Multiple WordPress Installations with Root

Moved out of MultiSite, as that’s for using ONE install to run multiple sites.

I think this will fix it: https://help.godaddy.com/article/4067#rootdirectory

If you’re using a web.config file, you definitely don’t want to have one WP install in the root while there is another in a subfolder. This scenario may cause a problem because the web.config in the root will control the content in the subfolders. Instead, you would want to move the root instance into a subfolder (which seems to be your goal). It takes a couple steps, but it can be done. I explain below.
With that said, I would sooner recommend you switch to a Linux server to resolve your issue. Linux is generally better at handling PHP, which WP uses, and having a WP instance in the root of a Linux account doesn’t have this negative effect. Talk to a Support representative at GoDaddy.com before making the switch, but if you confirm switching to Linux wouldn’t adversely affect you in some other way, these are the steps for initiating the change: https://x.co/ZNTT
Note: If you do make this switch, make sure to set your permalinks setting to “default” after the switch, then set it back to your preferred setting. You must complete this step for each WP site in your account in order for permalinks to work after an operating system change.

If you prefer to stay on the Windows server, this is how you would change things to get the primary domain on your account hosted in a subfolder instead of the root:
First, change the primary domain name on your hosting account to some placeholder name. For example, if your domain is normally “domain.com”, try changing it to “domain_placeholder.com”. This change may take up to 24 hours to complete.
Once that’s done, just add the domain to the hosting account as you would any other domain. Keep the placeholder domain as the primary – your root folder would not need anything inside it other than the subfolders you use for the other domains and any other system-related folders GoDaddy.com creates for the account.
This article from our Help Center will help with changing the primary domain and adding/removing other domains: https://x.co/ZNTS

I have a very similar problem, also on GoDaddy, on a windows server *I think*.

Both of my WordPress installs are in subdirectories.
You can see the site at cityfruit.org and the second site at cityfruit.org/fruitstewards

When I changed the URL stuff so that the main blog appears to be at the cityfruit.org instead of cityfruit.org/subdirectory/, it broke the second WP site (/fruitstewards). I can still see the home page and the dashboard for that page, but all pages underneath are 404.

Questions for the GoDaddy person – Is there some magic code I can add to my web.config to get both blogs working again? I’m really newb to this whole thing, and this non-profit really needs to their site up and running again. All day yesterday I fought with getting the main site subdirectory to act as the root, only to find I had broken the second WP. I am beyond frustrated and lost… and advice would help.

funkisockmunki,

It really does sound like a similar problem, and as a result, my recommendation will be very similar as well.

First off, I’d recommend switching to Linux instead of Windows. Though I still recommend putting all sites that use a web.config (or .htaccess on Linux) in their own subfolders, you can get away with it on Linux in most situations whereas Windows will also have a problem due to how a web.config file affects subfolders.

In response to your question about whether or not you could add something to the web.config to make it work, I honestly don’t know. If so, it is beyond to limits of my personal knowledge. Luckily, there is no reason not to pursue the much simpler solution of moving the root instance into a subfolder and keeping the root empty:

1. Change the primary name on the hosting account to a placeholder.
2. Some time after completing step one (up to 24 hours), you will be able to add what was your primary name back to the hosting account as an alias (and in a subfolder).
3. Move any content that was in the root and relevant to your primary name into the new subfolder.

Thank you for your response, but I was told by GoDaddy that in order to fix my problem I had to move the WP install from a subdirectory, where it lived happily without problem, to the ROOT. When it all went to heck, the response I got from customer service was that WP was my problem and they don’t offer support. I get that the host has no obligation to help me set up 3rd party software, but to start me down a path and then cut me off was unkind to say the least.

btw – “Just move it to linux” is misleading to those out there considering it. From what I understand through countless articles is that it’s not a simple flick of a switch. Migrating breaks everything and the install has to be cobbled together again, you have to edit the databases and reconfigure a bunch of stuff, and it still might not work quite as it did.

Nothing I tried from countless experts, customer service and person tinkering from online advice could rectify the problem of the webconfig either breaking one site or the other. Pretty permalinks don’t work properly on the GoDaddy windows servers. There is no workaround, it never works 100% correctly, each workaround just generates problems elsewhere.

I’m in the process of migrating elsewhere. If I’m going to move them, might as well move them to a Linux server at a host that understands WordPress and is willing to be helpful. I’m done hacking things up and doing workarounds, time for a clean slate.

ps – Buddypress also doesn’t work properly on the GoDaddy windows server.

Word of the wise to newbs like me – If you’re on windows IIS, switch to linux before you install WP, not after. Don’t move your WP install if you don’t have to. Put it where it’s going to live and save yourself a major headache. Choose a host that fully supports WordPress and is willing to get their hands dirty if you have a problem. WordPress has a list of good hosts.