Automatic update made blog disappear

  • solveeczemablog

    (@solveeczemablog)


    8 years, 12 months ago

    Hi, I received three successive notices of automatic updates of my blog, the last being 4.1.4 today. Suddenly my blog disappeared. All that comes up is a page that says, “Error establishing a database connection”

    I am unable to log in to the admin either, it also has a database connection error.

    Help! What do I do?

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
  • wslade

    (@wslade)

    8 years, 12 months ago

    Look at the Error Establishing Database Connection section in this link: http://codex.wordpress.org/Common_WordPress_Errors

    Thread Starter solveeczemablog

    (@solveeczemablog)

    8 years, 12 months ago

    Thanks for your help. I’m still in the dark.

    For some reason, WordPress updates my software automatically without asking me sometimes. I’ve never had a problem before, though. Recently, they updated the blog software 3 times in a row in rapid succession. The last time, 4.1.4 made my blog disappear, but I didn’t have the error before then. I did receive a an unusual and nonsensical comment right before it went blank, to the blog, but couldn’t find it when I logged in (received notice of it by email).

    I have had the recent experience that Network Solutions made me move my website internally when my hosting package came up for renewal. I had a lot of trouble with downloading and moving the database. Everything was working, though, except the AWSTATS which for some reason I could not upload the files from my computer to NS no matter what I did. Said I needed root access. Except for that, it was all working until this latest automatic update.

    I can access the files through Network Solutions and FTP, but I’ve only done that with a browser so far. Do I need to be concerned about malware or my site being hacked if I use DW? Only the blog seems affected, but maybe that’s just false sense of security.

    I need to ask a favor. If you are still watching this thread and have other ideas, please describe to me what needs to be done as if you were telling a 4 year old over the phone to administer CPR to someone — you are not insulting me, I hit my limit of computer arcana probably a decade ago LOL, and I just really need real low level directions about what to do. Sorry about that.

    I have a recent backup of both the database and the blog, if that helps, as well as the website. (Although figuring out which is most recent may take some doing.)

    I downloaded the files of the latest WordPress update, I’m wondering if I should try for the next update just to see if that returns things to normal?

    MarkRH

    (@markrh)

    8 years, 12 months ago

    Just an FYI, to stop automatic updates from happening til you get things working, add the following to your wp-config.php file:

    # DISABLE WORDPRESS UPDATES
define( 'AUTOMATIC_UPDATER_DISABLED', true );

    wslade

    (@wslade)

    8 years, 12 months ago

    WordPress began auto updates with version 3.7 in October 2013. The recent group of rapid version updates were unusual but were all made to prevent security threats.

    Not updating a sites core files, plugins and themes is just trading one problem for another. Sites not kept up to date will be hacked.

    Reloading your site from back up is the quickest and easiest fix for you. Then make sure everything is up to date.

    Thread Starter solveeczemablog

    (@solveeczemablog)

    8 years, 11 months ago

    Thank you both for posting.

    wslade, the original link you provided suggested I check the information in the wp-config file. It was different online than the last local version of it on my computer. Does this mean I was hacked? It seems really a strange thing to hack, though. If so, what can I do?

    Thread Starter solveeczemablog

    (@solveeczemablog)

    8 years, 11 months ago

    When I logged on to the blog, the first thing that came up was a screen that said I had to update my database. I didn’t seem to have any choice but to press the button saying to update. Then it said it was successfully updated. This has never happened before — just checking — is this normal?

    wslade

    (@wslade)

    8 years, 11 months ago

    What was different with your wp-config.php? If you have a lot of different code, use http://pastebin.ca And obviously, don’t post actual DB names or passwords.

    So, what condition is you site in now? Are you able to log in? Is your site working? I’ll be happy to to help with the hacked issue after I hear back from you.

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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