Comment button vanished

  • I have reluctant responsibility for a site set up by a friend, recently deceased. It is still running WordPress 3.6 with BuddyPress version 1.9.2. I am not a WordPress expert and have yet to brave a potentially tricky upgrade, so the site has been bumbling along using the antiquated version. Until now.
    The comment button on the main blog page has suddenly and unaccountably disappeared, and restoring files (not the database) from a backup makes no difference. Comments for the page are activated. The only recent change to the configuration was to upgrade a user to editor status, but this was a couple of days before this malfunction. Comments can be added from the edit page but users and editors alike cannot add them from the blog page.
    I would welcome any suggestions on how this might be remedied.

    The page I need help with: [log in to see the link]

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

  • Firstly, check under /wp-admin/ -> Settings whether comments on new blog posts are set to auto-close after a certain period.

    Also, have you updated your theme, by any chance?
    The theme is normally responsible for outputting the comment button on the front end.

    Thread Starter cakass

    (@cakass)

    Thanks for that. I’ll check it out. I haven’t updated the theme. It is so far out of date IO fgear screwing things up.

    Have you tried finding an export plugin that is still compatible with <4?
    It may be easier to just export the posts and re-import it on an updated site.

    If you are going to update the site at some point, make sure that you have a backup (tar.gz from your host) and consider updating in stages.

    Moderator Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)

    (@ipstenu)

    ?????? Advisor and Activist

    BuddyPress is going to be the gotcha on that one I’m afraid.

    I would make a good backup and, in order:

    1. Upgrade Core
    2. Upgrade Theme *(assuming no direct edits to theme)
    3. Upgrade all plugins
    4. Possibly install Classic Editor (since you’re jumping to Gutenberg and may not be quite prepared)

    From 3.6 that shouldn’t be actually that horrible, but there are a LOT of changes and you’re going to be hard pressed to find anyone who’s super familiar still with 3+ year old updates.

    Thread Starter cakass

    (@cakass)

    Thanks Carike and Ipstenu for your suggestions. I appreciate your help. A reply button has mysteriously reappeared on comments but not the main post. I think I am going to have to try the upgrade. The trouble is that I am doing this as a favour, and have other things to do, and as a WP novice I get bogged down trying to sort out problems. I did try to set up a local install to prototype the upgrade at home but could not find a compatible server. The current configuration is in a subfolder within the public-html directory and addressed as domain/subfolder. Is it possible to make a copy of this under a new name in public_html and prototype using that?

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
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