Windows can't open that file

[tacticalguy]

File: webinstall(1).php
"To open this file, Windows needs know what program you want to open it with."

Am I missing something here...? I already have Notepad and I just downloaded FreeTextPad. Why isn't it opening? I thought maybe I had corrupted the first download, somehow, so I downloaded it again. Still won't open. I really want to use this to help set up my security forum. Any ideas or thoughts would be appreciated. Step by step instructions on how to set up my forum would be FANTASTIC! Thanks in advance!

[Kays]

Hi, webinstall.php should be uploaded to your site and accessed by url in a browser.

See if this helps get you started: Installing SMF

[kat]

Webinstall is notoriously flakey, tacticalguy, I'm afraid. I wish they'd trash it and have done with it, to be honest.

The link that Kays gave you is a FAR better way of going about it.

[Colin]

Webinstall is notoriously flakey, tacticalguy, I'm afraid. I wish they'd trash it and have done with it, to be honest.

The link that Kays gave you is a FAR better way of going about it.

I must have good luck then .

[tacticalguy]

Hi, webinstall.php should be uploaded to your site and accessed by url in a browser.

See if this helps get you started: Installing SMF

Okay, tried that. Followed the directions, received the same error message. I'm just using my home PC to set this up. Do I need my own server to setup and run this?

[Colin]

Yes . If you have moderate technical knowledge you can configure your computer to function as a server.

[tacticalguy]

Yes . If you have moderate technical knowledge you can configure your computer to function as a server.

LOL. How moderate IS moderate...? Assume that I'm a dumb security monkey just banging away on the keys, here. How much effort am I looking at? Is there any step by step guide to do that?

[Colin]

With WAMP which is a packaged distributable it isn't too bad at all http://www.wampserver.com/en/

[tacticalguy]

Okay, a little update, here. I wasn't able to install and run anything I downloaded from here. I DID go back through GoDaddy and download it through there. It was simple that way. The problem is that now, my page won't come up. I called GoDaddy and they said that apparently, I have an error on line 50, a function that can't be met or something. When you go to my page: http://sentinelsofflorida.com/ It shows the "Something cool is coming" page. When I try to go here: http://sentinelsofflorida.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php It says no input file specified. I tried downloading the repair settings php but, I still can't get anything downloaded directly from here to open. HELP!

[kat]

http://sentinelsofflorida.com is giving me:

Warning: require_once(D:\Hosting\9878200\html\simplemachinesforum/Sources/QueryString.php) [function.require-once]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in D:\Hosting\9878200\html\index.php on line 50

which suggests that the forum's in the root, not in a subdirectory, as this seems to confirm.

http://sentinelsofflorida.com/Agreement.txt

It, also, suggests that the settings in Settings.php are wrong.

Good ol' Godaddy...

[tacticalguy]

Hmmm, so my alterations to the Registration Agreement are to blame?

[kat]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!

All that does, is prove where your forum is.

http://sentinelsofflorida.com Not, in a subdirectory of that.

[tacticalguy]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!

All that does, is prove where your forum is.

http://sentinelsofflorida.com Not, in a subdirectory of that.

Okay, where do I go from here? I can't access my admin page. Do I have to uninstall Simple Machines and re-install it?

[kat]

If that's where you want the forum to be, I would imagine that putting this http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Repair_settings.php into that directory and doing what it says, on that page, will do the trick.

[tacticalguy]

If that's where you want the forum to be, I would imagine that putting this http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Repair_settings.php into that directory and doing what it says, on that page, will do the trick.

The only problem is this, every time I download a program direct from this site, I can't open it. I get the same error message that this thread started with.

[kat]

To me, that sounds like you have a problem with your browser.

It can be a pain, for some of them, when the link's not a direct one, like that one.

Try this one: (Right-click>save as, if clicking on it doesn't work.)

http://mirror.ord.simplemachines.org/downloads/repair_settings.php

[tacticalguy]

To me, that sounds like you have a problem with your browser.

It can be a pain, for some of them, when the link's not a direct one, like that one.

Try this one: (Right-click>save as, if clicking on it doesn't work.)

http://mirror.ord.simplemachines.org/downloads/repair_settings.php

Says the same thing. Hmmm... Should I try downloading it through IE? I had Firefox up earlier and couldn't access the FTP File Manager to transfer over to html until I brought IE up.

[kat]

Even if you right-click and "Save link as"?

I just tried it with Firefox and it worked perfectly. 

[tacticalguy]

Even if you right-click and "Save link as"?

I just tried it with Firefox and it worked perfectly. 

Nope, every time I try to open it, it says the same thing. I'm becoming very frustrated here. I worked all day yesterday on that file, setting up the forum. Now, I can't figure what I'm doing wrong. 

[kat]

Hang on... "Open" it?

You want to save/download it, so that you can upload it to your site.

[tacticalguy]

Hang on... "Open" it?

You want to save/download it, so that you can upload it to your site.

I do save it. Where should I be saving it to? I guess that's the better question.

[kat]

To your computer. Then, using FTP, or CPanel's "File Manager", you need to upload it to your site.

It's all explained on that page I linked to.

[tacticalguy]

To your computer. Then, using FTP, or CPanel's "File Manager", you need to upload it to your site.

It's all explained on that page I linked to.

Aha! That's what's been missing! I don't follow directions well, sorry, lol. I just uploaded it. Now, I have to read some more...

[kat]

Have fun!

And...  always remember my sig...

(Just thought I'd mention that, in passing...)

[tacticalguy]

Have fun!

And...  always remember my sig...

(Just thought I'd mention that, in passing...)

Okay, just tried bringing my admin page in my browser. Didn't work. I thought I followed the directions there. I uploaded it to the root file. Is there anything else?

[kat]

Did you go through the whole thing?

You upload it. Then, you point your browser to it.

It's there, now.

When you reply, I'll delete that link, for obvious reasons.

[tacticalguy]

Did you go through the whole thing?

You upload it. Then, you point your browser to it.

It's there, now.

When you reply, I'll delete that link, for obvious reasons.

Okay, I see it.

[tacticalguy]

Now, what values should I change other than the recommended ones? And to what?

[kat]

Under "Paths & URLs", click on the recommended values, yeah.

Although... are you self-hosted?

Some of those paths, like "D:\Hosting\9878200\html\avatars" point to a hard disk, rather than a URL.

[tacticalguy]

Under "Paths & URLs", click on the recommended values, yeah.

Although... are you self-hosted?

Some of those paths, like "D:\Hosting\9878200\html\avatars" point to a hard disk, rather than a URL.

Well, I'm web-hosted by GoDaddy. Do you mean do I have my own server? No, I don't. Oops, a new one... "Some settings are not being shown because the MySQL connection information is incorrect. " What new Hell have I created for myself, now? LOL.

[tacticalguy]

Under MySQL it recommended localhost, I did that. Should I not have done that?

[kat]

That'll be username/password.

Hell's teeth. How those values point to a hard disk is beyond me.

Let's check what you did...

You got the install archive.

Dearchived it.

Uploaded all the files to your site. http://sentinelsofflorida.com (If you used Filezilla, I hope you changed the "Transfer type" to "binary").

Pointed your browser to http://sentinelsofflorida.com/install.php

Followed the on-screen instructions.

Yeah?

[tacticalguy]

That'll be username/password.

The MySQL value?

Hell's teeth. How those values point to a hard disk is beyond me.

Let's check what you did...

You got the install archive.

Dearchived it.

Archived it?

Uploaded all the files to your site. http://sentinelsofflorida.com (If you used Filezilla, I hope you changed the "Transfer type" to "binary").

I'm not sure what my FTP  client is, to be honest.

Pointed your browser to http://sentinelsofflorida.com/install.php

Followed the on-screen instructions.

Yeah?

Yeah, I think I did.

[tacticalguy]

Okay, now it's archived.

[kat]

This is the usual way it's done, in a nutshell.

You download the install "package" (Which is, in reality, an archive, zip, tar/gz).

You dearchive it, on your hard disk.

Upload all of the files, to your site, using FTP. (Filezilla?)

Point your browser to http://sentinelsofflorida.com/install.php

Follow the on-screen instructions, which includes, if I remember rightly (I might not, coz it's been a while), creating a database.

When done, delete install.php.

[tacticalguy]

This is the usual way it's done, in a nutshell.

You download the install "package" (Which is, in reality, an archive, zip, tar/gz).

You dearchive it, on your hard disk.

Upload all of the files, to your site, using FTP. (Filezilla?)

Point your browser to http://sentinelsofflorida.com/install.php

Follow the on-screen instructions, which includes, if I remember rightly (I might not, coz it's been a while), creating a database.

When done, delete install.php.

Well, I did save it to my hard drive. I did upload my files through FTP. I did point my browser and create a database. I didn't delete the install.php.

[tacticalguy]

Could not deleting the install create these issues? What value should I put for the MySQL server? localhost can't be correct, right?

[kat]

I believe it is, yes.

I really don't understand how those paths got set to a hard disk, though.

I vaguely remember seeing that, before. But, it was ages ago.

[tacticalguy]

I believe it is, yes.

I really don't understand how those paths got set to a hard disk, though.

I vaguely remember seeing that, before. But, it was ages ago.

Okay then... Any ideas how I can square this away?

[kat]

In all honesty, I'd start-over, I think.

Do you do FTP?

If you've never done that, it might pay you to get something like Filezilla and play around with it, to get used to it. (Make sure the "Transfer type", in the menu, is set to "binary", though, not "Auto", which is the default).

If you get nowhere, I could possibly help you out, tomorrow. (It's pushing bed-time, here)

If you can PM me your FTP login details, I could take a look and see what you have going-on, there, if you like.

Before you do that, though, have a look at this:

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=87130.0

[tacticalguy]

Thanks for all of your help, sincerely. I'll look over that page and see if I can solve it myself. If that doesn't work, I'll be back on here, tomorrow.

[kat]

Thanks for all of your help, sincerely.

No problem, mate. Any time.

I'll look over that page and see if I can solve it myself. If that doesn't work, I'll be back on here, tomorrow.

I like your style.

[tacticalguy]

In all honesty, I'd start-over, I think.

Do you do FTP?

If you've never done that, it might pay you to get something like Filezilla and play around with it, to get used to it. (Make sure the "Transfer type", in the menu, is set to "binary", though, not "Auto", which is the default).

If you get nowhere, I could possibly help you out, tomorrow. (It's pushing bed-time, here)

If you can PM me your FTP login details, I could take a look and see what you have going-on, there, if you like.

Before you do that, though, have a look at this:

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=87130.0

Interesting. Last thought before your head hits the pillow. I went into MySQL through my GoDaddy Hosting control panel and clicked on "Manage via phpMyAdmin". I logged into Starfield, copied my server and pasted it back into the MySQL  server where it was recommending that I use "localhost" and now all of my other Paths and URLs are back. It still shows that something is wrong but, I thought that was interesting.

[kat]

Indeed.

I just looked at your forum and everything looks fine, now.

Good finkin', Batman!

[tacticalguy]

Indeed.

I just looked at your forum and everything looks fine, now.

Good finkin', Batman!

LMAO! That's funny! I uninstalled it and reinstalled it twice last night. Now, I'm at a loss as to how to proceed, embarrassingly enough. When I had gotten to this point and wanted to do my initial site setup, someone from GoDaddy walked me through getting there. Now, I can't remember what I did. I'm gonna have to read some more. I'm not anywhere smart enough to be the Dark Knight, btw. I could be Robin's stunt double, maybe...

[tacticalguy]

Okay, I just tried to access my FTP Manager. Firefox just won't open it, keeps telling me that there's an error in the directory. So, I went into IE. Just as I'm bringing up the FTP directory, I see that the welcome message in the upper right corner doesn't say my name, like Firefox. It shows a different name. Have I created a conflict of some kind? Because then, it showed the same error message in IE and failed to load the directory.

[kat]

http://sentinelsofflorida.com is working perfectly, for me, whether I use Opera, PaleMoon, IE, K-Meleon or Firefox.

I can't log in, though, obviously.

I tried to register. But, of course, I need to be approved.

[tacticalguy]

http://sentinelsofflorida.com is working perfectly, for me, whether I use Opera, PaleMoon, IE, K-Meleon or Firefox.

I can't log in, though, obviously.

I tried to register. But, of course, I need to be approved.

I don't understand. I'm reaching the breaking point. I'm not sure I was meant to set up and run this site.

[kat]

Here's what I'm seeing.

[tacticalguy]

Here's what I'm seeing.

OMG!!! I'm such a wanker! I finally called GoDaddy again. I tried to explain to the agent how I got to this point. He stopped me halfway through to say that I was giving him WAYYY too much info. He asked me to try to go to the site. I told him it was still displaying the "something cool is coming" window. He said he could see the same thing you displayed. He then asked me if I had cleaned my cache since this all had begun...? OMG! I can't believe it was that simple! Thank you soooo much for being patient and helping me out. If you hadn't, I might not have gotten here.

[kat]

Ahhhhh! The bloody cache!!!

Oh, well. We got there, in the end.

That's what matters.


In passing, have you noticed my sig.?

Burn it into your mind, mate.

I worte this doc, especially for you.

http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Backup

[tacticalguy]

Ahhhhh! The bloody cache!!!

Oh, well. We got there, in the end.

That's what matters.


In passing, have you noticed my sig.?

Burn it into your mind, mate.

I worte this doc, especially for you.

http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Backup

LMMFFAO!! I DID see your signature. Thanks for the kind effort that went into creating that doc. You're a prince among men, sir!

[kat]

Why, thankyou!

I quite enjoy... er... worting...