Firstly thanks to script_fu for guiding me through the banner/picture problem - it now works fine. All was working fine and I was uploading my aircraft for the Flight sim site using PD downloads when all went wrong. 4 uploads done then zip - it just quit.
I figured that the best solution was to reinstall PDdownloads then upgrade my XOOPS 2.0.16.

I put in XOOPS 2.0.17 [I think correctly, managing to insert missing files] then fired her up. Login page, great. Logged in as admin - no chance, with an HTTP 500 internal server error. So a scan round the forums pointed to a my SQL error or similar [of which I know nothing exclam]. So here are the stats - I am a client from BlueVoda so I have to take your XOOPS 2.0.16 cms package [for my members site]. BV also supply the following

mySQL 5.0.45 community
PHP 5.2.4
Apache 1.3.39 [unix]
Perl 5.8.8

So, any ideas as to why I cannot login as admin? Will I have to dump everything and go back to 2.0.16 and start again? My login page is www.aacvirtual/members

The install of XOOPS 2.0.17 went fine[I could get into the site as admin] until I put in the missing files, Admin.php, and the folders: class, include and install. Thanks in advance, and sorry about a verbose newbie question again. Charlie. Oh, and Happy New Year to all interested readers.

Hey Charlie,

Glad you understand the banner section a little better now.

I tell you man it sounds like you need to start from fresh.

When modules mess up and I am not that far into building the site. I delete the whole thing and start from fresh.

Charlie try wfdownloads_3.20_rc1 from the smartfactory.ca
You should be able to find this version here in the news section. You will get better results from a newer download module.

If you decide to install XOOPS again from scratch use the newest version. That would be 2.0.18

Post up all the modules you want to use before you install them. Then tell use what you want to use them for.

That way we can suggest better modules to use.

You have a decent server and you need to install the newer php5 ready modules.

BTW don't give up!!! You will be a pro at this in no time...

It's all in the modules you chose to install... It's not XOOPS man I promise!!!

Hey Charlie,

I was just over on bluevoda and that hosting company that they have. Man what a pile of crap. You don't need that stuff.

Go get yourself a real hosting account with

http://www.surpasshosting.com/ or I can suggest more if you wish.

If you only have one site just get a shared hosting account.
If you have more than one website get a reseller account.

Its not that expensive. Im sure your paying that much with blue whatever sucks.

You have alot of pages built with .html or .bvp you need to trash all that and just install xoops. You will never get it right using all the crap from bv.

Dump them man... Step up and just use the free CMS from here.

We will get you straight...

Thanks for your words of wisdom again - always help when you need it. I figured that getting the newest modules was the way to go, but I had no joy with wfdownloads as all the links seem to be down. I think that I will have to start again as the whole site is now pretty messed up. I will just reread your comments, then get back to you. Charlie.

OK Script_fu, I binned it all and rebuilt from scratch. I had to put in XOOPS 2.0.16 and then upgrade to 2.0.18. I am getting 2 errors which I am not sure how to deal with and you can see them here:
http://www.aacvirtual.co.uk/banner.html
I will wait for your advice on those. The modules that I will need are, a download module for my members aircraft, a module for me to post tutorials, a forum module and a contact us module. I have the theme so I am close to rocking and rolling. Thanks for everything - I hope that it is not just me that is getting something from this - Charlie.