Jim said:

I tested our existing contact form successfully, but then the whole site went down with "Error Establishing Database Conection" … I couldn't even access the admin page to deactivate the plugin. Then I could, it seemed to come and go.

I can't see how cforms could cause this error as it's a network error. the db server was not available

I was finally able to deactivate cforms from a different machine, and the site came back to life. I re-activated the old version (5.3) … tested it OK, then the errors came back.

the same db connection error? very odd.

Again, the site seems to be OK now after deactivating cforms.

First: I need to  determine if this error was a coincidental problem with our host or something related to the upgrade.

after 500000 downloads this is the first time I'm hearing this. cforms settings can go corrupt and worst case would require to start with the cforms settings from scratch.

Second: I really want my forms back … how can I completely delete both versions without activating them? I can delete the dirs via FTP but I don't see any tables in the database specifically for cforms.

After the 10.3 upgrade, there is only one settings array in wp_options (cforms_settings) which you can remove manually and start from scratch.

10.3 backups are not compatible with pre-v9 backups, so even if you had old backups from 5x you could not restore them.

the only way to keep your settings is:

• restore the DB (with v5.3 settings)
• restore the 5.3 cforms folder
• make sure all settings are there
• turn off plugin, remove 5.3 folder, ftp 10.3 and reactivate
• migrate settings

if this process breaks for whatever reason, I suggest to start from scratch.

Chances are then that there are other cforms_XXX entries in wp_options as well.

Either way, removing the big settings array "cforms_settings" from 9x+ versions or the many individual cforms_XXX settings records won't do any harm to other areas of WP.

My uninstall routine does the same thing.

Jim said:

OK, intersting is one word for this … frustrating is another.

I have attempted to do a clean install of cforms 10.3 on a mirror site I have set up for testing purposes.

Interesting: There were no entries whatsoever in my wp_options table for cforms. But, after activating cforms 10.3, settings from my old forms were remembered.

spooky.

for the mirror site, did you use a clean DB or restored an older DB backup?

Frustrating: I encounter the following issues …

1. I get the error message that the upload directory cannot be found.

right. it's the old form's upload path, not available on the new server.

However, the settings for the old directory cannot be edited. When I change the directory location to the new one and click update settings, the directory path does not change. It remains the same.

very odd. looks like a sever security / config issue, causing the FORM / $_POST action to not properly work. Hence no settings can be saved.

any other plugins installed? can you turn them off?

2. Whenever I click Update Settings, or attempt to add a form field, the admin page refreshes with just a blank area in the middle. And when I go back to form settings, any changes I made, were not.

see above. might want to check the FAQs re "mod_security", just a thought

So … how can I ensure all old settings have been removed? I used PHP MyAdmin to browse the wp_options table and found nothing for cforms. And … any ideas about issue #2?

that's quite impossible, cforms settings have always been stored in wp_options. cforms, when activated, will immediately save some default settings to the table. in case it detects an older version (by checking some old cforms_XXX entries) it will offer a setting migration option.

We're good to go. The only thing I can think of is that there was some sort of hiccup during activation the first time, which didn't happen when i installed on the test site.

I had dozens of individual cforms_xxx entries in my wp_options table for each of the settings. I got rid of those and reactivated and the plugin. Everything seems to be functioning as expected now. Thanks again.