Unable to load session storage class: database Error

[jsnider]

Hello. I recently had a great site working in a test sub-directory. I followed the directions to move it to the root directory to replace my older site. I was using FTP Commander, and I believe that the FTP program missed some files in the copy over. Not realizing this, I wiped away my initial installation (I know, stupid, but I didn't think an FTP program could botch a simple copy). I then was coming up with files missing apparently. I recreated a few of these as they came up missing (php50x.php for example). Now I just get: Unable to load session storage class: database when I try to load either the site or the administrator back end. I found one other post on this forum (http://forum.joomla.org/viewtopic.php?f ... 96&start=0). I tried basically everything they suggest here. Someone else seemed to have a similar problem with complete sets of files not being transferred over, and they resolved by switching to FileZilla. I have now switched to FileZilla which seems much better.

I found someone who had almost an identical error, also stemming from the FTP Commander:
http://www.howtojoomla.net/2006092217/h ... new-server

Her solution was to basically back track and try again. Clearly I am unable to do this as all I have left is basically corrupted files.

I apologize for confusing information etc. in this post as I am a newbie.


Release version: 1.5.3

Localhost – My webhost (Lunar Pages) installed all of this through Fantastico??


Your OS: Windows XP

What you have tried to solve the issue: Different data input you have tried, changing settings,

What searches you have done/information that may be related:

Is .htaccess file in use? : Yes, or at least there is an .htaccess file.

Thank you in advance to anyone who can help.

[brad]

Repair your database, and urgently update to the latest secure version which at the moment is: 1.5.9

[jsnider]

My apologies - I just checked on my webhost, and it looks like I am already up at 1.5.9 - I just installed 2 weeks ago, so this appears to be current.

Again, apologies for my newbie status, but how does one repair a database? I will dig around for that some more.

Thanks to everyone!

Joe

[jsnider]

Also, remember I can't get into administrator back end either - I get the same message there as well.

Thanks!

[jsnider]

Hi Everyone,

I have resolved my own issue. For anyone who comes along after me:

- Use FileZilla as FTP. I used FTP Commander, and that seemed to be the root of my problems - I think it was dropping files

- If you can install in your final destination directory, go ahead and do so instead of going through the headache of migrating.

Here's how I fixed it:

- I backed up my SQL database. I am a newbie, so I muddled through this. I stumbled into PHPmyadmin. I did this through the SQL databases feature in my webhost's cpanel. There is a function to copy a database. I was able to export a backup as a text file on to my desktop.

- If you haven't already, also copy all of your existing joomla files on to your hard drive - we know these are kind of tanked, but I was able to manually put some things back in from these files.

- I then uninstalled Joomla through my Fantastico on my webhost. This will wipe Joomla and your SQL database (hence the need for the backup....). I also cleared out pretty much everything from my public_html directory to avoid any conflicts from old files etc. - a clean slate.

- I then reinstalled Joomla into my main directory. In my case I just left the directory field blank. I created a user password etc.

- Joomla now worked as it had at my very first beginning. My next step was to try to link it back to my old data in the SQL database.

- I went back into my SQL database on cpanel. I created a new database, and a new user, and applied the new user to the new database.

- I then opened the database I had just created and imported the data from my exported text file on my desktop.

- Then I went in to the configuration.php file and changed:

var $user = 'newusername';
var $password = 'newpassword';
var $db = 'newSQLdatabasename';

where the existing fields will represent the new joomla database that was created during the intsall. I changed these to the database and username I had just created.

When I went to preview, my site data was generally back up - just using the default template.

At this point, I was able to start copying back in some files from my Joomla files back up. For example, I copied my entire specific template file into the templates folder on the server. Immediately my template was applied. This meant I did not have to reinstall the template and reconfigure. I could just copy the files into the appropriate directories. Same thing for modules etc.

I found this post helpful for understanding this rebuild process:

http://forum.joomla.org/viewtopic.php?p=1417076

I hope someone else finds this useful. I spent 4 or 5 hours trying to find a solution to the error I was getting, and about 20 minutes rebuilding everything and linking to the old data.....

Thanks!

Joe

[TikkiRo]

Hi Joe
Just to encourage you that your post has indeed been of immense value as I've just run into an almost similar problem today while trying to mirror a site. Ironically I used FZ to do the original upload but forgot to check the 'Failed transfers' section before closing it out & rebooting so am having to do folder uploads again to try & resolve it. BUT at least your post encourages me that this should resolve the issue hopefully & I'll not be wasting half my day (again!!) trying to fix the endless problems a simple copy shouldn't be causing

Thanks.