lost everything when updated !!

I know how you must feel as I’ve had similar experience with WSOD. The good news is that it is PROBABLY recoverable, and you will learn a huge amount about WP which will give you greater confidence moving forward.

I’m sure others will chip in, but here’s some of my advice:

1) Change your ISP. They should not be charging you to recover a backup. I use TSOHost who are excellent, and have recovered a backup for me in <1h several times.

2) There are 2 key files you need to look for, the .htaccess and wp-config.php in your root directory. Try to FTP them back to your local machine to investigate their contents. Try renaming .htaccess to .htaccess.old on the server. WP will create a new basic one which may cure your WSOD.

3) I keep all my work locally using Dropbox or similar, so I have control over the master files and keep them backed up. I then use Filezilla to FTP changes to my different sites.

4) The next issue will be checking that your database is OK, but try the above first and see where that gets you.

This is my starter to try to calm your panic and get you thinking straight!

Thanks for calming worse of advice but im afraid I my panic has turned to near resignation (but not complete!)…

Even if I do get past this WSOD (i have done previously) it seems as though my child theme customizations are lost which is same as saying my site has been razed to the ground, and I will have to build all again from zero!!?

Have you used BackUpWordpRess plugin? It is one long ugly looking file that I can barely fathom but its does seem to have some of my custom css included.. yet as I say there is no sign of Child Theme etc when i log in to my site through filezila.

I hope (and would pray if was so inclined) that my host can restore my site to its “former glory” , as I can see no way back.

PS this issue occurred while trying to resolve an earlier minor issue (see “front page versus home page versus index” page thread)

I’ve used WordPress Backup to Dropbox plugin, though not had to use it to recover. Also Better WP Security though that is quite complex and takes some understanding.

The bit I’m mystified about is where are the files you’ve FTP’d to the Server? Surely they’re on your local system somewhere?

I cannot find the child theme anywhere, nor the files I had added to the child folder

Also I made a lot of custom CSS changes (while in child theme). but I cannot find/access them.

This is my first WP site and all was going well, I had a very happy client and I was pleased with the customizations I had made…

Have I fatally messed up somehow?

This is probably outside the scope of the Forum.

[Moderated. Please do not try to solicit work via these forums]

Have you done all mods to your child theme through WP editor and you do not have a copy of your child theme in your drive?

In this case your only bet is to get a backup of your files (not the database) from your hosting company.

Learn from this not to modify your theme online, but rather offline, on your computer and upload files as you modify them. At the end of each day archive themes folder (and plugins if you also worked there) and save it in some _bkp folder with the date as the name).

[Moderator Note: Please do not post in uppercase & shout at us. Post de-capped.]

FAO Moderator:

i was not soliciting for paid work, i was hoping to offer free support to someone in dire straits working for a charity. trying to do it in this forum was impractical.

there are 3 main people who offer free & valued daily support in this forum. it is a shame that we seem to attract patronising comments from visible & invisible moderators without any consideration of our motives.

thanks whoever you are.

Acub, yes all mods were done through WP editor. I did have a copy of child theme but onlyu through FTP with my host, I didnt download onto my own drive (lesson learned!!)

I will now have to pay 50 euro to my host to restore my site (they asked me to send them an email requesting their engineers locate the files. They have yet to get back to me to confirm they have these, when they do then I will learn if they wish to insist on this fee (hopefully they waive it as this as this is a well -respected charity that I am helping build their Irish site…. but I doubt they show much charity tbh)

rdellconsulting I must say that this member was in no way soliciting for paid work. He was simply and generously trying to help me out of a bind. I don’t think he should be chastened for this but commended.. My only guess is the moderator is a malfunctioning, if well intentioned, robot?

One of the reasons I choose this theme was due to the support threads which I had noted were lively and helpful. And that has proved to be the case.

Both members mentioned above have offered their help and advice without there ever being a hint of ulterior/shadowy motivations.

I think their generosity should be seen as such and I remain a believer in the generosity of a free and open net.

PS i do not mean to insult the moderator as I genuinely appreciate this forum, I only wished to offer my thanks and support to, and defense of those members who have tried to help so generously.

These are community-based forums and all support here happens here – for the benefit of the wider WordPress community. Soliciting contact via email is not allowed.

Thanks Esmi, I 100% agree. The confusion is that neither member who responded to my post have solicited contact via email yet rdellconsulting was accused of having done so (or am I missing something?) I am coming to the defense of this member only because I feel he genuinely was trying to help me (and judging from other threads he has tried to help many others), and he seems understandably upset at being accused of doing something which to my knowledge (judging from his posts) he didnt do.

rdellconsulting specifically attempted to solicit contact via email.

ok I didnt see that..

There is one hell of a difference between:

a) Please do not try to solicit work via these forums
b) specifically attempted to solicit contact via email.

My email is freely available to anyone on the Themes & Co website.

I have never received a penny/cent or any denomination for the support I have done on this theme, which now amounts to over 500 contributions to this Theme.

I acknowledge that I may have bent your rules, esmi. For the sake of the reputation of both myself & my fellow Theme supporters, please accept my humble apologies. It won’t happen again.