This is my first post to these forums, and I have spent considerable time over the past few days here looking for a solution to my very common problem: forum posting will not work on my site. After trying many of the solutions posted here in various threads, I still cannot post anything to forums. So…

What follows is a lengthy transcript of the very detailed process I took to troubleshoot the problem for myself and in accordance to the guidance I received in this forum. I would appreciate any help anyone can provide me:

— I had a previous WordPress setup on my site http://www.its-your-move-org so I did this:

1. Deleted WordPress from existing domain via Dreamhost One-Click Install “Manage Installed Applications” function.

2. Deleted all remaining files associated with site via WebFTP.

3. Installed WordPress with One-Click Install > custom installation > at my main http://its-your-move.org address. > I also chose the function “Automatically create database.”

4. After successful WordPress install > From WordPress Admin Panel > Installed BuddyPress 1.2.7. plugin from plugin menu > Activated it.

5. Under Settings menu > Permalinks > Updated permalink structure by choosing “Day and name” > Saved changes.

6. Activated BuddyPress Default 1.2.7. theme from Manage Themes menu. (The theme that came up at the very beginning was Twenty Ten.)

7. Went to BuddyPress Menu > Selected Forums Setup > Clicked “Set up a new bbPress installation” > Pressed “Complete Installation” > Received message: “All done! Configuration settings have been saved to the file bb-config.php in the root of your WordPress install.”

8. Clicked on Settings menu > checked box “Anyone can register” > Saved changes

9. Opened up new window and visited my website home page: http://www.its-your-move.org

10. Clicked on “Groups” tab at top of page > On page 1. Details: Created “Test” Group; Group Description: “Test” > Click “Next Step” > On page 2. Settings: Made sure “Enable discussion forum” box was checked > Selected “This is a public group” under Privacy Options > Clicked “Next Step” > On page 3. Avatar: Did not upload avatar on following page > Clicked “Next Step” > On page 4. Invites: Clicked “Finish” after receiving message in orange: “Once you have built up friend connections you will be able to invite others to your group. You can send invites any time in the future by selecting the “Send Invites” option when viewing your new group.”

11. The Home page for my new “Test” group was brought up automatically after clicking “Finish” on last page.

12. Clicked on “Forum” in the light grey link bar. > “Post New Topic:” fields open with message at top in orange: “Sorry, there were no forum topics found.”

13. Entered this information in “Post New Topic:” Fields:

Title: Test
Content: Test
Tags: Test

14. Clicked “Post Topic” > Received two error messages on following page:

In red: There was an error when creating the topic
In orange: There are no posts for this topic.

— So… I then attempted hnla’s solution in BP forums.

15. From the page I received the two error messages > I clicked on “Admin” in the light grey link bar > Clicked on light-blue command “Group Settings” > unchecked “Enable discussion forum” box > Clicked “Save Changes” at bottom of page > Received green message: “Group settings were successfully updated.” > re-checked “Enable discussion forum” Box > Clicked “Save Changes” again > Received green message: “Group settings were successfully updated.”

18. Clicked on “Forum” in the light grey link bar. > “Post New Topic:” fields open with message at top in orange: “Sorry, there were no forum topics found.”

19. Entered this information in “Post New Topic:” Fields:

Title: Test
Content: Test
Tags: Test

20. Clicked “Post Topic” > Received two error messages on following page:

In red: There was an error when creating the topic
In orange: There are no posts for this topic.

— So… I checked if I could post anything directly through “Forums” tab

21. Clicked on “Forums” tab at top of page > This opens up Group Forums Directory” > Received message in orange: “Sorry, there were no forum topics found.”

22. Clicked on “New Topic” grey box > Entered this information in “Post a New Topic:” Fields:

Title: Test
Content: Test
Tags: Test
Post in Group Forum: Test

23. Clicked “Post Topic” > I was automatically returned to Group Forums Directory and again received this message in orange: “Sorry, there were no forum topics found.”

— So… I tried to re-install bbPress forums again

24. From WordPress Admin Panel > Went to BuddyPress Menu > Selected Forums Setup > Received message: “bbPress forum integration in BuddyPress has been set up correctly. If you are having problems you can re-install” > Clicked “re-install” link > Clicked “Set up a new bbPress installation” > Pressed “Complete Installation” > Received message: “All done! Configuration settings have been saved to the file bb-config.php in the root of your WordPress install.”

25. Returned to my website > Clicked on “Groups” tab at top of page > Selected “Test” group > Clicked on “Forum” in the light grey link bar. > “Post New Topic:” fields open with message at top in orange: “Sorry, there were no forum topics found.”

26. Entered this information in “Post New Topic:” Fields:

Title: Test
Content: Test
Tags: Test

27.Clicked “Post Topic” > Received two error messages on following page:

In red: There was an error when creating the topic
In orange: There are no posts for this topic.

— So… Checked some other things I heard about in the BP Forums:

28. Through my WebFTP > I confirmed that file “bb-config.php” is located in the same place and level as “wp-config.php”

— And this is where I decided to stop and ask for help.

I do not know much about programming or dealing with databases, but I suspect after all of these tests and trying other things on a different site that:

Somehow, the bbPress tables are not actually being created in the database where the WordPress tables are. I see no sign of the bbPress tables in the database when I examine the database via Dreamhost’s phpMyAdmin.

Again, I do not know that much about databases, but I do think this might be the root of my particular problem, seeing as how other people’s solutions have not worked. So…

Is there a way to just add the tables to my database?

And any other thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

[@modemlooper Moderator 13 years, 11 months ago]

Just a tip. Never use one click installs. Create the database and upload the WP files. I can’t say this will fix the problem but it could be worth a try. Your hosts one click could be broken.

[@cmroybal Member 13 years, 11 months ago]

modemlooper: Thanks for the tip. I have successfully installed around 10 other websites with WP via one-click install and have never faced any problems like this with a plugin. There might be a conflict between the Buddypress plugin and this type of WP install, but I haven’t heard of anybody else identifying this as a problem before.

What do others think?

[@gunju2221 Participant 13 years, 11 months ago]

One thing that can cause the forums to act in this strange way through experience is changing your Database username or password. Have you done this before? If yes, go back to the original credentials, and try again.

And from reading your early steps, it seems you sort of messed around with your files, and FTP, would it be possible to start completely fresh? (new wp-install, bp-install)? To see if it gets working?

[@modemlooper Moderator 13 years, 11 months ago]

I’ve used one clicks and on occasion it’s broken. If you can do a manual install I’d try it.

[@cmroybal Member 13 years, 11 months ago]

Savannah: In the beginning I did start completely fresh. I began by deleting my original website by uninstalling WordPress through Dreamcast, deleting all databases and then clearing out the few remaining files via WebFTP. That erased all the traces of my previous website and, in theory, made everything like it was the first time I installed anything on this particular domain. So I do consider this process for me a completely fresh approach. I know the importance of just starting clean in order to trouble shoot, so that’s what I tried to do.

[@gunju2221 Participant 13 years, 11 months ago]

Did the problem persist before you started fresh?

Is your bp-config.php in the correct location?

[@hnla Participant 13 years, 11 months ago]

The one thing that you didn’t detail (thanks for bothering to supply a detailed series of events – it helps!) was whether your bb-config had the correct DB connection details. it needs same connection details for the DB as wp-config has – perhaps obviously!.

[@gunju2221 Participant 13 years, 11 months ago]

hnla if they were not the same it would get you an “error establishing database connection”

[@hnla Participant 13 years, 11 months ago]

Really? Are you sure? try changing your BBDB_NAME and see what happens, then change the other constants and tell me what happens.

[@djpaul Keymaster 13 years, 11 months ago]

Unless, of course, bb-config.php had valid connection details but it was looking in the wrong database. Not that I’ve wasted hours on that one before

[@modemlooper Moderator 13 years, 11 months ago]

They said no bb tables were created. That’s the issue as they try to post and get error due to no db tables.

[@hnla Participant 13 years, 11 months ago]

Read my post above ‘BBDB_NAME’ there’s a reason I post stuff like that

[@hnla Participant 13 years, 11 months ago]

But WHY? are there no tables that is really the issue; again look to the bb-config and establish that is all proper and correct first.

[@cmroybal Member 13 years, 11 months ago]

HNLA – I’m a tiny bit confused… Where do I look in my wp-config to find my connection details? And where do I look in my bb-config file also?

[@cmroybal Member 13 years, 11 months ago]

SVC – My problem did exist before I started fresh. That is why I started completely fresh to troubleshoot.

My bp-config.php file is located in my “root/its-your-move.org” level of my Directory Tree. The wp-config file is in this same level.

[@cmroybal Member 13 years, 11 months ago]

HNLA: I don’t know if this helps understand my DB issues, but here is a screencap of the files in my root/its-your-move.org directory: http://www.its-your-move.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Screen-shot-2011-01-16-at-6.10.50-PM.png

[@gunju2221 Participant 13 years, 11 months ago]

Your bb-config.php database username and password is in the file, if you open it and look, it’s pretty easy to spot.

The file should be in the root of the wordpress installation

[@cmroybal Member 13 years, 11 months ago]

SVC – Thanks for the help.

My username, password, host name, and database name are the same for both my bb_config and wp_config.

[@gunju2221 Participant 13 years, 11 months ago]

Try this:

Go to: phpmyadmin > yourdatabase > wp_bp_groups_groupmeta

Find the group you’re attempting to post to and then delete the forum_id value. Go back to your group on the front end. When logged in as admin of the group, go to settings and re-enable your forums. It will save a new forum_id for you and your posts should start working. This is a solution for BuddyPress groups that are starting a fresh new forum, not for groups with forums that have existing posts.

[@cmroybal Member 13 years, 11 months ago]

SVC:

Would that be the “id” or “group_id” value in the table? (I don’t see one named “forum_id”)

[@cmroybal Member 13 years, 11 months ago]

SVC:

I’m also not sure what your mean be “re-enabling” forums. I humbly ask for more instruction.

[@cmroybal Member 13 years, 11 months ago]

SVC:

Is this what my table should look like after I deleted the “forum_id” value? http://www.its-your-move.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Screen-shot-2011-01-16-at-8.41.33-PM.png

[@gunju2221 Participant 13 years, 11 months ago]

Go the group your attempting to post in and delete the forum_id, don’t delete the group_id.

So it would require going to the group, — forum — forum_id

And re-enabling forums is going into the group, under “admin”, then “group settings, and unchecking-and rechecking and see if that works

[@cmroybal Member 13 years, 11 months ago]

SVC: So let me make sure I know what to do and not confuse myself:

Go to: phpmyadmin > mydatabase > wp_bp_groups_groupmeta > group > forum > forum_id — And that is where I delete the forum_id, correct?

[@gunju2221 Participant 13 years, 11 months ago]

Make sure it’s the group are are trying to post in, like your “test group” and yes, delete the forum_id.

Than go into that groups’ admin, and re-enable the forum.