New installation - can't get past database login

Here is all the detail on the problem. I am new to Zencart and have been carefully following all of the instructions. My hosting company checked all of my work so far and say I should be able to install the Zencart. They used all the names and passwords with a 3rd party software (that I don't have) and were able to log in successfully. So here is everything that I have been doing so far:
This is the link to my install of Zencart: it is ver. 5
Here is the link: http://palaceadmin.ehost-services154.com/zencart

There are 3 pages you have to go to before you get to database settings:
welcome (hit continue)
license (hit agree)
pre-requisites (hit continue)
database setup - this is the one I am having issues with.

Here is what I am typing in:

for database host: mysqldb2.ehost-services.com
for database user name: palaceadmin_pretzel01
for database password: Netbotics01 (the N has to be capitalized)

It accepts the first 2 entries but rejects the password - the error message is:

Connection to Database failed
Access denied for user 'palace_admin_pre'@'69.64.156.66' (using password: YES)

here is more info about the error: this comes from Zencart it is a pop up message.

A connection to the database could not be made. This can happen for a number of reasons.

You may have given the wrong DB host name, or the user name or password may be incorrect.

You may also have given the wrong database name (Does it exist? Did you create it? -- NOTE: Zen Cart™ does not create a database for you.). - **

In answer to this question - yes I did create the database on the host site.
**
Please review all of the entries and ensure that they are correct.

I appreciate you help with this.

Cathy

Well, you included all of the information - except for the name of the database?

Vger

Also, **vger **can correct me, but in most cases, the DB host would be localhost.

In most cases it would be 'localhost' or '127.0.0.1' (the ip address of locahost), but a sizeable number of hosts (1and1 just as an example) use this type of long db host name. So that's probably correct.

The domain it's being installed into a subdomain of (ehost-services.com) is just a holding page with sponsored advertising.

Vger

cahanck:

Connection to Database failed
Access denied for user 'palace_admin_pre'@'69.64.156.66' (using password: YES)
I appreciate you help with this.

Cathy

Copy the code below and save it in the top level directory of your websatore. Call it "dbtest.php" .
Set the servername,username, etc to match those that you expect (or were given), then point your webbrowser to

http://yourWerbstore.com/dbtest.php.

This will produce either a 'connected OK' message, which would sugggest that you are using different values here than what you are using in your configure.php file(s), OR, it will produce a much more informative error message as to exactly what the problem is. If you are unable to determine this for yourself from the output given, please post a copy of the output into a reply and we'll see if we can spot the problem for you.

<?php

$server = "localhost";
$username = "DBusername";
$password = "DBpassword";
$database = "DBdatabase";


$db = mysql_connect ($server, $username, $password);
if (!$db) {
die ('I cannot connect to the database because: ' .
mysql_error());
}
else {
mysql_select_db ($database);
print("connected OK");
}
 
 phpinfo() ;
 
?>

ps. You can use this same code to 'experiment' with different settings, eg
$server = "localhost";
or
$server = "127.0.0.1";
or
$server = "mysqldb2.ehost-services.com"

Once you have used this to determine what works, just copy the settings to your configure.php files and all should be fine.

IMPORTANT: Delete this testing program when you are done. don't leave it on the server because it contains information that can easily be used to hack your site.

Also, DON'T post your 'valid' settings in these forums, for the same reason as above. Sadly, many hackers monitor sites such as this just waiting for people to inadvertanlty post information that may be used against you.

Cheers
Rod

cahanck:

for database user name: palaceadmin_pretzel01

Oh, I'm pretty sure that this "username" is incorrect, on account of the fact that it appears too long (over 16 characters).

Cheers
Rod

Another mystery....

cahanck:

for database user name: palaceadmin_pretzel01

Access denied for user 'palace_admin_pre'@'69.64.156.66' (using password: YES)

I can't see how you could get this error message from the setting provided. Where did the underscore between 'palace' and 'admin' come from? Was this the result of a different test? (or did you type the error message in, rather than cut/paste?). I can't think of any other cause.

Anyway, from a previous test or not, it can be clearly seen that the username is being truncted after the "_pre" of 'pretzel01', which confirms my previous post about the username being too long.

It now seems to me that you may be going around in circles, testing and changing various things but never quite hitting the mark. It may be time to sit back, forget about all you have done and tried so far, and basically start afresh because there are clearly several 'minor' things amiss, and any one of them will cause the problem(s) you are having.

Cheers
Rod

The permitted length of the MySQL user name will differ according to which control panel system the server uses, and even which version it uses. The latest versions of cPanel have removed many of the restrictions on length of User Names and Passwords, whilst Ensim Pro allows for longer User Names and Passwords, and I'm sure Plesk will have different values.

I also noticed that _pretzel01 had been truncated to _pre, but did not say anything as this may also be a simple display issue.

Vger

Hi, I named the folder for the database on the server: zencart

Is that what you mean?

Best regards,

Cathy Hanck

it does not accept local host - I did try that - and according to the hosting company I must use the specific name of the database not local host. I am not sure why I have to have the specific name.

Best regards,

Cathy Hanck

The name of the folder in which you install Zen Cart (if you installed it in a folder) is nothing to do with the name of the database. You have already said that you have created a database - so what name does it have? That's what you need to enter for the Database Name during the installation procedure.

Vger

Vger:

The permitted length of the MySQL user name will differ according to which control panel system the server uses, and even which version it uses.

True/Agreed.

Vger:

I also noticed that _pretzel01 had been truncated to _pre, but did not say anything as this may also be a simple display issue.

Sorry, I can't agree really with this one... the MysQL error message shows the connection string that it is actually using, and not an artificially created one using the various string components (which is what it would need to do in order to truncate in the middle of the string).

I have seen instances where such truncation is a display issue only, but this isn't one of those times, and as such, it is something that I beleive the OP should be aware of.

Cheers
Rod

cahanck:

Hi, I named the folder for the database on the server: zencart

Is that what you mean?

Best regards,

Cathy Hanck

Sorry to say this Cathy, but what you have stated here doesn't really make a great deal of sense. As a general rule, users don't get to create or name their own database folders.

This means you are either using incorrect terminolgy (quite probable), or, you didn't create a database at all, but instead, you really did create a folder, which means you still don't have a valid database to connect to.

I'm not stating this as a form of critisism (I'm not anal about terminolgy), but without clarification we cou;d be traveling different paths.

Also, assuming you are on a shared server, you will probably need to name your database "palaceadmin_zencart" rather than just "zencart".
Depending on the tool you used to create the database the "palaceadmin_" may or may not be prepended for you.

Cheers
Rod

cahanck:

it does not accept local host - I did try that - and according to the hosting company I must use the specific name of the database not local host.

Your hosting company should know, so follow their advice, rather than ours.

cahanck:

I am not sure why I have to have the specific name.

The simple answer to this is because that is the way the server has been set up.

A slighty longer answer is:
The database server doesn't neccsarily have to be on the same host as the web server. They perform different tasks and are accessed in different ways, but in both cases the software needs to know where each server is located, and this can be done either via an IP address, or by a hostname. Since many hosts can share the same IP address the hostname is generally used rather than the IP address.

There is an even longer answer, but this should suffice to help you understand the reason begind it.

Cheers
Rod

Hello everyone: I am back I have been working on this issue with the hosting company - had to convince them to let me see my names of my database and that was where the problem was. Before I could see it they were telling me what the database name was and they were not correct. Once they let me see my work, I was quickly able to get the correct name. I completed that part of the installation and now I have another issue in the final installation process and I really don't know how to resolve it.

Here is the problem: I have deleted the zen-cart install folder on the server. (no problem that went fine)
Now I have to rename my admin folder. I did that - slight problem had to reset permissions on the folder to rename.
Now before I renamed my admin folder, I downloaded the config file from the admin/includes/configure,php - I reset permissions during the download - ok no issues
I re-edited the downloaded config.php file with the new admin folder name.
I uploaded the new config.php file to the server and it did not overwrite the file - then I re-did the permissions on the config.php file on the server to allow - read, write, execute. - I tried to delete it - it will not delete, it will not over write, and when I check permissions in that file - they are always 0's
My questions is: now what? is this a server issue? What do you suggest?

Thank you.

Cathy Hanck

Some control panels allow you to increase permissions using FTP e.g. from 400 to 644, but not to decrease them again e.g. from 644 back to 400 - but some don't allow you to change permissions using FTP at all, or else your FTP programme won't do it.

In this case use the File Manager in your Web Hosting control panel to change permissions on folders and files when needed. If the Web Hosting control panel can't change permissions then you need to contact the hosting company.

Vger

I will try this. I appreciate your help and will let you know how this goes.

Thank you.

Cathy Hanck

Hi - again - I just went into the file manager and edited the file and changed the configure.php file and edited the name to the new admin folder name. I saved it and I hope if works. How do I check this to get into the store? I have not been able to get into the store part.

Cathy Hanck

ok - I typed the path to the store but it is showing the demo website and I don't know how to get to the part of the store where I will create my own store....what am I missing? here is the link: http://palaceadmin.ehost-services154.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=login

Cathy - it's showing the "demo" website, because that's how any shopping cart is until you add your own products, product categories, and product images.

Vger