Depends on what you're trying to do. Are you trying to move from one server to another? If so you should have no need for the installer.

Do you have a backup of your database? I'm assuming so, so what is the file extension? Like is it a .gz that you got using a 'backup' utility through cpanel, or is it a .sql that you got using 'export' through phpmyadmin? Also do you have the files that ran your blog on your old server? If you've got both of these then you should be able to run your web again.

Yes I moved to a new server. I had an exported .sql file and all the files from the old server. But if I just tried to use them it would tell me I wasn't done and had to run the installer.

Interesting. You can see your database via phpmyadmin? Can you see what it says for the evo_settings table in the db_version field? I'm asking because the error you quoted is acting like it wants to install version (blank). Oh wait that would mean your files think you are trying to run version (blank).

schema version 9200 is for 1.8.6, so it looks like it learned that part correctly. Therefore the problem appears to be in the files. The files, it looks like, are having a hard time figuring out what version the files are for.

BTW since you tried to upgrade to 1.9.1 it is probable that some of your database got changed. IF that happened then you will be stuck in a horrible situation. I suggest you DROP all the tables and re-install your .sql backup file. For me to use a .sql file requires me to use the SQL button in phpmyadmin, but your host might be different.

Back to the files: if you re-replace your database backup and get a fresh copy of 1.8.6 you might be able to find a file or two that got corrupted. Last week I had a file on my PC decide it was 0 bytes. Dunno how or why, but that's what happened. I found out when I accidentally deleted the wrong folder from my server and had to restore from my local copy.

Anyway you can grab a fresh zip, unzip it, and add your important pieces to the conf/_basic_config.php file. 4 lines for the dbase connection, 1 for your baseurl, 1 for your email ID, and change $config_is_done to 1. You can then either replace all the files on your server with the new version, or, use something like WinMerge to find the differences before you replace. If you go with the second method, which is probably the better choice, I suggest you download what you have on your server and compare a fresh copy to that because it's the server files that are causing the problem. It's possible that your local copy has no errors but something got bonked when uploading is why.

I re-uploaded all my files from the old server and imported the DB again after dropping the tables and it seems fine this time, thankfully.

Thanks for the help

EdB wrote:

Depends on what you're trying to do. Are you trying to move from one server to another? If so you should have no need for the installer.

Do you have a backup of your database? I'm assuming so, so what is the file extension? Like is it a .gz that you got using a 'backup' utility through cpanel, or is it a .sql that you got using 'export' through phpmyadmin? Also do you have the files that ran your blog on your old server? If you've got both of these then you should be able to run your web again.

I am probably going to be moving to another host soon as well. My blog was customized by stk. Any advice?

Storm_Law wrote:

My blog was customized by stk. Any advice?

Burn it and start over ;)

Back up your files AND your database, and do your database in all available methods. I talked about using "backup" in cpanel and "export" in phpmyadmin, so I would do both. When you export via phpmyadmin make sure it is set to export as sql, and I tend to check the boxes for "drop table if exists" and the box right below that one, then check the "save as file" and then the "go" button (or whatever it's called).

Also talk to your new host first. Make sure that you will be able to import your file to your new home. Kinda like measuring rooms for your furniture before you buy a house right? It would suck to find out it don't fit...

By the way cpanel's "backup" feature is also a "restore" feature. So if you backup via that utility you can easily restore from it. The thing is it will want to match the file name to the database it restores. Meaning if you backup your domain_bvlt1 database you will get bvlt1.sql.gz as the file name. When you try to restore from that it will always put that info into a database named domain_bvlt1. So if your new host makes a database for you called, for example, domain_fred you will have to rename your backup file to fred.sql.gz before using "backup" to restore.

Using the export product to restore is a pain in the butt - especially if you have a very large database. So that's the other advice I offer you: shrink your database before you backup/export it. Wipe out your hitlog table, which you can do from the stats tab by deleting one day at a time until you have no stats history. Or go to phpmyadmin and select that table then "EMPTY" it. Also EMPTY your antispam table. No sense in backing it up when you can just ask central for the whole thing again (though this does take a minor trick that is documented elsewhere). Depending on what version you have now, you might also want to EMPTY your sessions and basedomains tables too. If you don't have them then there is no way to EMPTY them yah?

There ya go!

Thanks for the Advice Ed. I need to find a good host first. Mine has become unreliable.

I use http://realwebhost.com/ even though I'm pretty sure they are a bit overpriced for what you get ... or a bit light on space/bandwidth for the money. Each time I thought about changing though I look at how little downtime I have and how quickly they've responded to every issue I've had in the past 4 years or so and stay with them.

For example recently I had malicious files inserted into all my folders in my media folder, which was CHMODed to 777 per "that's what they say to do". Told the host about it and (a) they cleaned out all media folders in all my b2evolution installations and (b) switched to suphp which somehow means b2evolution file manager can work with the directories at 755 - the normal default value for a folder. When I brought this information to the forums here fplanque (main dev guy) said "tell your host to get suphp or else they suck" (paraphrasing here). So yeah they were already on it.

Anyway your mileage may vary of course. A web I manage could not use them due to the huge amount of storage space they felt a need for, even though their bandwidth usage is tiny. It would have costed a fortune at "my" host. Turns out they pay less per month that I do now. OTOH what happens when that installation gets maliciousness due to being set up like most hosts out there? I expect very little based on one request for help I've made to them that got a nice polite "no" as the reply.

Oh and the other host sends me a blank email once a month. Blank subject, and almost no content except for how it was automagically generated by their billing system. After submitting 3 tickets on it and getting 3 "we're working on it" responses I figure (a) they are not working on it and (b) they really don't give a crap that they have this stupid email going out and (c) that's the level of support we get with a cheap host.

My host has been pretty decent over the past 3 years. They just did a supposed data center move. I have had most of my domains and email now down for almost 48 hours. I am basically out of business right now on the net!

At least my blog is up but very slow.

I also had the chmod 777 problem. I had some hacker change my pictures to islamic stuff. I have just been manually chmoding form 755 to 777 when I want to use the file manager. With the information you provided, it will now be easier to upload pictures.

My host has been good for the past 3 years, I have had my share of problems with them, but 48 hours and no email has pretty much broken the camels back so to say.