Installing Wordpress help please?

by 33 replies
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Hi All,

Can someone please give me some advice on the following:

I am re-designing a clients website. There old site has 2 pages and is HTML.
They have web hosting with a company and I have been given access to the files at ftp://theirdomain.co.uk. (Obviously I have filtered out their name). When I access this there are 2 folders: web and logs.

I wish to re-design their website using WP. I have asked the hosting company to set up a database and provide me with the access details, which they have, so I have the database name, user name and password ready to go.

I have downloaded the latest version of WP and uploaded it via ftp to ftp://theirdomain.co.uk. Once I had done this I tried to access the WP Install to enter the database details etc via http://theirdomain.co.uk/wp-admin/install.php (as recommended in WP Codex). However all I get is an error message saying that: the link might be broken; Typed in the wrong url; page may not exist.

Does anyone know what I am doing wrong? I know it seems like a daft question but this is my first real client who I have worked with on a hosting account other than my reselling account (which is HostGator) and I'm used to using their fantastico to set up WP in a couple of clicks.

Any help you can give would be really appreciated.

Thanks
Scott
#website design #installing #wordpress
  • Well I can't help you, but I've found some very knowledgeable people over at Fiverr.com and it only costs 5 bucks. If what you want done is harder than they want to do for $5 you can buy their gig more than once.
    Hope this helps
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • Jerryl,

      Thanks for the suggestion - amazingly I was just looking on fiverr for someone to do it, lol!!

      Great minds think alike!!

      Thanks,

      Scott
  • Where has generosity in a forum disappeared to that people need to pay $5 elsewhere to get help?

    Did you upload all the folders seperately? Or have you just uploaded the folder names "Wordpress" to the servers?

    If so you will need to go via domain.com/wordpress/wp-admin/install.php

    If you don't want them to have the website in the format of domain.com/wordpress then upload all the contents of the unzipped wordpress file seperately.
    • [ 2 ] Thanks
  • Did you upload the content of wordpress folder into the web folder? I guess you need to
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [2] replies
    • Hi Scitknot9,

      Just as Beezer123 & Michael71 said before me, you need to download the zip file from WordPress.org, then unzip it, then upload JUST THE CONTENTS of the folder to the root directory for something like http://theirdomain.co.uk/ to display their site or if you were setting it up in a sub-directory like 'blog' then create a directory/folder on their server named blog then upload the contents of the WordPress folder there.

      Let us know if any of this helps.

      - Steve D.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • The best thing you can do is read the Wordpress Codex. This is a ton of documentation which will answer all your questions.
      • [ 2 ] Thanks
  • As he wrote there are 2 folders when he is logging in to the clients account via ftp.

    web and stats

    I am sure he needs to upload everything to the folder called web

    There is no need to read codex in that case because the problem itself is NOT wordpress related, mam
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • Michael is right you need to upload the files to web. If this is a Windows server, which it probably is, it is not ideal.

      Do yourself a favour and tell your client to use your ideal set-up as it will save them money (your time).

      Alternatively, struggle with the problems you are having.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
  • Nowhere was it mentioned that you extracted the zip file after downloading it from the Wordpress website. Did you unzip it?
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • I think your best bet would be to try a linux server...
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • It is up to where you upload

    ttp://theirdomain.co.uk/wp-admin is really point to that address?

    if ttp://theirdomain.co.uk/ set to point at /home/
    then if you upload wp in sub directory then you have to add sub-dir too
    like /home/wordpress/wp-admin

    If it correct you don't need to add install.php just /wp-admin/ is fine.


    Do you already create wp-config.php? if not you have to rename wp-config-sample.php to wp-config.php and edit where your database inside it.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Hi All,

    Thanks for the awesome response, I appreciate it.

    Just to confirm, I downloaded the zip file and unzipped the file, then uploaded everything inside the 'wordpress' folder.

    However I did not upload it to the 'web' folder, only to the parent directory which contains the 'web' and 'log' folders, so this may be the issue?

    Also, I am now very concerned about this being a windows server which could cause me issues down the line.

    How would I find out what type of server it is?

    Thanks for all your help and support guys!!

    Scott
  • If you get a 404 msg you would see something like this

    Code:
    Not Found

The requested URL /dkljhdfg.php was not found on this server.

Apache/2.2.9 (Debian)...
    In Windows you would see a different message like:

    Code:
    Server Error

404 - ...
    If I would have the domain I could tell you...

    ---

    I am sure you need to move the files from the root folder to the web folder... make sure you do not overwrite any files like index.php (if they already have an index.php)
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • Michael,

      I can't remember the error code which came up, as I deleted all the wordpress files when the error appeared.

      I'll upload them again and see what comes up, should only take half hour!

      If I do upload them into the web folder, will I then have to access the install file at http://theirdomain.co.uk/web/wp-admin/install.php or will I access it as normal at http://theirdomain.co.uk/wp-admin/install.php?

      How will their url look once it is installed and does it matter?

      Thanks for your continued help,
      Scott
  • why dont u upload a txt file to the folder web.

    then open http://theirdomain.co.uk/nameoftxtfile.txt

    If it opens you know that you have to upload the WP content to the folder web.

    ...
    • [1] reply
    • Michael,

      Great idea! I have done it and can confirm that the txt file opened!

      I also noticed that the WP files have been uploaded to the web folder - I don't recall doing it so it must have been the guy I got to do it on fiverr!!

      Now when I go to http://theirdomain.co.uk it brings up the 'Create a Configuration File' page.....looks like we are good to go...hopefully!!

      Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it!

      Scott
  • This may sound dumb,so please no laughing......but if I type in: www.theirdomain.co.uk It still brings up their existing site, however if I type in http://theirdomain.co.uk it brings up the 'Create a Configuration File' page.

    Is this normal? I did not think that there was a difference between the two. I know that the HTTP is a protocol and the WWW is not.

    Apologies for the dumb ass question!

    Scott
    • [1] reply
    • No! It is not normal. Which web hosting are you using? WordPress can be installed with just few clicks. You made it sound so difficult. Get database created, upload files, not being able to find files, etc.

      Using Fantastico or Quick Install is the way to go for those who don't know how WP works. Nothing to download or upload, no database to be created. Damn simple.
      • [1] reply
  • It means your DNS setting do not point to same address. If you are on VPS or Dedicated server, it will need you to Edit DNS Zone.

    And "Create configuration page" do you already have wp-config.php in your wordpress. Not a sample one.
    • [1] reply
    • Filesonic,

      Thanks.

      I have not altered the sample config file to the wp-config.php file yet as we are still awaiting database name from the hosting company.

      I can also create the wp-config.php through the web browser can't I? That is what I have done on other WP installs.

      Scott
      • [1] reply
  • PM me the domain name and I will have a look if its ok with you.
    • [1] reply
    • Michael,

      Thanks for the offer but all is OK now, WP is up and running and we are getting on with the deign!

      Thanks for your help!

      Scott
  • Is the client using 1and1 by any chance...?
    • [1] reply
    • Hi Karen,

      Thankfully not!!

      I've never used them but I have heard the horror stories, lol.

      Scott
  • Glad to hear good luck on customizing it.
  • Yeah, actually learning how to do the install youself is always best...but if you're under the gun and having trouble 5 bucks at Fiverr is quick and cheap. And I would even recommend a member named om2000_cuet who did a few gigs for me quickly, and painlessly.
  • Hey you can take some idea from WP Codex hope there you'll be great to solve your problem.
  • [DELETED]
  • LOL what a read.
  • [DELETED]
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