Title: Weird Error message when upgrading Last modified: August 18, 2016 --- # Weird Error message when upgrading * [chris86](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chris86/) * (@chris86) * [20 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/weird-error-message-when-upgrading/) * Hi guys. I’ve upgraded to a new version of Semiologic, and I’m getting a WordPress database error. When I visit, mydomain.com, it reads… * Error establishing a database connection. * This either means that the username and password information in your wp-config. php file is incorrect or we can’t contact the database server at localhost. This could mean your host’s database server is down. * * Are you sure you have the correct username and password? * Are you sure that you have typed the correct hostname? * Are you sure that the database server is running? * I can’t even load my website. I don’t know what I did to cause this. Help! How do I correct this? * P.S. I installed WP using Fantastico…and according to Fantastico, it says WP is still installed. Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total) * [Chris_K](https://wordpress.org/support/users/handysolo/) * (@handysolo) * [20 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/weird-error-message-when-upgrading/#post-388188) * And is your original wp-config.php still there in the WP directory? * Thread Starter [chris86](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chris86/) * (@chris86) * [20 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/weird-error-message-when-upgrading/#post-388189) * Hi HandySolo. No, my original wp-config.php is not still inside my WP directory. I re-uploaded a new set of files, and deleted the old set, and I guess I inadvertently deleted the wp-config.php file. Ouch. * When I log into Cpanel, I have a “MySQL databases” option. I’ve got “username_wrdp1.” Am I correct in assuming that “username” is my username and “wrdp1” is the database name? * Assuming this, I opened up the wp-config.php file and inserted my password, username, and database name and uploaded the new wp-config.php file. I’m still seeing the same error message and cannot access my domain. What now? Why didn’t that work? * I’ve got a “Repair Database” option under MySQL. If I click “Repair” will that solve the problem, or will that make matters worse? * Thread Starter [chris86](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chris86/) * (@chris86) * [20 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/weird-error-message-when-upgrading/#post-388195) * Never mind. I solved the problem. (It just nearly gave me heart failure for the past 10 minutes, though!) There were 2 problems with my edits to the wp-config. php file… * 1.) I had the wrong password. As soon as I changed the password, and reuploaded the config file, I saw a different error message (about the name of the database). * 2.) On my host, the name of the database is username_dbname. Not “dbname”. WordPress suggested that this might be the problem. Thank God for clear error messages! * Problem solved. So happy now! Any idea why WordPress saved my posts–even though the config file had been overwritten? I’m very glad WP saved my posts, but I don’t understand why it did so. * [Chris_K](https://wordpress.org/support/users/handysolo/) * (@handysolo) * [20 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/weird-error-message-when-upgrading/#post-388196) * Repairing won’t get you anywhere, alas. * Username is probably, as you guess, username. For dbname I’d try the whole thing( username_wrdp1). Or “wordpress” which is the default. * Also in the config file is the table prefix. Default is “wp_” — peeking in the db via cpanel should help you confirm if that’s correct or not. * [Chris_K](https://wordpress.org/support/users/handysolo/) * (@handysolo) * [20 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/weird-error-message-when-upgrading/#post-388197) * Ah, good deal. We crossed posts. * Your blog posts were saved because you smoked the WP code, but not the database. 🙂 * Thread Starter [chris86](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chris86/) * (@chris86) * [20 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/weird-error-message-when-upgrading/#post-388202) * Ok, thanks HandySolo. So, just to make sure I understand this…my posts were saved b/c I still had the MySQL database intact. Is that right? * If that’s the case, then I never have to worry about overwriting the wp-config file…as long as I still have the MySQL database intact, then all my posts (and theme styles) will be saved. * Yes? * [Chris_K](https://wordpress.org/support/users/handysolo/) * (@handysolo) * [20 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/weird-error-message-when-upgrading/#post-388233) * Mostly yes. * Posts (and Pages) and users and comments – database. * WordPress, the program, themes and plugins – file system. * Thread Starter [chris86](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chris86/) * (@chris86) * [20 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/weird-error-message-when-upgrading/#post-388298) * Ok, makes sense. Thanks! Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total) The topic ‘Weird Error message when upgrading’ is closed to new replies. * In: [Installing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/installation/) * 8 replies * 2 participants * Last reply from: [chris86](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chris86/) * Last activity: [20 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/weird-error-message-when-upgrading/#post-388298) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics