Lost Access to Admin while going LIVE

Answering questions in order on POSTING TIPS:

• No, no previous post on this subject
• zencart version 150
• Have never upgraded, installed newest edition in Jan.
• no addons
• one-click install from GoDaddy
• customized outside from install using a few java apps but for the most part original. (unless you count the fubar changes)
• not a display issue ATM but url is https://www.adamsappletn.com JIC.
• Host GoDaddy
• Yes we have looked & searched both FAQ & the FORUM for all related questions and answers and even some adjacent answers.
• Problem started yesterday (6/21/12) afternoon aprox 4pm est.
• We tested & workout all issues pre-live setup. The issue came from attempting to go live.

Linx os config2.2\server on GoDaddy.com
PC OS Windows 7

While trying to move the site & contents from a subfolder to the root folder we gained access to the main page & none of the other links worked. And we couldn't get back into the admin to change the configuration/sessions and edit the main route link. When that happened we used the fix_cache_key.php to regain access to the admin in zencart through the server ftp but the website wasn't showing correctly. It had all the links but was missing images, tables & templates. To try and get the site looking right we went and reworked the configure.php files in admin/. & admin/includes/. After several more steps & tweeking including reloading all the files from back up (locking us out of admin again) & reloading the database from backup, we got several more errors.

Right now we are able to have the site functional in the root but have temporarily moved it back into a subfolder with a temp html site in place. In either case we still don't have access to the admin access in zencart. There's not even an error just a blank white screen. We have the htaccess file disabled by a tech on Godaddy support from receiving a 403: forbidden error. Looking at the subfolder back up, where it was originally & working with access to admin, there is no htaccess file to begin with. Where there is now an htaccess_denied (changed by tech support) in the root folder.

If someone can please explain why the htaccess folder isn't in the original zencart site created.

Does it show up after the move from a subfolder to a root folder?

If so is it the reason the site is unusable or undesirable when placed in the root folder?

Or is it the cause for our lock out of zencart admin? Or both?

couldn't upload link or pic so here's cut & paste.

admin_includes_configure.php

define('HTTP_SERVER', 'http://adamsappletn.com');
define('HTTPS_SERVER', 'https://adamsappletn.com');
define('HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER', 'http://adamsappletn.com');
define('HTTPS_CATALOG_SERVER', 'https://adamsappletn.com');

// secure webserver for admin? Valid choices are 'true' or 'false' (including quotes).
define('ENABLE_SSL_ADMIN', 'false');

// secure webserver for storefront? Valid choices are 'true' or 'false' (including quotes).
define('ENABLE_SSL_CATALOG', 'false');

// 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)
$t1 = parse_url(HTTP_SERVER);$p1 = $t1['path'];$t2 = parse_url(HTTPS_SERVER);$p2 = $t2['path'];

define('DIR_WS_ADMIN', preg_replace('#^' . str_replace('-', '-', $p1) . '#', '', dirname($_SERVER['SCRIPT_NAME' '/');
define('DIR_WS_CATALOG', '/');
define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_ADMIN', preg_replace('#^" . str_replace('-', '-', $p2) . '#', '', dirname($SERVER['SCRIPT_NAME'])) . '/');
define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_CATALOG', '/');
define('DIR_WS_IMAGES', 'images/');
define('DIR_WS_ICONS', DIR_WS_IMAGES . 'icons/');
define('DIR_WS_CATALOG_IMAGES', HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER . DIR_WS_CATALOG . 'images/');
define('DIR_WS_CATALOG_TEMPLATE', HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER . DIR_WS_CATALOG . 'includes/templates/');
define('DIR_WS_INCLUDES', 'includes/');
define('DIR_WS_BOXES', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'boxes/');
define('DIR_WS_FUNCTIONS', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'functions/');
define('DIR_WS_CLASSES', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'classes/');
define('DIR_WS_MODULES', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'modules/');
define('DIR_WS_LANGUAGES', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'languages/');
define('DIR_WS_CATALOG_LANGUAGES', HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER . DIR_WS_CATALOG . 'includes/languages/');
// * DIR_FS* = Filesystem directories (local/physical)
define('DIR_FS_ADMIN', realpath(dirname(FILE) . '/../') . '/');
//the following path is a COMPLETE path to your Zen Cart files. eg: /var/www/vhost/accountname/public_html/store/
define('DIR_FS_CATALOG', '/home/xxxxxx/html/');

includes_configure.php

// Define the webserver and path parameters
// HTTP_SERVER is your Main webserver: eg-http://www.your_domain.com
// HTTPS_SERVER is your Secure webserver: eg-https://www.your_domain.com
define('HTTP_SERVER', 'http://adamsappletn.com');
define('HTTPS_SERVER', 'https://adamsappletn.com');

// Use secure webserver for checkout procedure?
define('ENABLE_SSL', 'false');

// 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_CATALOG', '/');
define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_CATALOG', '/');

define('DIR_WS_IMAGES', 'images/');
define('DIR_WS_INCLUDES', 'includes/');
define('DIR_WS_FUNCTIONS', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'functions/');
define('DIR_WS_CLASSES', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'classes/');
define('DIR_WS_MODULES', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'modules/');
define('DIR_WS_LANGUAGES', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'languages/');
define('DIR_WS_DOWNLOAD_PUBLIC', DIR_WS_CATALOG . 'pub/');
define('DIR_WS_TEMPLATES', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'templates/');

define('DIR_WS_PHPBB', '/');

// * DIR_FS_* = Filesystem directories (local/physical)
//the following path is a COMPLETE path to your Zen Cart files. eg: /var/www/vhost/accountname/public_html/store/
define('DIR_FS_CATALOG', '/home/content/94/8294994/html/');

define('DIR_FS_DOWNLOAD', DIR_FS_CATALOG . 'download/');
define('DIR_FS_DOWNLOAD_PUBLIC', DIR_FS_CATALOG . 'pub/');
define('DIR_WS_UPLOADS', DIR_WS_IMAGES . 'uploads/');
define('DIR_FS_UPLOADS', DIR_FS_CATALOG . DIR_WS_UPLOADS);
define('DIR_FS_EMAIL_TEMPLATES', DIR_FS_CATALOG . 'email/');

We appreciate any help

tq1fkhc:

We appreciate any help

Although this may not be your only problem, I have spotted an error or two in your configure files.

admin_includes_configure.php
define('DIR_FS_CATALOG', '/home/xxxxxx/html/');

includes_configure.php
define('DIR_FS_CATALOG', '/home/content/94/8294994/html/');

1. These defines should both be the same.
2. I suspect that neither one is correct. A folder called /html/ is quite unusual. The web folder is usually called /public_html/ or /www/ (on a *nix based system, or /webroot/, /docroot/ on a windows based system.

As for your questions:
"If someone can please explain why the htaccess folder isn't in the original zencart site created."

These is never a folder called 'htaccess'. There are files called '.htaccess' in several folders though.
Zencart doesn't need an .htaccess file in its root folder.

"Does it show up after the move from a subfolder to a root folder?"

No, but one may get created if you use a GUI to create redirects for your site (or if you install some kind of SEO tool).

"If so is it the reason the site is unusable or undesirable when placed in the root folder?"

It depends on the contents of the .htaccess file, but yes, this can cause all manner of problems.

"Or is it the cause for our lock out of zencart admin? Or both?"

Impossible to say.

Cheers
Rod

RodG:

Although this may not be your only problem, I have spotted an error or two in your configure files.

admin_includes_configure.php
define('DIR_FS_CATALOG', '/home/xxxxxx/html/');

includes_configure.php
define('DIR_FS_CATALOG', '/home/content/94/8294994/html/');

1. These defines should both be the same.
2. I suspect that neither one is correct. A folder called /html/ is quite unusual. The web folder is usually called /public_html/ or /www/ (on a *nix based system, or /webroot/, /docroot/ on a windows based system.

we appreciate this highlight, as I recall we had changed the admin_includes_configure.php according to another tutorial. Perhaps we overlooked changing the includes_configure.php the content/94/8294994/ is what originally was found in the file when we opened it. Ideally what should it be?

Zencart doesn't need an .htaccess file in its root folder.
Then why is it there? we havn't used any other program aside from zencart.

Update!
we downloaded the entire store site files using filezilla & the old "working" site files and compared them using WinMerge to find if there were any files that were incomplete or broken thru transfer. Only found that the files that we've been working with thru tutorials on Zencart were different between the two. So we are now going back to change the new not working files to the old working files and will now try uploading the new site into the root file and see if that works.

Update!
Because of our re-install of the site with the working components we are now at the point of trying to get the server to find the site in it's own root folder. I'm thinking it's because of how GoDaddy has it's FTP set up.

Now we are getting an error message. you are seeing this page for one of more reasons:

1. this is your first time using zencart and you haven't yet completed the normal installation procedure....
2. your/ includes/configure.php and/or /admin/includes/configure.php file contains invalid path information and/or invalid database-connection information. if you recently edited your configure.php files for any reason, or maybe moved your site to a different folder or different server then you'll need to review and update all your settings to the correct values for you server. see the online faqs and tutorials area on the zen cart website for assistance
3. additional details; includes/configure.php file contents invalid. IE: DIR_FS_CATALOG not valid or not set.

Our current Dir_FS_CATALOG currently looks like this.

define('DIR_FS_CATALOG', '/home/content/94/8284994/www/');

In GoDaddy there is no public_html or www as a root directory. It is named as html. We have moved all files from subfolder /zencart to the root file & need to know what to put into the dir_fs_catalog.

tq1fkhc:

Our current Dir_FS_CATALOG currently looks like this.

define('DIR_FS_CATALOG', '/home/content/94/8284994/www/');

In GoDaddy there is no public_html or www as a root directory. It is named as html. We have moved all files from subfolder /zencart to the root file & need to know what to put into the dir_fs_catalog.

Found this with a search from bing, crossing our fingers this works!
http://www.zen-cart.com/showthread.php?181877-New-install-can-t-start-store&highlight=start+store

It' worked!!!! It worked!!!!

& we do use a /html/ root file name in a linux server.