Lost website after relocation

Can you get into the Dashboard? If so, try visiting Settings > Permalinks and pressing Save changes.

Also if you can login to the dashboard take a look at the settings and make sure that it is the correct WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL). It would probably generate a 404 page instead of a 500 page though but it’d still be something worth checking.

Perhaps still need to update your .htaccess?

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
 RewriteEngine On
 RewriteBase /
 RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
 RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
 RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
 RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>

The RewriteBase /

I can login to my dashboard.
Going to settings > permalinks

Just below “save changes” I get the following message:

If your .htaccess file were writable, we could do this automatically, but it isn’t so these are the mod_rewrite rules you should have in your .htaccess file. Click in the field and press CTRL + a to select all.

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ – [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>

What should I do with this?

I can login to my dashboard.
Going to settings > permalinks

Just below “save changes” I get the following message:

If your .htaccess file were writable, we could do this automatically, but it isn’t so these are the mod_rewrite rules you should have in your .htaccess file. Click in the field and press CTRL + a to select all.

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ – [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>

What should I do with this?

It sounds like a permission issue with the .htaccess file. Can you login to your site via FTP?

Like Julian says, if you can login to your site via FTP and paste the code it’s given you into your .htaccess file that should resolve your issue.

I am logged into my site via Cyberduck.
I tried editing .htaccess with the new info but it didn’t register save.
The permissions are 644 and I cannot change them.
I right-click .htaccess, then click permissions and add two checkmarks on write for group and for others, but it doesn’t reflect in the file list.

I’m not familair with Cyberduck, when it can not edit and save online you could try FileZilla:
https://filezilla-project.org/download.php?type=client

You could also try download the .htaccess file to your computer and edit it there and then reupload.

Probably better not make your .htaccess permanently writeable on your server.

OK, I figured it out.
I had to rename .htaccess to htaccess.
I was then allowed to edit the contents and save it.
My website is now back up in the root directory.

Still, the message in settings > permalinks did not disappear.

Also, the .htaccess file that I originally copied from the wordpress folder, is not longer there.

Also you could try copying everything in the .htaccess file and make an entire new file out of it then upload and rename it to .htaccess.

The message in settings > permalinks stays, thats no problem, thats same with me.

I believe you are on a Mac computer, on Mac files that start with ‘.’ like .htaccess are hidden files, perhaps that is why you not see it.

Does Mac has a option to show hidden (system) files?

I’m working with Cyberduck, (through a Mac) – I see the .htaccess file in the root directory, but I no longer see any .htaccess file in /wordpress. So it is not a visibility issue – the .htaccess file that was previously in /wordpress is no longer there.

OK i thought that you downloaded a copy to your computer.

I have no idea how it disappeared from /wordpress directory but its not needed there. So no problem when its gone now. You have the .htaccess that is needed in the root.

Perhaps you ‘cut’ the file instead of ‘copy’.

I dragged/dropped the file – thinking – from past experience anyway, that it copies.
If you say it’s not needed in /wordpress anymore, so be it.

Thank you everyone for the prompt help – losing one’s website on a key-click is an unpleasant experience. Thank you for “bringing me back to life”.

Happy Holidays y’all.