WP Installations Fail, even fresh zip files & new dbs

  • Resolved bettyhills

    (@bettyhills)


    8 years, 5 months ago

    I cannot get WordPress to install properly after 5 days of trying, watching videos, searching the forum, and reading tuts. If anyone can direct me to a solution, I will be grateful.

    This is my setup so that someone will perhaps find a clue as to why these installs keep failing:
    ‘

    • 1. I did a manual self-install of WordPress into a blog directory below the domain root.
    • 2. I use WS-FTP Pro to upload files in “auto” mode (also tried ascii only, and binary only).
    • 3. My domain resides on a secure server at Pair.com.
    • 4. The version of phpMyAdmin is 3.5.8.2
    • 5. The version of MySQL is 5.6
    • 6. WordPress’ repair.php says the database is correct.
    • 7. I work on a Win XP box.
    • 8. I am certain that the wp_config.php file is correct.
    • 9. There is an index.html file in the root directory. Does this matter?
    • 10. I have no .htaccess file because in early installs it killed the site.

    ‘

    I’ve installed FIVE times. The first time WordPress started with login but the Editor did not work & WP did not recognize permission changes. Second time, same thing.

    Third time, white screen, no information, but hours later, fiddling with file changes and uploads, it started, but it warned that ALL four themes were broken, should be deleted, and to reinstall one theme. Editor did not work. WP did not recognize permissions. Fearing to go forward with a broken version, I reinstalled a fourth time.

    Fourth install (with debugging = true in config.php), I got a white screen with this message: Warning: call_user_func_array() expects parameter 1 to be a valid callback, function ‘_show_post_preview’ not found or invalid function name in /usr/www/users/hostname/sitename/blog/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 503. This seems to be reporting some flaw in the files. I did not mess with them.

    With every installation, I get LESS functionality.

    Made a fifth and FINAL attempt at a fresh WordPress installation from a NEW download of the 4.3.1 zip file tonight into a squeaky clean local directory, wiping all files from the server, and deleting the database beforehand. Same result. White screen, not even a WP login page, and no info, even though wp_config.php is set to return debugging information.

    I am buffaloed. Any wisdom will be appreciated.

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
  • Moderator James Huff

    (@macmanx)

    Volunteer Moderator

    8 years, 5 months ago

    First of all, get rid of that index.html file. Most servers load indexes alphabetically, which means if you go to example.com it will load example.com/index.html instead of WordPress’s example.com/index.php if index.html exists.

    Next, it sounds like you your uploader may be having some trouble, occasionally missing and sometimes corrupting files, it’s really the only explanation for that collection of random destruction with each install attempt.

    Try something other than WS-FTP, like https://filezilla-project.org/

    Also, for reference: https://codex.wordpress.org/Installing_WordPress#Detailed_Instructions

    Thread Starter bettyhills

    (@bettyhills)

    8 years, 5 months ago

    Thank you for taking the time to answer, and for directing me to the detailed install instructions in the codex.

    I will use another uploader.

    Good to know that servers load alphabetically. My WordPress installation is located in http://sitename.com/blog . The index.html file is at sitename.com/index.html not in the same directory with WordPress. Should I delete index.html?

    Did I read somewhere that there is a problem placing WordPress in a subdirectory (in this case “blog”) in the example http://sitename.com/blog on a secure server?

    Your help is much appreciated.

    Moderator James Huff

    (@macmanx)

    Volunteer Moderator

    8 years, 5 months ago

    If all you have at example.com/blog is index.php then that is what will load when you visit example.com/blog and there’s not need to delete the index.html at example.com

    There’s no problem with WordPress in a subdirectory unless you already have WordPress in a directory above. 🙂

    Thread Starter bettyhills

    (@bettyhills)

    8 years, 5 months ago

    Many thanks, James. I am off to try a different uploader.

    Moderator James Huff

    (@macmanx)

    Volunteer Moderator

    8 years, 5 months ago

    You’re welcome!

    Thread Starter bettyhills

    (@bettyhills)

    8 years, 5 months ago

    James,

    Your advice about FileZilla sent me to researching how to install it, and ultimately to its network configuration page. At https://wiki.filezilla-project.org/Network_Configuration, I learned that routers and firewalls can time-out the transmission of large files without warning to the user. The wiki is an extensive treatise on network configuration and I learned much more, but the time-out issue is the critical clue to my problem.

    Since FileZilla no longer supports XP, for grins, I tried uploading the WordPress files again in small parts using WS-FTP Pro. It worked! The local files transferred to the server without breaking. The problem is SOLVED. WordPress is working beautifully. Thank you for your time, and for pointing me to the solution.

    Moderator James Huff

    (@macmanx)

    Volunteer Moderator

    8 years, 5 months ago

    You’re welcome!

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