How to restore your WordPress database from backup using phpMyAdmin

May 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Here is a video tutorial for restoring your WordPress blog/ site contents from backed up database. I came across this highly useful video tutorial while searching for easy methods to reinstall lost posts of WordPress blogs and other sites like static sites powered by WordPress.

Why do you need this tutorial? Well, possibly, sometime or the other you may need such HOW TO videos and tutorials if you are serious about making a successful blog or site (and, of course, money), especially if you are not a techie who is well versed with codex and the complete knowledge about how WordPress, in conjunction with blog themes, plugins, server side applications of your webhosting companies, etc. publishes your blogs.

This tutorial assumes that you regularly backup your sites and that you have a fairly good working knowledge about phpMyAdmin, MySql databases, etc.

There are many important things to take care of while performing this backup. If you do certain things wrong, there may not be another option to try again, because there may be no ‘undelete’ or ‘undo’ options.

A few fairly reliable steps that you have to take care of are:

  1. Keep more than one backup and at different locations so that you can use them if everything goes wrong.
  2. Make sure that your hosting company does not limit your options by making undue restrictions and they will provide you complete support when you are in trouble. Unfortunately, many companies do not give actual technical support after you sign up with them. All hosting companies promise 24/7 support 365 days, but the support will be limited to opening a trouble ticket and a phone chat through which they tell you to follow steps that you may not understand. And the end result will be they blame you for what went wrong or blaming the software that you are using.
  3. So, because most companies keep backups of your sites and they can restore your site within minutes, if they want, it will be a very nice idea to contact your hosts technical support before you try your DO-IT-YOURSELF (DIY) plan. I suggest this because most of the times I had troubles, I got total support from my hosting companies (I use the services of three different hosts), and I did not have to struggle with technicalities that I am not familiar with.

    4. And finally, be ready to seek professional help if nothing works for you. I presume that you are well-informed of these steps, and I take no responsibility if you mess up everything. Also perform a Google search for more info on this topic. Perhaps you will come across better solutions than this.

Filed Under: Blogging, Random Tips, WordPress Tagged With: Backups, blogging, Databases, how to, MySql, phpMyAdmin, Restore posts, video, WordPress

What happens when your blog shows only blank pages?

April 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

You planned well, used your creative skills, used your knowledge of making money online or whatever, and built up a blog or site over a long period of time. And you were successful, either from the point of view of making big money from blogging or nearing perfection in your other goals.

And on a fine morning, or night, you find that your site opens up to show only blank pages, no posts, no images, nothing at all!

If this happens to you what will be your first reaction?

Unless you are a master of codex, html, and all other bits and pieces of things like MySQL, PHP, other software and database requirements and software technologies, your first reaction will be: NOTHING! Or simply put, your mind also goes blank, as your WebPages are.

Let this not happen to you. And let this not happen to any other blogger or webmaster who took blogging or doing anything online as a serious business. But what if it happens? And if you are not good at troubleshooting in case of such problems, what will you do?

I am writing this after solving one such problem that happened to me, and the affected blog is DollarsTips.com, this blog that you are reading.

First, I could not log in, though the site was running alright. As I was busy with so many other things, I could not find time when it happened. I thought let me finish some other important things before doing the needful. But months passed.

In the meanwhile, I started getting messages at my page at Google Webmaster Tools that my site could be facing security and malware threats if I do not update my WordPress version. And I thought it is a signal of imminent danger of getting a Google ban or other problems.

So, yesterday, I started work to restore the missing login form and to do the other updating work.

The reason for getting blank pages or your site going offline can be many, including not updating software, outdated or poorly built themes and web templates, plugins, or you simply messed up everything by editing the core scripts, CSS, php files, etc.

And the inevitable happened.

What next? I did not panic. I know the work. But if things are more complicated, I may end up losing everything. So, I thought of seeking the opinion of experts at WordPress support forum and other sources. But the advice I got was almost similar everywhere and I already knew what they told me to do. Though the experts gave the correct advice, it was not so easy to implement. And I was about to do the same things before going to the forums.

Maybe, I could have easily fixed the problem. Or, any other expert could have done it easily.

A flash of my hosting company’s support staff’s assistance crossed my mind. And I thought that I will try that first before doing anything.

So, I chatted with the HostGator’s technical staff, and I just provided the answers they asked for. It took almost an hour for the person to fix the problem, and I have the site up and running without going off even for a moment.

And you are reading this post just because of the great customer support from HostGator, the web hosting company for this site.

I will continue the story in my next post and tell you in detail about what (all) happened and why should you avoid such problems.

Filed Under: Random Tips, WordPress Tagged With: blogs, customer service, hosting, Software, Troubleshooting, Updating, web host, WordPress

Hryvnia, the currency of Ukraine

March 13, 2011 By 1 Comment
Scan of 500 Ukrainian hryvnia currency note with unnatural color, 2006

500 Hryvnia currency note of Ukraine with unnatural color issued in 2006, obverse and reverse sides

The Hryvnia (sometimes also spelled as Hryvnya, Hrivna, Gryvna, Hryvni, or Grivna) is the national currency of Ukraine from 2 September 1996. The Standard English spelling for the Ukrainian banknote is Hryvnia, which is also the spelling, used by the National Bank of Ukraine, which is the central bank of Ukraine.

The Hryvnia replaced the Karbovanets, which underwent serious hyperinflation in the early 1990s following the disintegration of the erstwhile Soviet Union (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or USSR) in September 1996. Hryvnia was introduced as the official currency of Ukraine from August 26, 1996 by the President’s Decree of that date (but published on August 29).

The Ukrainian parliament adopted The Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine on August 24, 1991, establishing the country as a democratic state, independent from the Soviet Union. Ukraine was one of the founding republics of the Soviet Union, and it is the largest contiguous country on the European continent.

Though coins Hryvnia were minted in 1992, they were not introduced till 1996. In 1996, the first series of Hryvnia banknotes was circulated, which were also dated 1992, by the National Bank of Ukraine.

According to the Ukrainian currency system, one Hryvnia is subdivided into 100 Kopiyok, and coins of the denominations 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 1 Hryvnia were issued. Hryvnia banknotes of the denominations 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 Hryvnia were also issued.

The official exchange rate of Hryvnia against some foreign currencies as on 14.03.2011 is shown as 100 USD = 793.5100, 100 EUR = 1092.9013, and 10 RUB = 2.7714 by the website of the National Bank of Ukraine. For the current exchange rate against these currencies, and also the major international currencies, direct from the National Bank of Ukraine, CLICK HERE.

Note: the photo of 500 Hryvnia banknote, obverse and reverse sides, of the 2006 issue series, shown above is a freak with unnatural colors.

Filed Under: Banknotes and coins, economy, Reviews Tagged With: banknotes, currency, euro, Europe, finance, money, reviews, Ukraine