Balloon Chat

Uncategorized Boards => Balloon Chit Chat => Topic started by: Graham Lee on May 08, 2015, 08:41:27 AM

Title: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Graham Lee on May 08, 2015, 08:41:27 AM
The forum unfortunately was moved over to a new server yesterday, I had little warning about this and suggested it was not a good idea to move.
I was sent an email at 8pm that it would be moved from 10pm.
But alas my web guy took no notice and just decided off his own back to move it over, at the moment all the posts from yesterday have disappeared and many if not the majority of pictures have gone as well. We did have this problem once before and they were all recovered except for a couple of days worth of posts. At the moment not sure what is happening.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server
Post by: Kenny on May 08, 2015, 09:53:20 AM
A lot of pic's in the picture of the month game are missing too.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server
Post by: magirob on May 08, 2015, 01:00:12 PM
I noticed some of the entries into the April competition have disappeared too, it might be worth postponing your draw a few days until you have them back? unless you can remember who they were, Kevin was one of them I think.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server
Post by: phoenix on May 08, 2015, 01:28:15 PM
Grrrr.......must be a nightmare for you Graham, and so frustrating as you told your guy not to make the change, bur he did anyway

Lots of pics you click on the black cross and it says they don't exist anymore  :o

Hope it can be sorted, and hope you have a good weekend despite the stress :D
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server
Post by: Graham Lee on May 08, 2015, 03:45:48 PM
And the other thing is for some reason I'm unable to log in to balloonchat or balloonartwholesale main page from my main computer or laptop from home.

http://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk/ (http://www.balloonartwholesale.co.uk/)

When I look via my phone all the pictures are still there as well, well they were this morning.

I'm using my dongle at the moment to write this from the laptop, all posts from yesterday were deleted when the site moved over so at the moment the technical term
is I have no clue what is going on, perhaps I should go into politics as many there seem to have no clue as well :D
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Lee Reilly on May 11, 2015, 09:53:00 PM
Why has there been so many server changes?

I'd be pretty annoyed with my host if they moved our business website and then broke it.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Graham Lee on May 11, 2015, 10:02:00 PM
Quote from: "Woblee"Why has there been so many server changes?

I'd be pretty annoyed with my host if they moved our business website and then broke it.
The other server was down on a regular basis. The forum is a pretty complicated, it is phpbb and then it has had some seo added and on top of that the front page blends in to look like the rest of the pages. It is also 6 years old and technology moves on pretty quick. Once we get all the pictures back up and sorted we are looking to change it again to a completely new format, it is either that or just pull the plug on it all.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Lee Reilly on May 12, 2015, 04:32:08 PM
I've installed and run a phpbb forum before when I was heavily into PC gaming, but haven't used it for a good few years now. Saying that though, it was just a base install with minimal modification. We had a standard HTML site with the forum in the background, not merged like yours but used similar colours so it looked ok.


It'd be a real shame if you pulled the plug, it has been a good help to me and I do come and visit at least every other day.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Kenny on May 12, 2015, 04:54:18 PM
Well, the question you have to ask yourself now Graham is....Is it worth keeping this forum going?
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Thelma Levett on May 18, 2015, 08:22:49 AM
Well the photos are still down as I am sure everyone is aware of so I have a suggestion.  How about posting some photos on various topics to give the site a helping hand.  After all its there because we contribute and then we can all dip into the pool for ideas.  I have made a start by posting a collection or Elsa balloons.  What a phenomenon that is.   I think Elsa and Spiderman are the biggest hit balloons I have ever had.  I keep re-inventing them so I don't get bored.  So maybe I will post some Spiderman balloons too later today.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: magirob on May 18, 2015, 08:28:06 AM
I actually went back to some of my recent posts and actually re uploaded all the photos so that they would show again, I'm not saying that is a solution as there are 1000s of photos on here however I didn't like it that my pics were not showing so decided to do something about it. I really feel sorry for Graham as he puts so much hard work into this forum and he is kind of stuck at the moment trying to sort things out.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Graham Lee on May 18, 2015, 08:48:35 AM
we are still trying to sort it out, Michael is having a look for us. If we get it sorted we are moving the forum to a more up to date one that people hopefully will know how to fix.
I'm still smiling though  :)  
The other thing is that once we do get the pictures loaded then the pictures posted since the problem might not show up so you may have to load them again Rob  :(  Best thing at the moment I think is to wait a while and lets see if I can find someone who knows the system.

But that was nice of you to do, so thanks.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Lee Reilly on May 18, 2015, 09:15:51 AM
Before on forums I've used things like photobucket to upload photos and then just linked them in here (like my welcome thread, the photos are hosted on my website). This will lighten the resources you will need for your site (webspace and bandwidth).


Good idea Rob, I'll do the same to mine. Saying that, the little black box might be an improvement!!!!
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Graham Lee on May 22, 2015, 10:54:13 PM
We are having some work done on the forum this weekend, fingers crossed we get the pictures back.

I'm hoping it gets sorted.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Graham Lee on May 28, 2015, 05:24:50 PM
Goodness the technical jargon I get about why the pictures are not showing on the forum, I have no clue and keep passing the info on.
Still have no clue if or even when we will get the pictures back up if at all.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Lee Reilly on May 28, 2015, 09:39:07 PM
Do you know if the problem is due to the server or is it down to the forums? Did the actual photos get transferred across?

I'd offer to look for you, but I only really know the basics and I dare say these would have been covered already.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Graham Lee on May 28, 2015, 11:33:10 PM
This is the last email I have but there are many more that I have no clue about,

My guess is, that the image / attachment files have been damaged by transferring them the wrong way via an FTP program (ASCII instead of binary).  
 
If there has indeed been such an upload (e.g. with FileZilla) then the only way to resolve the issue is to upload the files again in the correct way.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Lee Reilly on May 29, 2015, 07:00:11 AM
I can't say I've heard that one before (but not saying it isn't true).

Have you got all the old files on backup?
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Graham Lee on May 29, 2015, 08:38:19 AM
My web guy says we have back ups, he is uploading them onto a platform so others can view, I have a guy from Germany looking at the moment.
He did the picture re-sizing I think it was sept/oct last year on the forum so hopefully he will know his way around, if not I will come back to you if OK?
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Lee Reilly on May 29, 2015, 08:44:06 AM
Yeah sure, I'm not a expert by a long means but suppose it can't do any harm to look. I'm on holiday at the minute, but home from tomorrow so feel free to give me a yell.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Graham Lee on June 04, 2015, 11:05:02 AM
Sunday is the big day, after discussions with a few people they are uploading all the back up files again on Sunday morning,
this will take up to 6 hours as they are nearly 5gb, I think that is what he said so we are hoping to get the pictures back...........hoping
as they say...............seeing is believing  :)
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Lee Reilly on June 04, 2015, 05:53:27 PM
Fingers crossed, good luck.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: phoenix on June 05, 2015, 02:22:36 PM
Hope all works out well, I'm sure it will be a great weight off your mind if all goes to plan.

I have some more pics to put on, but will wait 'till after the weekend  :D
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Graham Lee on June 07, 2015, 01:26:15 PM
Looks like up loading the back up file did not work  :(  :(
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Lee Reilly on June 07, 2015, 07:34:32 PM
:(
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: magirob on June 07, 2015, 08:02:26 PM
Booooooo :(
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Graham Lee on June 18, 2015, 08:44:22 PM
We have the fourth person taking a look at the forum to see if they can sort it out for us, the first three were unable to but here is hoping fourth time lucky.

We are still working on it to get it all back and running again.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Lee Reilly on June 19, 2015, 09:19:09 AM
Good luck :crosses fingers:
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Joshoid on June 19, 2015, 12:43:14 PM
Don't you sometimes wish that computers had never been invented?

I sure do.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Graham Lee on June 28, 2015, 07:19:20 PM
We have had the form looked at again and it seems a little headway has been made, when the site was saved it was saved via a wrong programme.
Anyone technical it was uploaded in ascii and should have been done in binary  :o  I have no idea but it looks like we have someone working on the site who does, so fingers crossed.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Danny the Idiot on June 28, 2015, 09:07:55 PM
sounds promising now that the problem has been identified!   :)
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Lee Reilly on June 28, 2015, 09:46:55 PM
Great news
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Graham Lee on July 02, 2015, 10:36:30 AM
To keep this thread up to date, all the pictures returned to balloon chat the evening of Tuesday 30th June
You can now use the search button again to view all the pictures ever posted onto the forum from April 2008
There are quite a few.
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Danny the Idiot on July 02, 2015, 05:40:46 PM
In the pictures section of the forum there are 124 pages of threads, photos, etc dating back to 2007!

Its so fantastic they are back!    :D
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Graham Lee on July 02, 2015, 07:00:37 PM
Quote from: "Danny the Idiot"In the pictures section of the forum there are 124 pages of threads, photos, etc dating back to 2007!

Its so fantastic they are back!    :D
Yes I was pleased as well  :D  :D  :D
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: tott56 on October 30, 2015, 06:41:28 AM
hello from Pordenone!!!
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: BalloonTalent on March 08, 2017, 03:12:37 PM
Is it all fixed now?
Title: Re: Balloon Chat New Server PROBLEMS
Post by: Graham Lee on March 08, 2017, 03:38:25 PM
Quote from: "BalloonTalent"Is it all fixed now?
yes, there are a couple of odd things that do not work correctly but 99.9% is all ok.
as far as I'm aware. It all still needs updating as the phpbb template and the add on's
are all a little dated.

The problem with phpbb is that the pictures codes all get re-coded when attached to the forum so
I have been told it's a challenge to sort this all out. I do have a name I'm meant to be contacting
about all of this but been busy and the days just pass by.