Down For Maintenance issue

I have rcently launched my site on a godaddy hosting account and receive the following message on main page when i turn on maintenance "The service is unavailable". I have had this problem from the time the site was installed on godaddy. Local testing displayed page fine, any ideas how to fix this? The site is currently up but here is the url http://paylesscomputerstore.com can switch to down by request.

version 1.3.8

Best to check eith the host as to why the normal page is not displayed
They are not very responsive

Will check though i dont feel that will go very far. Godaddy? :no: enough said. But was just courios as if anyone had experienced this problem and was able to create a work around.

courios as if anyone had experienced this problem and was able to create a work around.
You really do not want a "work around"
You want it working as designed

I have contacted go daddy and they state there is no error on the php function or anything that would be causing this in there end.

I am running my site on a windows shared server can any advise as to what i may need to do in order to correct this?

Whats the error say exactly?

One work around: Though I know you really don't want one is to create a index.html page with Website maintenance etc on it.
index.html by default should load before index.php on a web server.

To turn on and off for maintenance just rename the file to something else when not using.

Also I would suggest in the future using linux based servers... windows usually more expensive and not all that PHP friendly.

The service is unavailable
But the main thing is i would realy like to mainatin the ability for shop to be browsed

Unfortunately, thats not much info to work with.

Obviously it is server related... though they will deny it black and blue. it will be some kind of permission or setting they don't have activated.

In my experience many server admins aren't all that familiar with windows web servers as they are not used all that often. The vast majority of web servers are linux based thus they stay clear of windows server issues unless they have no choice. I'm sure most of their Zen cart clients are on Linux servers and don't have this problem.

Though it might be a little painful is there any reason you need to be on a windows based server?

You can prob swap for free if you speak to go Daddy.

No not really any reason for windows except its what i got at the time but realy hate to change what im used to. I am fairly new to web hosting and have learned a lot at the end of a dirty stick so to speak. I rune a windows server localy and running xampp have had no problems. Then when i uploaded to godaddy it seems to be one restiction after another. I wonder would the iis settings have anyhting to do with the problem i am experiencing?

payless:

But the main thing is i would realy like to mainatin the ability for shop to be browsed
For this option to down for maintenance
admin > config > my store > Store Status > select 1 or 2 depending upon how you wish them to be able to browse

I would also suggest that you maintain an optional define_main_page.php that you use when you are down for maintenance that notifies a shoper that they can browse but that you are doing maintenance.
This will be a manual operation but most likely a necessary one

Ok Fair enough.

One step at a time.

Though there is no difference between using Zen cart on Windows or Linux server.

The only difference would be the control panel for Windows will look different and act a little different.

You are likely to have many more options with Linux panel and also will be likely to work.

But when your ready.

payless:

the iis settings have anyhting to do with the problem i am experiencing?

Yes thats possible.

I like Kobra's idea.

Create another Main page and add some text saying you can browse but don't buy until the home page message is gone or your payment might not process successfully or something like there may be no record of the transaction... I'm sure that will stop anyone.

Muzz:

I'm sure that will stop anyone.
It is resetting store status that prevents buying
admin > config > my store > Store Status > select 1 or 2 depending upon how you wish them to be able to browse

Old post.
I experience the same problem except it's July 2010 now.
I have 1.3.8a installed.
We host the store internally on a windows server - IIS7.
The store has functioned well for almost a year.
When I set Configuration-Website-Maintenance=true and filename=down_for_maintenance, the result is "Service is unavailable."
I have a local version using WAMP.
The down for maintenance page comes up fine.
The code is exactly the same except of course my configs which point to a different directory and base URL.
I was hoping that this would fail on my local version because I have a debugger, but it doesn't.
I experimented by changing the Website-Maintenance filename to Privacy and the privacy page comes up fine on my problem IIS7 server.

So once again, here is the situation.
Same code, both environments except of course include\configure.php and admin\configure.php
Configuration-Website-Maintenance=true and filename=down_for_maintenance
WAMP environment -- Down for Maintenance Page - Yea!!!!!
IIS7 environment -- White Page - 'Service is unavailable.' Boo!!!

It's a year later. Anyone got a clue?