user/troub...ng/blank_page/
That page also explains how to dig into the myDebug .log files.

[monkeshine]

Thanks for the reply.

I checked, there are no server error logs available. I will reset and see if I can generate some.
PHP version says it is still 5.2, which should be compatible. I don't want to update it to 5.4 or 5.6 since those are not compatible, per se.
MYSQL is 5.0.96.
Unless they are giving me bad information doesn't look like anything changed on the host.

Totally baffled. I will try to upload a STRICT_ERROR_REPORTING php file and see if that may reveal something.
I may also try to copy the db over to a new database, and set the old site config files to try to fetch data from the new database. I had done the reverse (fresh install looking at old db) and got blank pages. So I'll try the other way.

[lat9]

If you PM me a link to the site, I'll see if I can see anything.

[angelwoodforge]

Same thing happened to me. I am just getting started in Zencart, I was adding categories last night and today I wanted to add a product to see if I need to change the image sizes and things like that. I have made no changes to any files or folders, I am still in XAMPP. My FTP filezilla has not been on for weeks so I could'nt have accidentally swapped a file. My only changes are made thru the admin panel. I can navigate thru adding categories but adding products on any category returns a blank page and the debug admin log reads

 [01-Dec-2020 18:14:34 Europe/Berlin] Request URI: /angelwoodforge/myadmin/index.php?cmd=product&action=new_product, IP address: ::1
#1  require() called at [C:\xampp\htdocs\angelwoodforge\myadmin\product.php:102]
#2  require(C:\xampp\htdocs\angelwoodforge\myadmin\product.php) called at [C:\xampp\htdocs\angelwoodforge\myadmin\index.php:11]
--> PHP Warning: require(includes/modules/product_general/collect_info.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in C:\xampp\htdocs\angelwoodforge\myadmin\product.php on line 102.

[01-Dec-2020 18:14:34 Europe/Berlin] PHP Fatal error:  require(): Failed opening required 'includes/modules/product_general/collect_info.php' (include_path='C:\xampp\php\PEAR') in C:\xampp\htdocs\angelwoodforge\myadmin\product.php on line 102

I am not a programmer but I did turn it off and back on again
It was working just fine yesterday and today its just a blank page.
the posting tips answers are
Zen Cart 1.5.7a
No upgrades I just installed this a couple weeks ago
no plugins
I used zc_install
PHP Version 7.4.12
HTTP Server: Apache/2.4.46 (Win64) OpenSSL/1.1.1h PHP/7.4.12
It started this morning, no changes made to any files or xampp other than shutting it down last night.
I dont know what

 and

are but OK
I looked at the blank pages resources, they assume that some changes have been made to files. I literally stopped working with it last night and this morning it has an error log.
Store hasn't been live and wont be for a year at least
This is a brand new uncustomized install
I dont know how to post the URL cause its local host

Thanks in advance

[lat9]

Check your admin's Catalog -> Product Types. Click on the Edit button associated with "Product - General". The Handler Page value should be product, it looks like your site's been updated to use product_general, for which there's no built-in handler provided.

What happens when you change that value back to the default value of product?

[angelwoodforge]

Check your admin's Catalog -> Product Types. Click on the Edit button associated with "Product - General". The Handler Page value should be product, it looks like your site's been updated to use product_general, for which there's no built-in handler provided.

What happens when you change that value back to the default value of product?

Thank you so much! It works now. I now remember breaking that when I tried to change the master product listing to the categories. Quickly realized that was the wrong place and thought I set it back to what it was, then added categories in the right place and quit for the night. Thanks again

[lat9]

Thank you so much! It works now. I now remember breaking that when I tried to change the master product listing to the categories. Quickly realized that was the wrong place and thought I set it back to what it was, then added categories in the right place and quit for the night. Thanks again

Thanks for the report-back that the suggested change corrected your issue.