Changed database password now site won't load

I'm a newbie, so please forgive my ignorance. My web guy disappeared and now I'm trying to recover.

I changed the password on my SQL database on the hosting server, and now my store site won't load and my admin page won't load, so I'm guessing I somehow "cut off" access from my store site to the database. Can anyone explain to a total layman how to get the site back up? I can't restore the old password, if that's the issue, because I didn't know it (he literally disappeared and left me with no info) and so reset it.

Can anyone help me? Again, I'm a layman so I don't understand programming, computer talk, databases, or Zen Cart...I'm just trying to get my little part-time web store back on line.

Thank you very much, in advance,
Rob

Did you edit admin/includes/configure.php and includes/configure.php to reflect the new DB password ?

stevesh:

Did you edit admin/includes/configure.php and includes/configure.php to reflect the new DB password ?

I'm guessing the answer is no.

Thank you both so much your replies, and no I didn't. Where would I find that ain etc? Please forgive my ignorance...I'm just trying to figure this out.

You need an FTP program to access the files on your Zencart sever. Use that to download the files I mentioned to your computer, open them in a text editor and change the DB password to the new value. Then upload them back to the server, overwriting the ones that are there.

You'll be looking for this section:

// define our database connection
define('DB_TYPE', 'mysql');
define('DB_PREFIX', '');
define('DB_SERVER', 'localhost');
define('DB_SERVER_USERNAME', 'your_username');
define('DB_SERVER_PASSWORD', 'your_password');
define('DB_DATABASE', 'your_database');

Thank you both very, very much and I did indeed find those locations and changed the passwords. It worked sort of for the store site: it now comes up on the internet, but it shows as down for maintenance and there is the security warning at the top of the page that I need to change the permissions for the file /home/content/r/e/d/redtoorange/html/store/includes/configure.php. I followed the instructions in an FAQ link, but that didn't work. So I called my web host support, and while they were very friendly the instructions they gave me didn't work either...can't make the warning go away. I went to the admin...configure file and to the store...configure file, and both have READ as the only permission for web viewers. So now I've another hurdle to figure out. Any ideas?

Hurdle two: after changing the password in the database for the admin configures file, I now get a blank page when I click my link for the admin login page I had before. Again, any ideas?

I do apologize for begging for so much information, but this is a complicated and slow process for me, trying to figure out how to handle this webstore that I wish I had learned so long ago. If you or anyone else can help me to the next step I sure would appreciate it.

Thank you!

can't make the warning go away. I went to the admin...configure file and to the store...configure file, and both have READ as the only permission for web viewers. So now I've another hurdle to figure out. Any ideas?

What are you using to set/change the permissions on the file? If it's an FTP program, they frequently won't work for setting it to 444. If you have cPanel provided by your host, log in there, open up legacy file manager and set the permissions from there. If that doesn't work, ask your host to set it to 444.

after changing the password in the database for the admin configures file, I now get a blank page when I click my link for the admin login page I had before. Again, any ideas?

That means you screwed something up when you edited it. Look for a missing hashmark, extra characters, extra carriage return, etc. Make sure you're doing your editing in a plain text editor.

Thank you so much for the reply! I did use the FTP File Manager on my hosting site (Domains Priced Right). I don't know if they have the cPanel thing but I didn't see it anywhere.

I'll look again at the admin configures text; I downloaded it to my computer, used a plain text editor to change it, then uploaded it. Perhaps my fingers hit something extra? I'll look. Thank you!

If they have cPanel it will be found at your_domain.com/cpanel.

After a little research it seems that your host is really just Godaddy in another wrapper. That means that you don't have cPanel.

Thanks for discovering that for me. I have had a busy few days but hope to dig into this over the coming week. I apparently added another hurdle to myself....while fiddling on the hosting site I figured it would be good to buy an SSL certificate...now I got an email from them saying I have to move my database to some A file?? Oh well, I guess this is the price I pay for not setting up my own store site!

More questions later, and seriously...thank you ALL for your kind replies!
Rob

Well, I finally got the store site to load, but it shows as Down For Maintenance (which I didn't set). I have checked the files admin/includes/configure and includes/configure and both have Permissions set to Read only for Web viewers, so I don't have a clue now why the warning message is still showing up.

And I still get a blank admin page when I click my old admin login link. I scanned over the text in that file (admin/includes/config) but it looks alright (for what I know!). Is there a file or download of some kind that you can run your text through to see if there is a syntax etc error that I can't see?

thanks!

You have the file:
/your_secret_admin/includes/configure.php

with all the correct settings for the /your_secret_admin directory name and the database information matches on your computer, correct?

Delete the file, ON THE SERVER, for:
/your_secret_admin/includes/configure.php

now FTP your file:
/your_secret_admin/includes/configure.php

to the server ...

Does this let you into your Admin?

If so, now go to the Configuration ... Website Maintenance ... and add your IP_address to the:

Down For Maintenance (exclude this IP-Address)
This IP Address is able to access the website while it is Down For Maintenance (like webmaster)
To enter multiple IP Addresses, separate with a comma. If you do not know your IP Address, check in the Footer of your Shop.

Next, in the same section, turn off the Down for Maintenance:

Down for Maintenance: ON/OFF
Down for Maintenance
(true=on false=off)

Does this correct both issues? :unsure:

That sounds like some good advice, and I'll follow it as soon as I figure out how to undo something stupid I think I did...

When I looked at my two files...admin/includes/configure and includes/configure...I noticed that in BOTH of them, near the top, I see the same line:
NOTE: This file is similar, but different from the "admin" version of configure.php.

I guess this is what happens when a novice like me starts messing around. I guess I got careless when downloading, editing and uploading. I have both files saved on my computer, but they appear to be identical.

Unfortunately I don't have the database saved anywhere other than what I'm working with on the server. My web guy had it, I'm sure, but he's nowhere to be found.

Close...so close....

waterloominis:

Thanks for discovering that for me. I have had a busy few days but hope to dig into this over the coming week. I apparently added another hurdle to myself....while fiddling on the hosting site I figured it would be good to buy an SSL certificate...now I got an email from them saying I have to move my database to some A file?? Oh well, I guess this is the price I pay for not setting up my own store site!

More questions later, and seriously...thank you ALL for your kind replies!
Rob

If you are going to buy an SSL then i recommend you ssl reseller because authorized selling and renewing the same certificates to their clients. The only difference in price.
My recommendation https://www.sslmatrix.com