CSS problem

[olivercoquelin]

I have just installed the latest version of Zencart and completed the set up instructions. I can see the site and there are no error messages but it looks as if there it cannot see the style sheets. The files in includes/templates/css/ have been uploaded and I can see them on the server.

The URL is http://www.d - l i g h t.hk/catalog/

Does anyone have any idea what the problem is?

Thanks.

[schoolboy]

Are you by any chance with fasthosts?

If you are... Oh dear...

If you want to be serious about e-commerce, get a host that is also serious about it.

Have you tried loading (via ftp) all the css folders/files again?

When I try to load the stylesheets in my browser I get an Internal Server Error / Misconfiguration.

... best bet is to talk to your hosts. (Fasthosts are not very good at talking back, I believe).

[olivercoquelin]

Thanks School Boy

I am with Fasthosts yes. I spoke to them and they advised me to change the file named htaccess to htaccessold. It seems to have worked.

Do you know if renaming that file will have any adverse affects? Seems OK so far.

[Website Rob]

Just as 'includes/configure.php' tells Zen Cart what paths to use and other important information, think of the .htaccess file as the configure file for your Hosting account.

Thus, if you have wrong paths, incorrect wording, etc., it will cause your site problems.

With that said, without knowing what was in the .htaccess it is hard to answer your question. The .htaccess file is not available to the Public but if you provide what was in it, perhaps an answer can be given.

[Z3NN3D]

Do you know if renaming that file will have any adverse affects? Seems OK so far.

.htaccess (or "distributed configuration files") are used to override or add to existing Apache directives.
To use .htaccess, your server needs to AllowOverride in it's core Apache configuration. Many ISP's don't AllowOverride on shared servers because it may present security risks to other users on the same server.

Not using .htaccess on a standard Zen Cart installation isn't likely to present problems, but some addon extensions like SEO URL's require .htaccess, so will affect how much you can extend your Zen Cart installation.

I suggest you might be advised to find another host!

***advertisement removed ***

[schoolboy]

Many hosting companies - particularly those that offer "generic" hosting at "cheap" prices - are only good for "hobby" sites that tend to use basic html web pages. The sort of site a teenager would set up to impress his friends!

Proper e-commerce is a serious business, and if you intend setting up a reliable and secure webshop that the public is confident about using, then you need to host it with an organisation that understands what e-commerce is all about.

While we are UK-based, we have over 40 sites hosted with a top US host, who is also very reasonably priced ($4.95 / month) and if you PM me I'll supply details.