Too many SQL databases

If I remember right you had a hard time with sites and the multisite itself and then getting mapping right. Maybe start with a list on paper.

How many sites do you have on your Blue Host account?

How many sites do you have on your Control Panel?

How many sites do you have on your multisite?

Do all those sites work? Check each one.

Now post some kind of test message to your multisite’s main site and look at your six databases using phpMyAdmin for that post to be there.

Write down that one database as ‘Mr. Untouchable’ in big letters or something across the top of your paper and don’t touch that database… leave that one be.

On one of the other five remaining databases, change the database username slightly (just add a letter or two) and then work your way through all your sites you think you have and see if any of them crash. That’s all (every single site) that you think you have created on your account. Check every site!!!!

If you see database connection problems then figure that out or rename that database user back and leave that one be for now.

If every single one of your sites still works then that database probably doesn’t go anywhere.

If a site crashes then that site might not be on your multisite… it probably isn’t but doublecheck to make sure the multisite is still running.

New sheet of paper! Add that modified database’s name to your new list!!!

Do the same for your other 4 databases.

Leave the databases stand for a couple of days with those renamed database users… Just in case!!!

When you think you have done all the above testing then think about things a bit. Those extra databases ain’t hurting anything. If they are bothering you though then go into phpMyAdmin and make a backup to your own PC then delete just that one single database. Go slowly… test and test again.

If you run into anything at all ask here before proceeding further. In the meantime, you have those paper notes to guide you around any database questions.

BTW: If you say multisite anywhere in your posts here then the system will try to get my attention for that post.

Hello @jnashhawkins Thanks very much for your helpful reply. I’ll take a week or two to work thru your suggestions, then I’ll report back.
Best wishes. Stay well.

Hello @jnashhawkins I’m getting back sooner than I thought about my multisite. Could you pls give me pointers for a couple of things?
(1) You say “Post a test message.” I could add a post or a page to one of the sites, but I can’t find my pages and posts. I know they are in the database. But when I go to PHPMyAdmin, I can’t find any way to trace them. Can you pls give me a pointer.
(2) Should I change the database user name in PHPMyAdmin or in the wp-config file?
(3) One subdomains is totally unused. If I delete it (via Network Admin) will the delete command completely clean it out of the database and wp-content.

On the test post or message, I’d just create a Title that will catch your eye… Something Like ‘Big, Fat, Goofy Test Message’… I always say something that I’ll want to remove quickly… And I think ‘draft or pending’ should be fine for this!

The table you want to look in is something like WP Posts within that database and you’ll probably need to scroll to the right to find the Title but something unexpected will catch your eye.

As to changing the database username in WP-Config… That will show you the database but there’s nothing to show you that exact database is the one we would be looking for. That is another way to find it! I just want you to view that one database as ‘Untouchable’. How you find that is up to you though.

If you delete the subdomain and its account in the CP then it will probably clean up after itself but leave the unused database there. I’m thinking clobbering the database by changing the username there will help you determine the site that can be deleted also.

So you rename the database user… check all the sites… find one site that suddenly has a database issue… you’ll know what is what and should be able to delete that database and site unless it happens to be the multisite.

The big thing is to not delete a subdomain that is being used by the multisite and not clobber the multisite itself.

It would be nice to clear out the extraneous databases but knowing the one untouchable database is much more important.

Take your time… keep notes as needed… Ask if you need any further clarification. We have all the time in the world to fix this up.

Backup Early and Often!

Let me know if you need more help or info.