Has my Restore from Backup failed

[Frobisher]

I recently patched my 2.0.12 forum to 2.013. Because of and issue which sometimes requires having to login twice I have done the following.

Installed a 2.0.13 afresh complete with newly created database. This is in a different folder/directory to the original forum.

I backed up (GZip) the original incarnation of the forum to my Laptop.
I then did a Restore to the new incarnation of the forum using the aforementioned Backup by using CPanel on my Host.
It reported that it was successful but all I have is the virgin newly created forum.

Does it take time for the restoration to be seen. I am logging in as Admin and there is nothing other than the SMF created News message.

Thank you, Norman

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Assuming you have a good backup of your production database, have you imported it into the new database?  If so, how?

[Kindred]

and did you adjust all of your URLs, paths and database details to the new location?

[Frobisher]

Backed up from the original Forum use CPanel on my Host and used CPanel to Restore to my new Forum
as explained in the Backup/Restore SMF Online Manual. At least that is what I am convinced I did.

Norman

[Frobisher]

Kindred, Not sure what you mean by adjust all your URLs. If you mean did I choose the correct path to perform the Restore then I am convinced I did.

Norman

[Steve]

Have you tried this? What is repair_settings.php?

[Kindred]

you made a new installation of SMF (with no users and no messages)  in a new location

you then imported your OLD database into your NEW database?
Yes or no?

If yes, then you need to run repair_settings.php and correct all of the paths and URLs, because all of those from the old database will be pointing to your old installation.

if no, then you will have none of your old content (users, messages, etc)

[Frobisher]

Steve, Downloaded repair_settings.php and uploaded it to my new Forum Folder.
Then I executed by using the URL to my new Forum.
The results appear to be indicating that the URLs / Paths I have should be changed
but I haven't a clue how to do that.

Norman

[Frobisher]

you made a new installation of SMF (with no users and no messages)  in a new location

Yes.

you then imported your OLD database into your NEW database?
Yes or no?

Yes.

If yes, then you need to run repair_settings.php and correct all of the paths and URLs, because all of those from the old database will be pointing to your old installation.

I guessed that was the case.

if no, then you will have none of your old content (users, messages, etc)

Please see my reply to Steve.

Really out of my depth.

Norman

[Shambles]

Repair_settings gives you a link that you can click, for each recommended setting.

[Frobisher]

Yes, that is what I thought and I did click on each one.

Just tried running repair_settings.php again and clicking on every link.
Maybe I missed one because I saw the change implemented and it was
for the \attachments. That looks like where all the Categories, Topics, Posts will be.
However there is still a virgin Forum. As that link is with my host I am wondering if
it will take time for that to happen or whether the host is not allowing it. That said,
I did not see any errors associated when I saved the output from repair_settings.php.

There is, I believe, a conflict with the new database for the SMF install I set up some hours ago.

When I had a problem with the SMF install, I contacted my Host Support.
I was not interpreting the required answers correctly. see below.

This is the server, username, password, and database for your server.
Database Engine:    
Recommended value: "MySQL".
Server:    
Recommended value: "localhost".
This is not the case with my Host so I enter what he told me.
Database name:    FRED - this is just and example
Username:    The Database Username
Password:    The generated Password for that Username
SSI Username: (Optional)    
SSI Password: (Optional)    
Table prefix:    smf_

This could be a problem because I mentioned this to my Host Support
who said this will be the same as the Username (above) with the underscore,
that is FRED_. I said shall I change it and he said no. I said that the install will
sort that out then and he replied Yes.

Tried changing the Table prefix to FRED_ (just an example) but then I got an
error reported by repair_settings.php about the database.
Connection type:    Standard (recommended)
Persistent (might cause problems)

This is clearly important because if the Table prefix is wrong (in conflict) then
none of the tables will be seen.

Norman

[Kindred]

table prefix is the prefix of the tables INSIDE the database.  If you did not specify something else, it will be smf_

this has nothing to do with the DATABASE name

[Frobisher]

Kindred, I was reflecting what my Host Support told me but I except what you have said.

May get back to this tomorrow as it is passed my bedtime

Norman

[Frobisher]

Have run repair_settings yet again with Table prefix set to smf_

While the message at the top of the page says there were no problems, I have just spotted the following.

Attachment Directory:    
Notice: Undefined variable: array_settings in /path removed for security purposes/forum/repair_settings.php on line 755

Now I am definitely going to hit the sack (go to bed).

Norman

[Steve]

Hopefully you didn't leave repair_settings.php on your forum ...

[Sir Osis of Liver]

If you can pm your cpanel login (url/username/password) will have a look.  I'm in NY, will be on a couple of hours tonight, and back tomorrow afternoon local time.

[Frobisher]

Hopefully you didn't leave repair_settings.php on your forum ...

Yep.

[Frobisher]

If you can pm your cpanel login (url/username/password) will have a look.  I'm in NY, will be on a couple of hours tonight, and back tomorrow afternoon local time.

Requested information sent by pm.

Norman

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Did a clean 2.0.13 install in /forum, connected to your database cust-mysql-123-20, seems to be working fine.  Not having any problem logging in/out as admin.  If I add the index.htm file to forum root, get blank page.  Your previous install is in /forum_sav.

[Frobisher]

Thank you.

The problem was with another forum incarnation.

The one where you have done a clean install of is my original Forum which was installed in 2014.
This is the one where I was getting a problem with having to log in twice. You were lucky to
get in because I have had it disabled on and off over the past two/three days.

What I did was to backup that database and then do a fresh install of 2.0.13 with database cust-mysql-123-19.
This was in a path /tiffyforum/forum. I then did a restore using the backup made from /forum. The new forum
was empty. This is the problem I was trying to get fixed. What I did not reckon with was the URLs / Paths ....
would be incorrect for the new forum. It was then that I tried to fix that problem using repair_settings.php
but it failed.

Clearly there has been some confusion.

Norman

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Don't know what you want to do.  The 123-19 database is damaged, the TiffyBoy_ prefix is missing at least one table.  It works using smf_ prefix.  There are at least three forum installs (I added a fourth), and two databases, one of which has two sets of tables.

- Which is your original production database? 

- In which directory do you want the forum to end up? 

You were lucky to get in because I have had it disabled on and off over the past two/three days.

Luck has nothing to do with it.   I have access to your database, so I enabled immediate registration, registered, set it back to admin approval, and made myself admin.  I can fix the forum any way you like, just need to know how you want it.

[Frobisher]

Hi,

cust-mysql-123-19    S34Forum - New Forum (Damaged)
cust-mysql-123-20    TiffyBoy - Original Production Database

I would like TiffyBoy left as is. This is the one you did a clean install of 2.0.13.
I think it would be wise on my part abandon the New Forum.

I will delete all the files associated with the New Forum at the weekend.

Thanks for your time.

Norman

[Sir Osis of Liver]

The clean install I created at /forum is connected to the 123-20 database, and includes your attachments and custom agreement.txt.  Seems to be working fine.  If you want to move it to a different directory, that's easily done.

[Frobisher]

Sir Osis,

Was busy Friday and Saturday with non-related Forum problems but have spent some time on my Forum issue.

Using the Database that you updated (cust-mysql-123-20), I have managed to modify Settings.php to get
everything pointing to the correct place with what I was trying to achieve. So I now have root/tiffyforum/forum/
working as well as root/forum/ working.

I still have a problem will something else and that is htaccess but that is not an SMF problem.

May move my forum root/tiffyforum/forum to tiffy_34/forum and if that is successful then I will see if it has fix
the issue that I am having will htaccess. Although I have had some success in the past using htaccess it
appears to be a magic art

May ask for help if I screw-up the move that I am thinking of doing that is to tiffy_34/forum.

Many thanks, Norman

[Frobisher]

OK, having fixed my Forum only to have Google Chrome (aided by me) break it, I have fixed it again.

In a nutshell, all of the original Forum data is there and only one Website login (not the Forum login) is required.

I will remind viewers that when a user clicks on a link to get to my Website, it requires a Username / Password to be entered.
With my earlier incarnation of the Forum, when a user clicked on the Forum link they were required to enter the same Username / Password again to display the Forum Login Page. With my very latest (and repaired) version of the Forum a user logs into the Website by using their credentials. From the Website they can click on a Forum link and they will be transported to the Forum Login Page without the requirement to enter their credentials again. Tested in Firefox & Chrome Microsoft Edge & Internet Explorer 11

Will leave open for a day or so for people to comment if they wish.

Norman