Oops screen disallowing the zc_install to upgrade database.

Hi. Instead of following the upgrade link at the Admin page, after uploading my 1.3.9h files to the server, I re-uploaded the proper admin/includes/configure.php file from my old admin/includes directory which I feared was overwritten. (I had been able to avoid overwriting the companion includes/configure.php file).

The website itself, on the consumer side, is fine except for the red message stating the database needs updating.

But the friendly pink Admin screen message telling me I needed to upgrade the database was lost once I re-uploaded the admin/includes/configure.php and I received the "oops" broken link screen. I tried restoring the uploaded configure.php file that had given the pink screen but to no avail.

This was an unplanned upgrade to 1.3.9h made necessary by the web host's upgrading to PHP 5.3. I thought it preferable to upgrade than to apply the patch that is available for 1.3.8a to work with PHP 5.3, since I had read a comment by Dr. Byte that PHP 5.3 is current.

My web host has a Zencart Install button on the cpanel, but when I press that, I am told to put the following command in the browser: https://www.websitename.com/zc_install. However, that continues to give me the "oops" screen (alert).

What is going on behind the scenes when one does the wrong thing when trying to update the database after copying update files to the website?

Is there a way to get past the oops (alert) screen (other than wait until Monday when the website host is available to help)?

Thanks.

Notageek.

In case someone wonders why I didn't just click the pink screen link: I think I would have clicked the link first if the pink screen had said something like this:

"You are seeing this message because you successfully uploaded an upgrade to Zen Cart. Click here for the necessary companion update to your MySQL database. This action will not overwrite any files you successfully uploaded by FTP."

Without such an assurance, I couldn't be sure.

notageek:

My web host has a Zencart Install button on the cpanel, but when I press that, I am told to put the following command in the browser: https://www.websitename.com/zc_install. However, that continues to give me the "oops" screen (alert).

What is going on behind the scenes when one does the wrong thing when trying to update the database after copying update files to the website?
That is NOT the right way to do an upgrade.

The correct way to upgrade is explained here: http://www.zen-cart.com/upgrade

Dr. Byte,

Thanks for your comment.

As I was upgrading from 1.3.8a, I understood that the upgrade was a matter of just copying all the files from 1.3.9a-h, and then running the install and choosing upgrade to upgrade the MySQL database. I am seeing the message in the customer cart that I do need to upgrade the database.

I did try to carefully compare files and folders in Winmerge and appreciated learning that process.

For some reason, my web host's instructions, when I clicked on the Zencart Install link on the cpanel, were to go to the browser and type in the https://www.websitename.com/zc_install command. This does seem like a deviation. It did work in the past.

I hope they get back to me soon with some type of help, since my Admin login keeps coming up and nothing is active when I enter Admin.

If I can't discover my mistake, perhaps I will upload the changed files again just to see if I can receive the pink screen again.

It seems like there must be some concept I could discover which would give me more insight into this process. I will let you know what I find out.

Notageek

I guess you didn't bother testing your upgrade on a copy of your site's files+database? It's usually in the testing stage that you find the cause of your problems, and fix them, before touching your actual live site. That's why the upgrade documentation is written the way it is. Naturally, if someone chooses to click an automated upgrade option provided by their hosting company or cpanel or whatever, they are at the mercy of whatever that service does ... and almost always come back here asking for help to fix whatever it broke.
I recommend reverting to the backup you made before you started, and follow the instructions, doing the upgrade yourself, and not with some cpanel option.

Preliminary results:

(1) I had to rename my admin directory back to "admin" for purposes of the upgrade; once that was done the upgrade went forward. Prior to doing that, it told me that it could not find the admin/includes/configure.php directory. Seems obvious but it took the ISP's telling me there was no "admin" directory to make me realize that I needed to rename the admin directory to "admin."

(2) Disabling SSL enabled the Admin to finally work instead of repeatedly sending me to the login prompt.

I'm not sure how the below settings interacted with the shared SSL which worked before the upgrade.

The admin/includes/configure directory settings were:

• • If you desire your entire admin to be SSL-protected, make sure you use a "https:" URL for all 4 of the following:
    */
    define('HTTP_SERVER', 'http://www.websitename.com');
    define('HTTPS_SERVER', 'https://stronghold.ISPname/username');
    define('HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER', 'http://www.websitename.com');
    define('HTTPS_CATALOG_SERVER', 'https://www.websitename.com');

  // Use secure webserver for catalog module and/or admin areas?
  define('ENABLE_SSL_CATALOG', 'false');
  define('ENABLE_SSL_ADMIN', 'true');

// NOTE: be sure to leave the trailing '/' at the end of these lines if you make changes!
// * DIR_WS_* = Webserver directories (virtual/URL)
// these paths are relative to top of your webspace ... (ie: under the public_html or httpdocs folder)
define('DIR_WS_ADMIN', '/adminname/');
define('DIR_WS_CATALOG', '/');
define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_ADMIN', '/adminname/');
define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_CATALOG', '/');

So disabling SSL made the above work, whereas it previously had worked with the SSL settings of my ISP's shared SSL certificate.

These are the preliminary findings on the online website. We still need to sort out how to redo the SSL.

Also, I went back to my WAMP test site and ran the upgrade after renaming my admin directory back to admin. It gave me 3 files that were already existing, so that those statements were not processed.

Now, I have a blank admin screen. I'm afraid I do not recall whether the Admin was visible before today's upgrade, but I will find out when I restore the database. I have no SSL on that site.

So the troubleshooting continues.

This Zen Cart version seems very robust and the upgrade menus were very easy to understand once I got into the proper screen.

Notageek

These do not appear correct as the Secure URLs do not match ...

define('HTTP_SERVER', 'http://www.websitename.com');
define('HTTPS_SERVER', 'https://stronghold.ISPname/username');
define('HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER', 'http://www.websitename.com');
define('HTTPS_CATALOG_SERVER', 'https://www.websitename.com');

Does your Catalog work for both secure and non-secure pages? :unsure:

Hi, Ajeh. My catalog is insecure on the Home page, EZ pages, category listings, product pages, and information pages except "Contact Us." Sorry not to use the correct page names.

Secure pages include "Contact Us," "My Account," "View Cart," and all of the payment and shipping steps.

Admin is not secure at the moment. I believe it has been in the past. I am using a "shared" SSL certificate, which is quite inexpensive, so perhaps that is a deviation from how an SSL certificate dedicated to my site would operate.

I'm not sure whether the Admin should be secure or not. I imagine it would operate with the correct coding. I would like to hear your thoughts on that.

Notageek

If you want your entire admin area secured by SSL, simply follow the instructions in your admin configure.php file and put your SSL settings into the HTTP settings as well as the HTTPS settings.