Topic: Freaky issue with Simple Portal

[TheMortician4]

I have been running SMF 1.1.13 with simpleportal 2.3.3 since January of 2011.

The system was running great until I recently began getting messages from users that when they go to the home page, all they see is the banner, shoutbox, and quote of the day. I tried access on my system under both Firefox 9.0.1 and Internet explorer 7 and see the portal with no problems.

I then used my mother in laws laptop with both the same browsers and on my network, and signed in under an alias user name and now see what they see.

Anyone have any idea why this suddenly is happening and how to correct the problem?

The site URL is:  bbiclan.com

[Chen Zhen]

There is a different setup for block permissions using a drop-down & radio buttons.
Edit your blocks and adjust the permissions.
For all to view you can set the drop-down.

[TheMortician4]

Checked all the settings, nothing has changed. Everything is just cutoff after the shout box on some viewers screens. Yet, my screen shows everything as it is supposed to be. Weird....because my mother-in-laws laptop I set-up and everything worked fine, until recently.

It appears that this has been occurring for at least the last 30 days, as I restored the system from a backup through the hosting service. they only retain backups for 30 days....

[Chen Zhen]

I assumed you updated and were using SP 2.3.4 with the last post but I see you are using SP 2.3.3.

So you started having issues after your host restored a backup? or you tried a backup because of the issue?

Anyhow.. I suggest uninstalling any SP Plug-ins & SP 2.3.3 (successfully with no uninstall errors else properly parse the files showing errors). Then install the latest version: SP 2.3.4

You should update anyhow an if you do that successfully at least we'll know it's not a corrupt SP file.
Let us know after the above.

[TheMortician4]

That's the thing...!!! I started having this problem when I went to upgrade to 2.3.4, I lost the ribbon including the admin button. So I uninstalled it, and had 3 or 4 errors and have been messed up since 12/18/2011

[Chen Zhen]

That's the thing...!!! I started having this problem when I went to upgrade to 2.3.4, I lost the ribbon including the admin button. So I uninstalled it, and had 3 or 4 errors and have been messed up since 12/18/2011

Ok let me get this straight: you attempted to update your forum from SMF 1.1.13 to SMF 2.0.2, things were really messed up afterward so you had your host do a restoration from their last backup and now SP is not functioning properly?

Hmm.. I'll have to run a test for that scenario using some custom blocks atm I am not positive of any behavior arising from a SMF version upgrade/change. 

Please quote all the errors that you are seeing in your log.

[TheMortician4]

Negative, all I tried to do was upgrade 2.3.3 to 2.3.4, and this is where it all started. I assumed the site portal was having issues due to needing to be upgraded. So when I was able to duplicate this issue, I then attempted to upgrade to SP 2.3.4, that failed and I tried to uninstall it and that's where I started throwing errors. So I then attempted to restore through hosting, and that is what I am still doing after x many days, file by file

[Chen Zhen]

Negative, all I tried to do was upgrade 2.3.3 to 2.3.4, and this is where it all started. I assumed the site portal was having issues due to needing to be upgraded. So when I was able to duplicate this issue, I then attempted to upgrade to SP 2.3.4, that failed and I tried to uninstall it and that's where I started throwing errors. So I then attempted to restore through hosting, and that is what I am still doing after x many days, file by file

I understand the problem occurred before the above process was attempted but I want to make some general practice clear:

- you must uninstall the old version of SP 2.3.3 (successfully! - look below)  & delete it before upgrading to SP 2.3.4
- when installing/uninstalling modifications make sure to parse every edit that shows an error.
     You implied that you tried to install SP 2.3.4 which failed (<-- showed errors?) and then tried uninstalling it?
     You should not commence any install/uninstall without properly parsing flagged errors or you'll wind up with a mess.

Perhaps you know this already & I misunderstood your statement?


Put your forum in maintenance mode and then uninstall SP 2.3.3.
Commence the uninstall when it shows errors but then use your back button to go to the screen that shows the flagged errors - grab a screen shot of this page and attach it.
When I look at the screenshot I will ask you to upload specific php files.

If the forum crashes at this point it would be due to a failed index.php edit from the main directory & is easily fixed so do not worry.


Afterward, if this process fails I have another solution btw.

[TheMortician4]

that's where the problem was. I uninstalled 2.3.3, and installed 2.3.4 with no errors. When the ribbon was gone and had no admin button, I then went to uninstall 2.3.4 got get back into the system. It was during the uninstall that it threw errors, I then began throwing errors all over the site as well as when trying to reinstall 2.3.3

[Chen Zhen]

that's where the problem was. I uninstalled 2.3.3, and installed 2.3.4 with no errors. When the ribbon was gone and had no admin button, I then went to uninstall 2.3.4 got get back into the system. It was during the uninstall that it threw errors, I then began throwing errors all over the site as well as when trying to reinstall 2.3.3

It still sounds to me like you commenced installs/uninstalls showing errors without parsing.
You understand parsing yes? Any time you mention errors during install/uninstall you do not state that you parsed those edits properly.

[TheMortician4]

Yes, I understand parsing....I had no errors on the original install of 2.3.4, except that the entire ribbon for SMF was at its default minus the admin button. It was when I went to uninstall the 2.3.4 that we got parse errors.

[Chen Zhen]

Yes, I understand parsing....I had no errors on the original install of 2.3.4, except that the entire ribbon for SMF was at its default minus the admin button. It was when I went to uninstall the 2.3.4 that we got parse errors.

I understand the point at which you had parse errors but when you got them, did you correct them properly by editing those files after seeing an error (parsing) or did you just continue the uninstall of 2.3.4 without manually editing files at that point?

Any time you mention seeing errors you are not telling me that you corrected them nor are you showing me a screenshot of them (or quoting these errors).


Here is a possible solution that should work no matter the circumstances of possible corrupted file edits:

• Download updated versions of your mods for SMF 1.1.16 to your pc/mac (or modify package-info.xml files to be compatible & rezip them)
• Uninstall all modifications and avatar packs
• Delete mods that you no longer use or need to update to latest versions (do not delete avatar packs)
• Download the SMF 1.1.16 Upgrade Package: Click Here
• Decompress (unzip) this archive to its own folder on your pc/mac
• Upload all files/folders from that to your main forum directory & overwrite all files from the queue
• Access settings.php:             .../settings.php
• Complete the upgrade
• Install avatar packs & updated mods

2 birds with one stone  .. update your forum & no issues/errors
This is assuming you heed my advice when/if receiving installation errors.

[TheMortician4]

I just continued. As for a screenshot, failure to capture them on my part.

[Chen Zhen]

Just to be clear:

Access settings.php with your browser:             http://...SITE-URL.../settings.php

I just continued. As for a screenshot, failure to capture them on my part.

That is what I figured but had to make sure.
If you follow the instructions properly from my previous post your original SMF files will be replaced with their defaults.
This would be easier than manually sifting through each SP edit of SMF files, omit any other possible errors from other mods you installed while ignoring errors and would also bring your forum version up to date.
 
The database is not affected with this procedure.
 

[TheMortician4]

Will give it a try, Thank you

[AngelinaBelle]

Did that work?

[TheMortician4]

yes it did, topic marked solved

[AngelinaBelle]

Great! glad you solved it.