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cPanel FAQ

I am having problems with a website I host with you.
I brought a domain name with your company; how can I move it to another company?

cPanel is a leading provider of web hosting software, but we do not provide any web hosting or domain name registration services. You will need to locate your web host for questions about your site. Try checking your email, receipts, and credit card statements if you are unsure who your host is. You can also try this site: http://www.whoishostingthis.com/.

What should I do when my cPanel interface won't display?

You should contact your web hosting provider so they can determine the cause of the issue or escalate the issue to us. If you get your license directly from cPanel, please contact our support department.

Need to find your web hosting provider? Try this site: http://www.whoishostingthis.com/

How can I know who is my web host?

You can try to find them at http://whoishostingthis.com. Just type in your domain name and it will try to locate your web host. If that doesn't work, check your credit card or bank account records to see who you are paying a monthly fee for hosting. You may also wish to check your old emails to see if you have a welcome email from your host.

When I log in with https I get a certificate mismatch warning. Is it okay to ignore this and log in?

It is likely that your web host is using a self-signed certificate, or a signed certificate that does not match your domain name. This warning exists to notify you that the name on the certificate does not match the name of the domain you are trying to reach.

This should not be a security issue when logging into your site's cPanel interface. Check to make sure that the SSL certificate is from a domain that belongs to your host before proceeding. If you are concerned about security, contact your host to make sure it is safe to proceed.

Not sure who your host is? Try this site: http://www.whoishostingthis.com/

How can I know my DNS server?

You can use a tool like WHOIS to see what nameservers are registered to your domain. You can search for "whois" on a search engine to find a site with a WHOIS lookup tool.

How can I transfer the IP on my cPanel license?

If you purchased your license directly from cPanel, this is quite easy to do. Here are the steps involved:

  1. Log into your cPanel Store account.
  2. Go to Manage Licenses.
  3. Click Transfer and fill out the necessary information

If you have any issues with the transfer, please contact cs@cpanel.net for assistance.

What operating systems will cPanel run on? Is Fedora Core 6 supported? SUSE?

You can find a list of supported operating systems at http://www.cpanel.net/products/cPanelandWHM/linux/sys_requirements.htm.

All of those will work inside a VPS as well.

Operating systems that are not listed there are not officially supported. You may experience issues if trying to use them with cPanel and WHM.

Can I run cPanel on the Mac® platform?

At this time, we do not have a version of cPanel and WHM available to be run on OS X Server.

You can, however, access the cPanel interface using Safari, Firefox or another browser from a Mac computer.

"Write failed: disk quota exceeded." What does this mean?

This means that you have used up the amount of disk space allotted for your account. You will be unable to save anything, as you have no space left. You will need to contact your web host if you need more disk space. Otherwise, you can use the Disk Space Usage screen to locate files which can be removed to free up space.

I get 'Cannot Read License File' when entering my cPanel interface. What can I do?

Please contact your system administrator, so he or she can update the license file on the server.

The license file can be updated by running /usr/local/cpanel/cpkeyclt as root via SSH.

How can I forward my old website to my new site?

You can do this with a redirect. You will need to go to the old site's cPanel interface and then go to Redirects. Set the old site's index page to redirect to the new site's index page.

Alternatively, if you wish for the old site and the new site to go to the same place but have not set up the new site yet, you can use a parked domain. A parked domain allows you to add a second domain name to your account that goes to the same website. For example, if you currently have johnsforums.com and you wish to add the domain johnsreallycoolforums.com which also goes to the johnsforums.com site, simply add johnsreallycoolforums.com as a parked domain and both domains will go to the same place.

I can't log into my cPanel; is there a login address other than http://www.example.com/cpanel?

You can also try https://www.example.com:2083 If that does not work, you will need to contact your web host for assistance.

How do I add images to my website?

You will need to both upload the image to your site and add an HTML <img> tag into your website's HTML code. More information about this HTML tag can be found at http://www.w3schools.com/tags/tag_IMG.asp

Why are none of my pictures working?

This could be for many reasons.

First, you'll need to make sure the links in your <img> tags go to pictures that exist within your account.

Next, make sure that if you have Hotlink Protection enabled, your domain name is allowed to view the protected extensions.

Next, make sure the permissions on your pictures allow them to be read by web users (i.e., they should be set to 644 or something similar). To learn more, search for "Unix file permissions" or "image file permissions" on the search engine of your choice.

These are some common reasons why pictures may not work, but not a complete list for every situation. You may wish to contact a web developer or your web host for further assistance.

How can I get my login information/password for my cPanel interface?

To obtain your username and/or password, you will need to contact your web hosting provider. This is the company to which you pay a monthly fee for your site.

How do I change my password in cPanel?

You can use the Change Password area to change your password. In the X theme, it is on the main screen. In the X3 theme, it is under Preferences on the main screen.

I have a new computer and can't remember my username or password. Can you help?

If the "reset your password" option is enabled, you will be able to reset your password at the login screen to your cPanel interface (https://example.com/cpanel or https://example.com:2083). If not, you will need to contact your web host so they can reset your password.

Privacy is very important to cPanel and as such, we do not store any cPanel account passwords or have access to your cPanel interface.

I try to reset my password, but there is no email in my inbox. What do I do?

Make sure that you do not have any spam filtering software enabled that is intercepting the message. If you have disabled your spam filtering and still do not receive the message, you will need to contact your web host for further assistance.

I need to create a login on my website. How do I accomplish this?

You can use the Password Protect Directories function to accomplish this. Simply enable password protection and then add the users to whom you wish to give access.

My website asks for a username and password when I try to view it. How do I remove or change this?

Under the Security menu, go to Password Protect Directories. In this feature, you can modify the password protection settings for your domain. If your main domain asks for a password, modify the settings for public_html.

"There is no website configured at this address." What does this mean?

This can mean a number of things:

  • The DNS information for this domain may not be propogated to nameservers on the Internet, so the site may not be available yet. This occurs with new sites or when a site's DNS information has changed. It usually will take 24-48 hours before the site becomes visible.
  • There may be no websites created yet at that address. This page is a replacement for Apache's default "It Worked" page, and will show if no website has been placed on the IP address you are accessing.

If you see this page and your site is not new, or has not been recently moved or changed, please contact your web host for further assistance.

Is there any phone contact, other than support, available? What is that number?

Yes, you can contact our office at 570.443.7700. We are open from Monday-Friday 7AM-3PM (EST).

How do I customize my error pages?

You can do so in the Error Pages function within your cPanel interface.

When I'm searching on the Internet, I keep getting redirected to cPanel. Why?

Information about the Trojan QHosts virus

If you were brought to this site inadvertently because you were trying to use a search engine, you may be infected with a virus that is affecting Windows® machines and forwarding them to a server that was removed and replaced with a blank cPanel server. For more information on this virus, including methods of removal, please visit one of the following sites:

Please check these sites before calling our offices, as our attendants cannot provide any more information than is provided above. Thank you for your patience in this matter.

(This notice was last updated 9 April 2006.)

Whenever I put "www" in front of my domain it fails, but it works fine without "www."
I can't access my domain.

You'll need to contact your host and make sure they have an entry like the example below for your domain: 

  ServerName example.com 
  ServerAlias www.example.com

Test your configuration after saving by using /usr/local/apache/bin/apachectl configtest

If it checks out, you can restart Apache with /usr/local/apache/bin/apachectl graceful

How can I see my site as soon as it is created?

This may not be possible. Because the information necessary to view your site (DNS information) needs to spread across the internet before visitors can view your site, you may not be able to view your site for 24-48 hours after it is created, or your DNS information is changed. There is no way to speed up this process.

Some web hosts allow you to access your site right away using http://exampleIP/~your_username. For example: http://1.2.3.4/~joe. Not all hosts offer this method, as it can be considered a security risk.

How do I upload an existing subscriber list to the mailing list?

You can use the Mass Subscribe function to upload a current subscriber list or paste in a lot of email addresses to subscribe to a mailing list.

  1. From your cPanel interface, go to Mail -> Mailing Lists.
  2. Find the list you want, click Modify, and log into the mailing list administration interface.
  3. Go to Membership Management -> Mass Subscription.

Here you can paste a list of email addresses (one per line) or upload a file containing the email addresses (one per line).

How do I upload my web page files from my computer hard drive?

You can upload files to your site through the File Manager within your cPanel interface. Click on File Manager, and then scroll down to the directory you wish to put the files in.

You can also use an external FTP program to upload files. You'll probably want to create a FTP account to do this. Go to the FTP Manager and create an account with access to your public_html directory, then use your external FTP program to upload your site's files to that directory.

How long does subdomain propagation take after giving a new site a sub.domain.com name?

This can take anywhere from 24-48 hours. You can access the subdomain by using http://domain.com/sub until the subdomain's DNS information propogates.

After I upload a file, it still shows an older version. What's wrong?

Most likely, your browser has stored the older copy in its cache for fast loading of your site. You'll need to clear your browser's cache and navigate to the page again to see the new version. Instructions on clearing your cache in a few major browsers are listed below:

Firefox

  1. Select Tools -> Clear Private Data.
  2. Make sure the checkbox next to Cache is checked, and click Clear Private Data Now.

Internet Explorer

  1. Select Tools -> Internet Options.
  2. On the General tab, click Delete Files.
  3. Click OK, then click OK again.

Safari

  1. Select Safari -> Empty Cache.
  2. Click Empty.

Where can I make suggestions for new features in cPanel products?

You are welcome to submit a Feature Request at bugzilla.cpanel.net? . Please note that you will need to sign up for an account before being able to post a feature request.

I accidentally deleted the public_html folder (or a file). How do I retrieve all of my files?

There is no undelete option. You will need to restore this folder from your backups. You can use the Backups function in cPanel to restore a home directory backup, or you can contact your web host to have them restore your backups.

If you do not have backups, you will probably be unable to restore your information.

Where do I need to place my index files?

You'll need to place these in your public_html directory. This directory is where visitors will be able to see your website files.

How can I restore a full backup file to my server?

If you need to restore a full backup file on a server, copy the file to your daily backups directory and it should be available for restoring.

Be sure to configure the backups correctly first.

Why is my website being directed to this address?

If you are opening a website and instead of seeing the content you were expecting, you see the cPanel logo and links to cpanel.net? , then chances are that the server you are going to is no longer configured to display the domain.

You will need to contact your hosting company and alert them of the problem.

If you are seeing this when visiting a site that is not your own, you may want to wait or contact the owners listed in the WHOIS information. If you are seeing this at a site you know show be up or showing other information, such as google.com, then your computer is most likely infected with the QHOSTS virus or another version of it. Please use an antivirus tool to clear this off your computer. For more information, visit [[http://cpanel.net/support/qhosts.html[http://cpanel.net/support/qhosts.html]].

How can I add a logo on the top of my website in the URL bar?

The logo that can be seen in your browser's URL bar is called a "favicon," meaning "Favorites Icon." These were initially used in the bookmarks for browsers and have lately been used in the URL bar as well. Search for "favicon tutorial" on your favorite search engine to find out all you need to know about it, and even find the online in-browser favicon creators.

How can I integrate my web application with cPanel?

We offer a program wrapper called cPAddons for integrating third-party software with cPanel.

You can find more information about packaging your software as a cPAddon here.

How do I change the registration information that shows up on WHOIS search?

To change this information, you must log into the website of your domain's registrar. For example, if your domain is registered through godaddy.com, then you must log into the control panel at goaddy.com to edit the information for your domain. You can change none of this information via cPanel or WHM.

How can I install Fantastico?

You will need to contact Netenburg about Fantastico. Their site can be viewed at http://netenberg.com/fantastico.php. cPanel is not associated with Netenburg or Fantastico.

I see this error: Unactivated License File.

You will need to contact the server administrator so he or she can run the following command: /usr/local/cpanel/cpkeyclt.

If that does not work, the administrator will need to contact us at cs@cpanel.net? .

Can I change the domain name associated with my cPanel account?

You will need to contact your web host to get more information about changing your domain name.

How can I back up my complete website to a drive on my computer?

You can use the Generate/Download a Full Backup function in the Backups section of your cPanel interface.

What have you done to my website? I cannot access it.

cPanel software is being used on the server that your site is on. However, cPanel does not have access to that server or your site. You will need to contact your web host with questions about your site.

Can I add/translate a language for the cPanel interface that is not included by default?

Sure. You can find language files at lang.cpanel.net? , and you can submit one there as well. We really appreciate any translations. Thanks!

How I can know the path of a file on the server?

You'll need to check the statistics area of cPanel for your home directory. That directory (usually /home/username/) contains your files. For example, if your username is joe and you put a file in public_html called index.php, the file may be located at /home/joe/public_html/index.php.

How do I go about getting the site statistics enabled in my cPanel? None of the statistic software programs are enabled and I do not get any stats regarding my sites.

You will need to contact your host about enabling site statistics software for your account.

Is cPanel down?

While we make the cPanel software, we do not host it. You will need to contact your web host/server administrator about issues with logging into your cPanel interface.

What is the address that I go to log onto my cPanel?

These examples assume your domain name is example.com:

  • http://example.com/cpanel
  • http://example.com:2082

Or, for SSL (more security):

  • https://example.com:2083

if your site does not yet resolve, you can use its IP address instead. This example assumes your IP address is 255.225.255.255:

  • http://255.255.255.255:2082

My domain name is being used by a third party to send spam emails. How do I stop it?

You should contact your web host as soon as possible so they can look into this issue.

I need to know how to copy and paste HTML code to my website.

You can edit the HTML code using the File Manager in cPanel. In the File Manager, select the file to which you wish to add the code, and click Edit with Code Editor. Then, you can copy and paste the code into the HTML file where it should go.

We recommend testing this process on a test page, so that you do not make any unwanted changes to your live website.

How do I remove an old subdomain that was placed in a directory, such as /exampledomain.com?


I cannot seem to be able to remove old subdomains that were placed in a directory.

When you delete a subdomain in cPanel, it removes the entries that take users to that subdomain, but not the actual files. You'll need to delete the directory from the File Manager if you wish to remove it as well.

How do I set an HTML document to be the main page?

You'll need to use index.html as the main page for your site.

Why does the content of cPanel overflow the page?

If you have set your local fonts to override any website fonts, you may experience issues with text overflow in the cPanel interface. You will need to allow the cPanel site you login to to define and use its own fonts to correct this issue.

Does cPanel offer a refund after purchase?

If for any reason you are not satisfied, you may request a full refund within 5 days of purchase. Requests for refunds after 5 days will be honored at manager's discretion. (Last updated: 3-28-07.)

Why is my disk space usage, shown in cPanel, more than I have actually used?

The listed amount of disk space used includes all files owned by your user on the system. This could mean databases, or other files that aren't in your home directory. If you feel that this number is significantly off, please contact your host so they can check the numbers.

How can i link a webpage to the main page of my website?

If you are looking to just direct the visitor of that page to your home page with a hyperlink, use something similar to <a href="http://www.example.com">My Home Page</a>.

If you wish to have multiple domains "point" to your home page, you can add parked domains, which will direct visitors to your home page.

How can I enable Tomcat or JSP in cPanel?

The server owner will need to install Tomcat in WHM under cPanel >> Plugins.

Does cPanel support Ruby on Rails (RoR)?

As of cPanel 11, Ruby on Rails and RubyGems are supported.

In cPanel 11, I cannot find Addon Modules.

Addon Modules has been renamed "Plugins" in cPanel 11.

Can a person have 2 domains and 2 different web hosts on the same cPanel?

This is not possible, as the accounts are on different web servers. You can have multiple domains on one cPanel account by using Addon and Parked Domains.

It would also be a security and ownership issue if both web hosts had access to each other's data (your site's directories on their servers).

I need to know how to take a full backup and restore it on a new server.

Full backups can only be restored by server owners or resellers. Accounts can be transferred from a different server in WHM under the Transfers section. Accounts can be transferred with either the root or account password.

Is there a website builder in cPanel?

Yes, go to Site Software >> Soholauch. There you can install Soholaunch Website Builder.

How can I view Webalizer stats without loging into cPanel?

  1. cd /home/username/www
  2. ln -s ../tmp/webalizer stats
  3. chown username.username stats
  4. cd ../tmp
  5. chmod 755 ./
  6. chmod 755 ./webalizer

When I try to change a password in cPanel, I get an error saying "open2: exec of /usr/local/cpanel/bin/securechpass failed at Cpanel/Passwd.pm line 32 Most likely "expect" is not installed."

In FreeBSD®:

  1. cd /usr/ports/lang/expect/
  2. make install clean

Linux should have this installed already, but you should check using rpm -qa |grep -i expect. If it is installed and you get the error, you will probably need to submit a support ticket.

I am a resident of the UK, but forms on my websites are showing USA time and not GMT.

This is because the forms on your page are using the time on the server that stores your site. You'll need to edit the code in the form to show the time zone you wish to use.

I'm adding phpBB bulletin board. What are the database name, password and username?

These values should be ones that you create to use with phpBB. You may need them later to access the content of your bulletin board. as phpBB stores its information in a database.

Are there multiple levels of cPanel access? For subdomains? Addon domains?

Currently there is only one level of cPanel access. However, subdomains and addon domains can be accessed through SFTP, FTP, or Web Disk to modify their files depending on your server's configuration.

Does cPanel support WebDav?

cPanel's Web Disk feature uses WebDav to connect. If you wish to create a WebDav folder, go to Files -> Web Disk and set up your Web Disk there.

How do I contact you by phone?

Our phone number is 713.529.0800. Please feel free to call for billing or sales questions, and if you have purchased phone support. If you require technical support, please contact us at https://tickets.cpanel.net/submit.

How can I transfer my website from another control panel?

You can transfer your website, including your databases, mail, and files, by having your new host, or someone on a cPanel server, use the Copy an account from another server function in WebHost Manager (WHM). You'll need to provide them some information about your website, including your current account password.

How do I change the skin back to X3 after I changed it to RVSkin?

You will need to contact RVSkin about using the themes that they distribute.

If you are a reseller or server owner, you can change the account's theme in WHM using Account Functions >> Modify an Account.

"Bandwidth Limit Exceeded." What can I do?

If you are seeing this message on your website, you'll need to contact your hosting provider to increase the amount of monthly bandwidth transfer you are allowed.

When will Fantastico be updated? Why aren't the software installation packages up-to-date?

Fantastico is offered by Netenberg. If you have specific questions about Fantastico, or software included in it, you should visit their website.

if I have a file x.php in my www directory, what should I put as the command in the standard cron jobs section to run that file?

You'll need to put the full path to that file as the command. Check the main screen of your cPanel interface for your home directory. It's likely something close to /home/username.

Now, add the directory that the file is in. For example, if your username is ron, and your home directory is /home/ron, you could run that file with /home/ron/www/x.php.

You will need to make sure that x.php is executable. You can check in the File Manager or an FTP program to make sure that the file has permissions necessary for execution (likely 755).

Note: Unless you want x.php to be available to the public, place it in /home/ron/ instead. It doesn't have to be in your www or public_html directory to be run by a cron job.

How do I point my domain to a nameserver?

To point your domain to a nameserver, you will need to access your domain information at your domain registrar (read more here). Their domain management interface should allow you to choose custom nameservers (which are the ones provided by your web host).

How can I change a cPanel username?

This functionality is not available within cPanel. If you are the server owner, you'll need to create a new account for the user and migrate his or her site to that new account. Since the site is tied heavily to the username (home directory, configurations, etc), there is no option to modify the username.

How do I change the 401 error that is caused by cancelling a username/password login window for a protected directory?

To change the page received by a user, go to Error Pages in the Advanced section of your cPanel Interface (X3 theme). Then, choose the domain for which you wish to modify the error pages. Click on the 401 page, or any other error page, and make your changes.

What is my FTP port value?

It's likely that you'll connect to port 21 for FTP. However, it is possible that your web host may have changed this port. Please contact your web hosting provider for specific ports on your server.

Shell access is not enabled

If you get an error message when you try to log in through SSH that says Shell Access is not Enabled, you'll need to contact your web hosting provider to gain shell access.

How can I upload a WordPress theme?

Up-to-date instructions from WordPress can be found here.

Likely, you simply have to upload the theme's directory to public_html/wp_content/themes/.

If you had a theme called summerboard and the theme was downloaded into a directory called summerboard, upload the summerboard directory to public_html/wp_content/themes/, thus creating public_html/wp_content/themes/summerboard/.

How can I access cPanel and webmail behind a corporate proxy server?

We have built functionality into cPanel to use cpanel.domain.com and webmail.domain.com over port 80 so that you can still access cPanel and your webmail behind a proxy server. Simply replace domain.com with the name of your website.

Note: Your web host might need to enable this functionality on the server your site is hosted on. It can be turned on or off.

How can I manage multiple domains through one cPanel account?

To manage multiple domains with one cPanel account, you can use addon domains.

Your account will have a main domain associated with it in order to keep track of the account. Then, simply add more domains through the Addon Domains area in cPanel. You will probably want to add them outside of your public_html directory in order to keep track of them easily.

Your main domain will be located at /home/username/public_html. You can then add domains in directories like this:

  • domain2.com — /home/username/domain2.com/
  • domain3.org — /home/username/domain3.org

If you follow that directory structure, you can provide FTP or WebDAV access to 1 of the domains without having to provide access to your other domains.

How can i integrate my web application with cPanel using .NET?

cPanel currently provides an application packaging system called cPAddons. However, it is currently only compatible with applications that use PHP or Perl.

It is possible to switch back to the old cPanel?

If you wish to use the X theme rather than the new X3 theme, we suggest using the X style (available via the Change Style function in cPanel). The X theme has been deprecated, as it cannot provide the new features that are included with X3.

My File Manager gives an access permission error after I try saving changes I make with it.

This likely means that there are file ownership or permissions issues with the file(s) you are trying to change. You will need to make sure that the file is writable (644 for .html or .htm) and owned by your user. You should contact your web host and have them verify your file permissions and ownership if you do not have shell access.

Is it possible for the root user to access cPanel without the help of WHM?

You can log into a cPanel account with your username and the root password.

I have uploaded a file to the public_html directory. What do I do next to publish the page?
How can I use index.php instead of index.html for my site?

Once a file is uploaded to public_html, it will be visible at your domain. If you upload a file called pets.html to public_html, it will be visible at http://www.yourdomain.com/pets.html.

Files called index.* ( index.html, index.htm, index.php) will be shown at http://www.yourdomain.com/

If you remove index.html, other files with index.* will show up in its place. So, if index.php is the only file named index.* in public_html, it will show.

Alternatively, you can create a file called .htaccess containing this line in your public_html directory:

DirectoryIndex index.php

Make sure to remove that line from .htaccess if you no longer wish to see index.php when viewing your website.

If an HTML file is located in public_html and is not visible at your domain, make sure that it has 644 permissions and is owned by your username.

How do I access AWStats from outside cPanel?

You can access a user-submitted FAQ here. While it should work, it cannot be supported by cPanel Support.

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Topic revision: r15 - 06 Nov 2009 - 17:22:38 - Main.MelanieSeibert
 

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