SMF board is down after getting multiple messages "SMF could not connect to the

[Doug Heffernan]

That's the correct prefix.

I created a new user for it and gave it full privileges and then plugged that into the Repair settings.  Now I get "Table 'i4769326_sm1.smf_settings' doesn't exist"

Can you check your db and see if said table is indeed missing? If it is, the best way to restore it is to take it of your most recent backup file and readd it to your db.

Or you can readd it and all the default settings with the code taken from the install sql file, but the issue with it is that any settings that your installed mods have added will be missing.

Code Select Expand

CREATE TABLE {$db_prefix}settings (
  variable varchar(255) NOT NULL default '',
  value text NOT NULL,
  PRIMARY KEY (variable(30))
) ENGINE=MyISAM;

#
# Dumping data for table `settings`
#

INSERT INTO {$db_prefix}settings
(variable, value)
VALUES ('smfVersion', '{$smf_version}'),
('news', '{$default_news}'),
('compactTopicPagesContiguous', '5'),
('compactTopicPagesEnable', '1'),
('enableStickyTopics', '1'),
('todayMod', '1'),
('karmaMode', '0'),
('karmaTimeRestrictAdmins', '1'),
('enablePreviousNext', '1'),
('pollMode', '1'),
('enableVBStyleLogin', '1'),
('enableCompressedOutput', '{$enableCompressedOutput}'),
('karmaWaitTime', '1'),
('karmaMinPosts', '0'),
('karmaLabel', '{$default_karmaLabel}'),
('karmaSmiteLabel', '{$default_karmaSmiteLabel}'),
('karmaApplaudLabel', '{$default_karmaApplaudLabel}'),
('attachmentSizeLimit', '128'),
('attachmentPostLimit', '192'),
('attachmentNumPerPostLimit', '4'),
('attachmentDirSizeLimit', '10240'),
('attachmentUploadDir', '{$boarddir}/attachments'),
('attachmentExtensions', 'doc,gif,jpg,mpg,pdf,png,txt,zip'),
('attachmentCheckExtensions', '0'),
('attachmentShowImages', '1'),
('attachmentEnable', '1'),
('attachmentEncryptFilenames', '1'),
('attachmentThumbnails', '1'),
('attachmentThumbWidth', '150'),
('attachmentThumbHeight', '150'),
('censorIgnoreCase', '1'),
('mostOnline', '1'),
('mostOnlineToday', '1'),
('mostDate', UNIX_TIMESTAMP()),
('allow_disableAnnounce', '1'),
('trackStats', '1'),
('userLanguage', '1'),
('titlesEnable', '1'),
('topicSummaryPosts', '15'),
('enableErrorLogging', '1'),
('max_image_width', '0'),
('max_image_height', '0'),
('onlineEnable', '0'),
('cal_enabled', '0'),
('cal_maxyear', '2030'),
('cal_minyear', '2008'),
('cal_daysaslink', '0'),
('cal_defaultboard', ''),
('cal_showholidays', '1'),
('cal_showbdays', '1'),
('cal_showevents', '1'),
('cal_showweeknum', '0'),
('cal_maxspan', '7'),
('smtp_host', ''),
('smtp_port', '25'),
('smtp_username', ''),
('smtp_password', ''),
('mail_type', '0'),
('timeLoadPageEnable', '0'),
('totalMembers', '0'),
('totalTopics', '1'),
('totalMessages', '1'),
('simpleSearch', '0'),
('censor_vulgar', ''),
('censor_proper', ''),
('enablePostHTML', '0'),
('theme_allow', '1'),
('theme_default', '1'),
('theme_guests', '1'),
('enableEmbeddedFlash', '0'),
('xmlnews_enable', '1'),
('xmlnews_maxlen', '255'),
('hotTopicPosts', '15'),
('hotTopicVeryPosts', '25'),
('registration_method', '0'),
('send_validation_onChange', '0'),
('send_welcomeEmail', '1'),
('allow_editDisplayName', '1'),
('allow_hideOnline', '1'),
('guest_hideContacts', '1'),
('spamWaitTime', '5'),
('pm_spam_settings', '10,5,20'),
('reserveWord', '0'),
('reserveCase', '1'),
('reserveUser', '1'),
('reserveName', '1'),
('reserveNames', '{$default_reserved_names}'),
('autoLinkUrls', '1'),
('banLastUpdated', '0'),
('smileys_dir', '{$boarddir}/Smileys'),
('smileys_url', '{$boardurl}/Smileys'),
('avatar_directory', '{$boarddir}/avatars'),
('avatar_url', '{$boardurl}/avatars'),
('avatar_max_height_external', '65'),
('avatar_max_width_external', '65'),
('avatar_action_too_large', 'option_html_resize'),
('avatar_max_height_upload', '65'),
('avatar_max_width_upload', '65'),
('avatar_resize_upload', '1'),
('avatar_download_png', '1'),
('failed_login_threshold', '3'),
('oldTopicDays', '120'),
('edit_wait_time', '90'),
('edit_disable_time', '0'),
('autoFixDatabase', '1'),
('allow_guestAccess', '1'),
('time_format', '{$default_time_format}'),
('number_format', '1234.00'),
('enableBBC', '1'),
('max_messageLength', '20000'),
('signature_settings', '1,300,0,0,0,0,0,0:'),
('autoOptMaxOnline', '0'),
('defaultMaxMessages', '15'),
('defaultMaxTopics', '20'),
('defaultMaxMembers', '30'),
('enableParticipation', '1'),
('recycle_enable', '0'),
('recycle_board', '0'),
('maxMsgID', '1'),
('enableAllMessages', '0'),
('fixLongWords', '0'),
('knownThemes', '1,2,3'),
('who_enabled', '1'),
('time_offset', '0'),
('cookieTime', '60'),
('lastActive', '15'),
('smiley_sets_known', 'default,aaron,akyhne'),
('smiley_sets_names', '{$default_smileyset_name}\n{$default_aaron_smileyset_name}\n{$default_akyhne_smileyset_name}'),
('smiley_sets_default', 'default'),
('cal_days_for_index', '7'),
('requireAgreement', '1'),
('unapprovedMembers', '0'),
('default_personal_text', ''),
('package_make_backups', '1'),
('databaseSession_enable', '{$databaseSession_enable}'),
('databaseSession_loose', '1'),
('databaseSession_lifetime', '2880'),
('search_cache_size', '50'),
('search_results_per_page', '30'),
('search_weight_frequency', '30'),
('search_weight_age', '25'),
('search_weight_length', '20'),
('search_weight_subject', '15'),
('search_weight_first_message', '10'),
('search_max_results', '1200'),
('search_floodcontrol_time', '5'),
('permission_enable_deny', '0'),
('permission_enable_postgroups', '0'),
('mail_next_send', '0'),
('mail_recent', '0000000000|0'),
('settings_updated', '0'),
('next_task_time', '1'),
('warning_settings', '1,20,0'),
('warning_watch', '10'),
('warning_moderate', '35'),
('warning_mute', '60'),
('admin_features', ''),
('last_mod_report_action', '0'),
('pruningOptions', '30,180,180,180,30,0'),
('cache_enable', '1'),
('reg_verification', '1'),
('visual_verification_type', '3'),
('enable_buddylist', '1'),
('birthday_email', 'happy_birthday'),
('dont_repeat_theme_core', '1'),
('dont_repeat_smileys_20', '1'),
('dont_repeat_buddylists', '1'),
('attachment_image_reencode', '1'),
('attachment_image_paranoid', '0'),
('attachment_thumb_png', '1'),
('avatar_reencode', '1'),
('avatar_paranoid', '0');

Replace {$db_prefix} with your db actual prefix name.

[pirc-bw]

I really appreciate your time and attempts to help. I did finally get the board to load again.  I am totally unsure why.

Now how to I prevent this from happening again.

[Doug Heffernan]

I really appreciate your time and attempts to help. I did finally get the board to load again.  I am totally unsure why.

Now how to I prevent this from happening again.

Glad to see that you got it fixed.

You have to find out how it happened in the first place. Maybe it was a server glitch or something like that. Talk to your host and ask them to check their logs and see what happened.

Backing up your database regularly and forum files too will help a lot btw.

[pirc-bw]

Thanks again.

[Doug Heffernan]

Thanks again.

You are welcome.

[Illori]

it happened because of a race condition in SMF. this was said already in this topic. contacting the host will NOT help to determine why it happened.

to keep it from happening is to set the Settings.php file as read only.

be sure to take a backup so if it happens again you can restore the file.

[Kindred]

It actually could have been....   if the OP has installed mods which edit index.php