Thread disappeared without a trace

[Lynne]

Are you sure the thread starter didn't just remove his thread? It sounds like the thread was removed via the software if both tables were affected.

[roller]

Are you sure the thread starter didn't just remove his thread? It sounds like the thread was removed via the software if both tables were affected.

I'm quite sure. In fact, the one who started the thread is a bit upset with me because he thinks that I am going about deleting his threads for no reason. Also, he wasn't logged in at the time that this disappeared (some time between the moment I started a reply to the moment I actually hit "post reply," probably about 7-8 minutes).

[Lynne]

Have you checked the access_logs from around the time the thread disappeared?

[roller]

For the record, my admin log and mod log:








- - - Updated - - -

Have you checked the access_logs from around the time the thread disappeared?

This is different from the mod and admin logs?

[Zachery]

Something, or someone is removing it. If you're not doing it, and your staff are not doing it. Something is causing your database records to be removed from the database. The last time I saw something like this, was because a webhost has misconfigured the tmp directory, MySQL would write to it, lose part of its data, and then continue on.

[roller]

Something, or someone is removing it. If you're not doing it, and your staff are not doing it. Something is causing your database records to be removed from the database. The last time I saw something like this, was because a webhost has misconfigured the tmp directory, MySQL would write to it, lose part of its data, and then continue on.

But would that just obliterate the whole thread? I can see that if it's damaged or one post is dropped or something, but it wouldn't seem to me that it would just default to erasing all trace of a thread ever existing.

[Zachery]

I'm just giving you posabilities. Data shouldn't just randomly disappear from your database. Its a sign of worse things to come.

[roller]

I'm just giving you posabilities. Data shouldn't just randomly disappear from your database. Its a sign of worse things to come.

That's the part that really worries me.

Well, what should I do? Is there any way on earth to determine if there is some manner of "rogue code" running around in my server occasionally deleting threads? As Lynne pointed out, it seems more like a software deletion rather than something manually removed from the database itself. As a double-safety precaution, I changed all of my passwords, both for the host and for my vBulletin logins back in August when the other thread vanished, So I would think that this isn't someone hacking in just to delete a fairly innocuous thread, and even if that was the case last time, I would think that the passowrd change would have thwarted that this time.

I'm just completely at a loss here.

[Zachery]

Daily backups, or more often if you can manage them, these backups should beon your own personal computer, or off site. Let your webhost know that data seems to be being removed from your database somewhat at random. Ask them to check the server you're on and make sure there is more than enough disk space for the tmp partition to work on the largest MySQL table. It should be 1.5-2x bigger than the largest table.

[Lynne]

This is different from the mod and admin logs?

Yes, these are logs that show all the IPs that access the site and exactly where they went. You can see if someone accessed some script you haven't found that is deleting the threads.

[roller]

Well, it happened again some time yesterday. A thread that I saw there during the day yesterday was just gone later in the evening. My host swears up and down that there are no such logs as the IP logs mentioned above, nor are there any logs of anyone who accesses the plesk (or otherwise gets into the database).



In trying to run down the thread number of the latest disappeared thread, I did see this notification in my PHPadmin login on the plesk:

Your PHP MySQL library version 5.0.90 differs from your MySQL server version 5.5.30. This may cause unpredictable behavior.

Is this a clue, or is this wholly unrelated? I honestly know squat about SQL or PHP or any of that kind of stuff, so I'm flying completely blind here.





I don't know whether to scream or pull my hair out or both. I have no idea WTF is going on, the host insists that it isn't going on, and everyone at vBulletin insists that this could only be caused by the host. If anyone has some sort of idea, and can explain it to me in idiotese so that I can understand it, I would really appreciate it.

[roller]

Additional question:



In the database, if I "hard delete" a thread, does anyone know if that thread number is then taken out of the threadid table? I presently have a differential of 116 threadids, and I know for an absolute certainty that I've never hard-deleted more than maybe ten threads since I first installed vBulletin.

[BirdOPrey5]

If you hard delete a thread the entry is removed from the thread table.. the threadids will forever skip over the deleted thread. So basically a 116 thread differential means 116 threads have been hard deleted since the forum began.

Did you check the post table to see if there are any posts belonging to the deleted threadid?

[th3gr3aton3]

I have had this happen a few times since I started this thread. Some of the threads that went away had nothing in them that would make anyone want to ever delete them. No clue on what causes it.

[MMACrypt]

I'm getting the exact same thing. Chased down everything like you did. They are not being deleted from my side or my teams. Do you by chance us Bluehost cause that's what I'm leaning towards being the issue now. I'm at a loss to be honest.