Thread

This is all occurring on my local test environment.

My EE 1.6.6 installation had MSM turned on, but only one site of the three set up in MSM was in use, which was site_id 2.

I successfully ran the updater from version 1.6.6 to version 2.1.3, but upon first access to the CP I get the error:

Site Error: Unable to Load Site Preferences; No Preferences Found

I did copy the EE 2.x MSM files to the required places in the new EE 2 install location. I have also tried setting multiple_sites_enabled to “n” in config.php, but this has no effect.

I traced this error to system/expressionengine/core/EE_Config.php. It’s checking the value of exp_sites:site_system_preferences, and it’s not what was expected.

After the update, the content of site_system_preferences of each of the three rows in exp_sites is just ‘czowOiIiOw==’.

In the exp_sites table on the original live 1.6.6 site, the site_system_preferences field is filled in with a large serialized php array.

So it looks like this setting is not getting carried over properly through the update?

Hi Ian,

What you see in the db is correct. In EE2.x MSM is set-up slightly differently as there is no path.php file anymore. So all you need to copy to each of your sites folders is a copy of the root index.php
Then open up this and uncomment and add your site name and and update system path.

More info available here

Would I still be getting this message upon first connecton to the control panel? That’s where I’m seeing it. I haven’t even attempted to access a site yet.

Hi Ian,

How many MSM sites are we talking about here, and did you have a large amount of IP addresses blacklisted? We have seen some cases where the exp_sites table can be truncated, and reducing the size of that serialized array (including removing blacklisted IPs) can help.

3 sites, only 1 used (#2). nothing blacklisted.

It does appear as if the exp_sites table is being truncated. Have you restored the 1.6.6 database and tried the upgrade again? Does it produce the exact same results?

Yes, if I restore and upgrade again I get the same results.

Site Error: Unable to Load Site Preferences; Invalid Preference Data

site_system_preferences field value: czowOiIiOw==
site_mailinglist_preferences: czowOiIiOw==
site_member_preferences: czowOiIiOw==
site_template_preferences: czowOiIiOw==
site_channel_preferences: czowOiIiOw==
site_pages: YToxOntpOjI7YTozOntzOjQ6InVyaXMiO2E6MDp7fXM6OToidGVtcGxhdGVzIjthOjA6e31zOjM6InVybCI7czowOiIiO319

I’d be happy to zip up the database and send it over to you to test yourself.

Hi, Ian.

Have you considered doing the update in stages? In other words, going to 1.7.1 first, making sure that works, then going up to 2.1.3.

That’s what I’d do first.

I’d love to do that, but I’m unable to download the latest 1.x version. Can you open this up in my account?

Hi, Ian.

I see that you have several EE 1.x downloads in your account…

Or if you have a 2.x install see:

http://eebeginners.com/index.php/begin/articles/howto-download-1.x-version-of-ee

Does that help?

I’m unable to download the latest 1.x branch because it is ‘expired’.

Correction, I can download the 1.x branch via the 2.x download link. I’ll try this out now…

Ok, I updated from 1.6.6 to 1.7.1 without any trouble. Checking the exp_sites table shows me correct looking serialized site prefs data.

But then continuing to the next update from 1.7.1 to 2.1.3, same problem. “czowOiIiOw==”  as described above.

Interestingly, czowOiIiOw== does not appear to be a random string. Googling that string brings up other error reports from non-expression engine sites, mostly by end users unable to login to various services, instead just seeing that string.

Something is very strange here.