Can I temporarily use a new install to connect to my old database - any issue? Topic is solved

[scifivision]

My site is messed up and I am trying to fix it, and regardless of it I get help, it is going to take awhile and it's really important that my site be live, even if it's a crappy version with just the articles and no template.

Would it not work to make a backup of the database, install Joomla fresh (the same version) and connect it to that duplicate database (then point my domain there) and then go back to working on fixing the current site that is live now? Is there any issues I should know about going in? There's a good chance the issues are related to the template or extensions (at least my understanding so far, see my other post) so I would think it would be faster to do this to get a working site rather than trying to turn off and on each extension, especially when I have to do it manually (somehow) as I can't access the backend.

If this will work, do I choose the database when I install or just install empty and then change what database it connects to or do i install empty and import the tables? Still have to figure out if I can make a clone of the database and not all the files as it takes hours.

Thanks for the help, and if I should have appended this to the other post I apologize, but I figured its a separate issue.

[sozzled]

Yea, it's possible; could be tricky, though. Try it. Good luck.

[scifivision]

I thought that loading the fresh install would fix whatever is missing, but clearly it's something in the database.This did not work. When I try to connect to the database via the config file I am just getting the same error as running the old one. When I try to change user/DB through the global configuration I can still see the configuration page but all the menus except for the page I'm on disappear again (down the side it's there) as soon as I connect the old database, the main menu bar is missing. I get the same error when I reload the backend:

Error loading module Table 'thejrub4_jom2023.joom_modules_menu' doesn't exist

Upon further investigating and googling, I realized that the issue does seem to be the actual administrative menu is missing. What I also discovered is that you can access specific pages of the backend without the menu if you can find the actual URL - My articles and extensions etc are ALL THERE! This means that it IS connecting to the database even though it's acting like it isn't. I checked this with my original installs I can do the same, so I'm getting closer to identifying the issue (I think).

I did find this article, as I am able to install via the backend, https://www.itoctopus.com/administrator ... la-backend but it didn't help. This site also says this about menus disappearing that it usually this happens because of a PHP upgrade done on your server. So bingo probably what happened.

Also note that usually I do need to update the database via the backend once I update in softaculous (guessing the other update doesn't work because that fopen wasn't enabled, as someone mentioned). This option to repair the database is regrettably not there. what it does say for database (in addition to those two things beeing missing)

2 Database problems found -

Table 'joom_fields_values' does not exist. (From file 3.7.0-2016-08-29.sql.)
Table 'joom_fields_values' has the wrong type or attributes for column 'value' with type text. (From file 3.9.16-2020-02-15.sql.)

Other Information -

Database schema version (in #__schemas): 3.10.7-2022-03-18.
Update version (in #__extensions): 3.10.11.
Database driver: mysqli.
188 database changes were checked.
218 database changes did not alter table structure and were skipped.

As I said, these usually appear until I hit the fix database which isn't available. I know that's an issue, but the site always still worked regardless.

I also tried to update Joomla to see if that helped since it is part of that left hand menu, but it says no updates.

I looked at phymyadmin - while it does have a fields section, I did notice that the blank install has not just joom_modules (but its a different prefix for this install) it also has joom_modules_menu, which the original DB does not have. Although looking at the table they look empty anyway so I'm not sure if it's relevant. I do have joom_menu, but I also don't see main menu under modules either.

What about using the blank database that works (and has a menu) and importing tables from the old database with the articles etc? would that work? and how do i do that? I *think* maybe thats what SP transfer is for but I wasn't sure.

Any help at all is greatly appreciated. I know my site is screwed and I know my template needs updated. I'm willing to do whatever I can to fix it.

Yea, it's possible; could be tricky, though. Try it. Good luck.

[sozzled]

I know my site is screwed and I know my template needs updated. I'm willing to do whatever I can to fix it.

Fair enough. As I wrote before, it's possible to do what you want to do but it's a bit tricky: it's like trying to put a jigsaw puzzle together when a couple of pieces are missing. What one may have to do is to manufacture those "missing pieces" (if I can put it into those terms).

Unfortunately, owing to the forum rules that state

• Please keep all support on Joomla forum itself. That way the answers will be accessible for everyone who uses the search.

I cannot ask you to contact me to discuss your problem offline.

The forum may not be the most efficient or effective way to attend to your problem. I can't say or write any more than that.

I can say that it's possible—anything's possible —to do what you want to do but it's ... "tricky".

[scifivision]

I am confused. Is rebuilding the database not part ofJoomla support? Or are you saying because it's actually about stuff with phpmyadmin/the database I need to go elsewhere?

I know my site is screwed and I know my template needs updated. I'm willing to do whatever I can to fix it.

Fair enough. As I wrote before, it's possible to do what you want to do but it's a bit tricky: it's like trying to put a jigsaw puzzle together when a couple of pieces are missing. What one may have to do is to manufacture those "missing pieces" (if I can put it into those terms).

Unfortunately, owing to the forum rules that state

• Please keep all support on Joomla forum itself. That way the answers will be accessible for everyone who uses the search.

I cannot ask you to contact me to discuss your problem offline.

The forum may not be the most efficient or effective way to attend to your problem. I can't say or write any more than that.

I can say that it's possible—anything's possible —to do what you want to do but it's ... "tricky".

[sozzled]

"Joomla support" is a whole separate discussion.

I'm not saying that your problem can't be fixed by using a tool like phpMyAdmin.

I am saying that this forum may not be the most efficient or effective means of achieving what you want. I am also saying that I am not allowed under the forum rules to contact you privately—for the purposes of discussing your issue offline (e.g. via videoconference)—to offer you my help. I don't know if that explains what I'm trying to say.

I am not saying that there are ways one can help. I am not saying that you can't contact me privately. I am saying that I'm not allowed to contact you—to offer any offline help—without breaking the forum rules. OK?

[scifivision]

I thought that was what you meant but was not entirely sure. Noted.

"Joomla support" is a whole separate discussion.

I'm not saying that your problem can't be fixed by using a tool like phpMyAdmin.

I am saying that this forum may not be the most efficient or effective means of achieving what you want. I am also saying that I am not allowed under the forum rules to contact you privately—for the purposes of discussing your issue offline (e.g. via videoconference)—to offer you my help. I don't know if that explains what I'm trying to say.

I am not saying that there are ways one can help. I am not saying that you can't contact me privately. I am saying that I'm not allowed to contact you—to offer any offline help—without breaking the forum rules. OK?

[scifivision]

I sort of solved my issue. I’m not sure it was the correct way to do it, but I kept messing around with it. Although they supposedly restored the database from the backup, they must not have correctly. I’m guessing that it might have actually been the database upgrade that screwed it up and not the PHP upgrade which is what I originally assumed.

I had mentioned looking at phymyadmin and comparing it to the blank install and noticing some things that were missing. I also had the backup they gave me of the database that was a bit different than the backup that was actually restored. I imported the tables from that backup and what was missing that was in the blank install, and suddenly it worked and everything seems back to normal. I know the database is still kind of messed up, but I’m not entirely sure what to do to fix it other than to start a new install from scratch and import tables one at a time and maybe only import what I need (like there are tons of ‘fake’ users that I don’t need). My main plan is to make a backup and eventually try to create or find a template that will work with 4 and update it completely. Until then I will update the PHP again and hopefully it will not break. This version 3.10.11 should work on PHP 8.0 as far as I know, which is really why I now believe they screwed up the database when they updated it.