Website Tech

Category: Website Hosting

  • Starting and Stopping Xampp (Apache, MySql) in Windows 7

    There is a lot of confusion on the support boards, people saying they can’t get Xampp to stop, there “must be a bug in Xampp”, or they “had to kill the application with Task Manager”. No, they are trying an incorrect method for closing a Windows Service.

    Some versions of Windows (including Windows 7) prevent applications from starting or stopping services; you should use the Windows Services program to manage services.

    In the “Xampp Control Panel Application”, you specify whether to run Apache and MySql as Windows Services (by checking the “Svc” box).

    If Apache *is not* running as a Windows Service:
    you use the Xampp Control Panel Application to stop and start Apache.

    If Apache *is* running as a Windows Service:
    you use Windows Services to restart Apache. (Start button, search for Services; or Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services). Click on the Apache service (the version of Apache you are running will be in the service name), then click “Restart the service”.

  • WordPress missing Post Editor (and other Ajax features)

    My WordPress installation was not showing the Post Editor. Basically instead of an editor, I had a box that I couldn’t type in.

    I also noticed widgets that had drag and drop configurations, where I couldn’t do any dragging. On the “Add New Post” page, the “Add New Category” popup wouldn’t work. The Permalink “Edit” button doesn’t work.

    Okay, something with my WordPress installation wasn’t running jQuery or Ajax properly.

    There is a WordPress plugin that lets visitors to your site load Google’s cached version of jQuery, instead of loading it from your site. Faster for them (since it is probably in their browser cache already). Just install the Use Google Libraries plugin.

    There is a page on why you should let Google host jQuery for you, http://encosia.com/3-reasons-why-you-should-let-google-host-jquery-for-you/

    I have WordPress Multi-Site installed, so I went to the My Sites, Network Admin, Sites page, and from there to Plugins, Add New. I turned on the plugin for all sites (“Network Enable” ), and my editor and Ajax features (used a lot throughout WordPress) work now.

    I also copied jQuery and TinyMCE from a fresh download of WordPress to my site. They are in your wordpresswp-includesjs folder, and go to the corresponding folder on your site. I used FileZilla’s Upload “if different size or source newer” option. (If that doesn’t fix the problem, try copying the entire folder, overwriting all files.)

    The Post Editor is working, both Visual and Text modes. The “Add New Category” link doesn’t work yet. The Permalink “Edit” button is not working yet.

  • WordPress missing Post Editor (and other Ajax features)

    My WordPress installation was not showing the Post Editor. Basically instead of an editor, I had a box that I couldn’t type in.

    I also noticed widgets that had drag and drop configurations, where I couldn’t do any dragging. On the “Add New Post” page, the “Add New Category” popup wouldn’t work. The Permalink “Edit” button doesn’t work.

    Okay, something with my WordPress installation wasn’t running jQuery or Ajax properly.

    There is a WordPress plugin that lets visitors to your site load Google’s cached version of jQuery, instead of loading it from your site. Faster for them (since it is probably in their browser cache already). Just install the Use Google Libraries plugin.

    There is a page on why you should let Google host jQuery for you, http://encosia.com/3-reasons-why-you-should-let-google-host-jquery-for-you/

    I have WordPress Multi-Site installed, so I went to the My Sites, Network Admin, Sites page, and from there to Plugins, Add New. I turned on the plugin for all sites (“Network Enable” ), and my editor and Ajax features (used a lot throughout WordPress) work now.

    I also copied jQuery and TinyMCE from a fresh download of WordPress to my site. They are in your wordpresswp-includesjs folder, and go to the corresponding folder on your site. I used FileZilla’s Upload “if different size or source newer” option. (If that doesn’t fix the problem, try copying the entire folder, overwriting all files.)

    The Post Editor is working, both Visual and Text modes. The “Add New Category” link doesn’t work yet. The Permalink “Edit” button is not working yet.

  • WordPress missing Post Editor (and other Ajax features)

    My WordPress installation was not showing the Post Editor. Basically instead of an editor, I had a box that I couldn’t type in.

    I also noticed widgets that had drag and drop configurations, where I couldn’t do any dragging. On the “Add New Post” page, the “Add New Category” popup wouldn’t work. The Permalink “Edit” button doesn’t work.

    Okay, something with my WordPress installation wasn’t running jQuery or Ajax properly.

    There is a WordPress plugin that lets visitors to your site load Google’s cached version of jQuery, instead of loading it from your site. Faster for them (since it is probably in their browser cache already). Just install the Use Google Libraries plugin.

    There is a page on why you should let Google host jQuery for you, http://encosia.com/3-reasons-why-you-should-let-google-host-jquery-for-you/

    I have WordPress Multi-Site installed, so I went to the My Sites, Network Admin, Sites page, and from there to Plugins, Add New. I turned on the plugin for all sites (“Network Enable” ), and my editor and Ajax features (used a lot throughout WordPress) work now.

    I also copied jQuery and TinyMCE from a fresh download of WordPress to my site. They are in your wordpress\wp-includes\js\ folder, and go to the corresponding folder on your site. I used FileZilla’s Upload “if different size or source newer” option. (If that doesn’t fix the problem, try copying the entire folder, overwriting all files.)

    The Post Editor is working, both Visual and Text modes. The “Add New Category” link doesn’t work yet. The Permalink “Edit” button is not working yet.

  • WordPress missing Post Editor (and other Ajax features)

    My WordPress installation was not showing the Post Editor. Basically instead of an editor, I had a box that I couldn’t type in.

    I also noticed widgets that had drag and drop configurations, where I couldn’t do any dragging. On the “Add New Post” page, the “Add New Category” popup wouldn’t work. The Permalink “Edit” button doesn’t work.

    Okay, something with my WordPress installation wasn’t running jQuery or Ajax properly.

    There is a WordPress plugin that lets visitors to your site load Google’s cached version of jQuery, instead of loading it from your site. Faster for them (since it is probably in their browser cache already). Just install the Use Google Libraries plugin.

    There is a page on why you should let Google host jQuery for you, http://encosia.com/3-reasons-why-you-should-let-google-host-jquery-for-you/

    I have WordPress Multi-Site installed, so I went to the My Sites, Network Admin, Sites page, and from there to Plugins, Add New. I turned on the plugin for all sites (“Network Enable” ), and my editor and Ajax features (used a lot throughout WordPress) work now.

    I also copied jQuery and TinyMCE from a fresh download of WordPress to my site. They are in your wordpresswp-includesjs folder, and go to the corresponding folder on your site. I used FileZilla’s Upload “if different size or source newer” option. (If that doesn’t fix the problem, try copying the entire folder, overwriting all files.)

    The Post Editor is working, both Visual and Text modes. The “Add New Category” link doesn’t work yet. The Permalink “Edit” button is not working yet.

  • Migrate All Your WordPress Blogs into Multi-Site and You’ll Save Lots of Time!

    Unlike most “solutions”, I bring over all your settings, configurations, customizations. Your blogs will look Exactly like before, and you’ll have much less administrative work.

    If you are considering using WordPress Multi-Site, you probably have some blogs already. In fact, you probably have some blogs with a Lot of posts.

    (If you’re just starting, WordPress Multi-Site is still good, it makes having more than one blog much easier.)

    Each blog most likely has a few widgets, and probably some settings on each post and page. Maybe you specified what image should be featured on the post. If you are marketing at all, you should have a custom search engine description and keywords for each post. Maybe you selected some Amazon books that go well with this page. Your sign-up form. Your latest Facebook or Twitter posts.

    When you want to bring blogs from WordPress (single site) into Multi-Site, you find there are tools to help with that. “Great, this will be easy”, you think. Then you find that only the text of your posts and pages and comments are migrated. (Unlike if you have me migrate your blog!) (more…)

  • Migrate All Your WordPress Blogs into Multi-Site and You’ll Save Lots of Time!

    Unlike most “solutions”, I bring over all your settings, configurations, customizations. Your blogs will look Exactly like before, and you’ll have much less administrative work.

    If you are considering using WordPress Multi-Site, you probably have some blogs already. In fact, you probably have some blogs with a Lot of posts.

    (If you’re just starting, WordPress Multi-Site is still good, it makes having more than one blog much easier.)

    Each blog most likely has a few widgets, and probably some settings on each post and page. Maybe you specified what image should be featured on the post. If you are marketing at all, you should have a custom search engine description and keywords for each post. Maybe you selected some Amazon books that go well with this page. Your sign-up form. Your latest Facebook or Twitter posts.

    When you want to bring blogs from WordPress (single site) into Multi-Site, you find there are tools to help with that. “Great, this will be easy”, you think. Then you find that only the text of your posts and pages and comments are migrated. (Unlike if you have me migrate your blog!) (more…)

  • Migrate All Your WordPress Blogs into Multi-Site and You’ll Save Lots of Time!

    Unlike most “solutions”, I bring over all your settings, configurations, customizations. Your blogs will look Exactly like before, and you’ll have much less administrative work.

    If you are considering using WordPress Multi-Site, you probably have some blogs already. In fact, you probably have some blogs with a Lot of posts.

    (If you’re just starting, WordPress Multi-Site is still good, it makes having more than one blog much easier.)

    Each blog most likely has a few widgets, and probably some settings on each post and page. Maybe you specified what image should be featured on the post. If you are marketing at all, you should have a custom search engine description and keywords for each post. Maybe you selected some Amazon books that go well with this page. Your sign-up form. Your latest Facebook or Twitter posts.

    When you want to bring blogs from WordPress (single site) into Multi-Site, you find there are tools to help with that. “Great, this will be easy”, you think. Then you find that only the text of your posts and pages and comments are migrated. (Unlike if you have me migrate your blog!) (more…)

  • WordPress Multi-Site Domain Mapping

    Important: This was written in 2012, when you needed to use a plugin for domain mapping. With version 5.something of WordPress, and with version 6+, domain mapping is built into the WordPress core.

    If you were using the obsolete plugin for domain mapping, you should document the exact domain names you were mapping to, for each site. Then, network disable it and then delete it.

    In new versions of WordPress, you simply put the domain name you want into My Sites, Network Admin, Sites, then hover over the site you want, click Edit, in the Info tab edit the “Site Address (URL)” field. Use the full URL, including https://

    You still have to set the DNS so the domain name points to your WordPress Multi-Site installation.

    With WordPress version 3+ or 4+ in Multi-Site Mode, and the Domain Mapping Plugin, you can map domain names to any of your blogs. I’ll walk you through the steps to install the plugin (you have to move a few files and edit some configuration settings). Then I’ll show how to specify the mappings you want. (There are several blogs with partial instructions, that didn’t explain the configuration settings and didn’t give examples of how to specify the mappings — but you won’t have to figure it out because I did!)

    (more…)
  • WordPress 3 (or 4) Multi-Site Installation, on Shared Hosting, Even with Existing Web Sites

    WordPress 3 (or 4) Multi-Site Installation, on Shared Hosting, Even with Existing Web Sites

    Here’s how to Install WordPress 3 with the New Multi-Site Capabilities — Even if you Already Have a Website in your Hosting Account. [Updated, works on WordPress 4 through at least WP 4.5)

    WordPress multi-site features let you very easily create blogs (now officially called “sites”).

    You can now have multiple blogs in WordPress with much less administration of WordPress updates, plug-in updates and settings, theme updates, etc. Multiple blogs, for each domain you are hosting, can be managed by a single installation of WordPress. (more…)

  • Wildcard DNS on a Shared Hosting Account

    I needed Wildcard DNS for WordPress 3.0, for the new Multi-Site features. I have WP3.0 Multi-Site (Subdomains) working on a shared hosting account (the $4.95/month kind). It might work on a lot of hosts, I’m using LunarPages.

    I set up wildcard DNS from CPanel, simply putting * (asterisk) in the subdomain name, for each domain I want blogs for (mydomain.com, myotherdomain.com, mythirddomain.info, etc). (more…)