Running vb v3.6.8 and suddenly getting strange errors

[jderouen]

Something is terribly wrong, and I'm terribly lost and would really appreciate whatever help you can offer. Since yesterday, vbulletin has been acting very strange. Now, when you try to post a new thread, you get this error message:

Unable to add cookies, header already sent.
File: /home/megomuse/public_html/community/includes/functions_newpost.php(524) : eval()'d code
Line: 19

It does, however, post the message.

When you try to respond to a message, you get this:

This post is a duplicate of a post that you have posted in the last five minutes. You will be redirected to that thread.

Again, it does actually let you post a response.

We've changed nothing, added nothing, etc.

It has also been emailing me this error:


Database error in vBulletin : mysql_connect() [<a href='function.mysql-connect'>function.mysql-connect</a>]: Too many connections /home/megomuse/public_html/community/includes/class_core.php on line 274 MySQL Error : Error Number : Date : Wednesday, June 22nd 2011 @ 05:06:47 PM Script : http://megomuseum.com/community/forumdisplay.php?f=50 Referrer : http://megomuseum.com/community/ IP Address : 50.88.36.19 Username : Classname : vB_Database

[jderouen]

I also sometimes get this at the very top of the screen when responding to a post:

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_ELSE in /home/megomuse/public_html/community/includes/functions_newpost.php(524) : eval()'d code on line 19

[Steve Machol]

1. The server has maxed out the number of MySQL connections it allows. This is a server-wide limit, not just your forums. Unless you have root access to the server all you can do is ask your host to raise the maximum number of connections they allow.

Here is more info on that error:

http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/too-many-connections.html

2. Eval() errors are from modifications.

To troubleshoot this, first reupload all the original vB non-image files (except install.php). Make sure you upload these in ASCII format and overwrite the ones on the server. Also be sure to upload the admincp files to whichever directory you have set in your config.php file. Then run 'Suspect File Versions' in Diagnostics to make sure you have all the original files for your version and that none show 'File does not contain expected contents':

Admin CP -> Maintenance -> Diagnostics -> Suspect File Versions

[Note: In some cases you may also need to remove any of the listed .xml files in the includes/xml directory.]

Next, disable all products:

Admin CP -> Plugins & Products -> Manage Products -> Disable

Then manually uncheck all plugins here:

Admin CP -> Plugins & Products -> Plugin Manager

You must do BOTH of those steps in order to disable all non vBulletin Modifications.

Then if you still have this problem, create a new style and choose no parent style. This will force it to use the default templates. Finally empty your browser cache, close all browser windows then try again. Make sure you change to the new style and view your forums with it.

[jderouen]

Hi Steve - I will ask them to raise the limit on connections.

As for plugins, we have literally added nothing and changed NO code in over a year. If it was a plugin problem, how could it just suddenly start yesterday?

[jderouen]

Okay, I did everything you said, and I am still getting the errors. Could a MySQL database error somehow have caused any of this?

[Steve Machol]

I do not know why it started now. Perhaps something changed on the server that made it incompatible with one of your mods. However eval() errors are from modifications.

Note: You are running an out-of-date and unsupported version of vB that is known to have issues with the latest versions on PHP and MySQL. I strongly recommend that you upgrade your vB version.

[jderouen]

Upgrading to v4 is something we intend to do, just can't afford it right now.

I just remembered that I did uninstall FlashChat the day before this started. I removed it through both products and plugins. But posting and responding worked just fine after that. It wasn't until the next day that the problem began.

[jderouen]

Okay, I've just looked at the massive error log. These two errors have been showing up all along. But until yesterday, never on the forum itself. We never had the "double post" error nor the Unable to add cookies, header already sent error when people posted/responded.

Here are the two lines that repeat over and over in the error log:

[22-Jun-2011 10:19:43] PHP Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_ELSE in /home/megomuse/public_html/community/editpost.php(305) : eval()'d code on line 24

[22-Jun-2011 10:19:58] PHP Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_ELSE in /home/megomuse/public_html/community/includes/functions_newpost.php(524) : eval()'d code on line 19

[Steve Machol]

The eval() errors are still from modification. Post #3 is still applicable.

[jderouen]

And yet I did as you said and replace all the files with originals and removed plugins/addons and am still getting the errors.

[Zachery]

Add a new style, sometimes (very rarely) eval errors can come from malformed templates.

[jderouen]

I still cannot figure this out.

If I were to upgrade to v4.x, that would install an all-new system and then I'd import the forums, users, etc., right? And have to add all new plugins. I just want to make sure if I do this that I won't be importing whatever is causing this error.

[Steve Machol]

You should upgrade normally. That is the only supported method. If you use Impex to import the data then this will change all your existing user, post, thread and forum ID numbers. So all posted links will no longer work, as well as search engine results from prior to this import.

[jderouen]

Okay, so upgrading normally will get rid of these issues, right? I just want to make sure that I'm not going to be spending $175 to upgrade and wind up with the same problems.

[jderouen]

Yes!! I managed to fix the problem this morning! That said, we are still going to upgrade to the publishing suite + mobile. Would be nice to be "current" again.