Hi!
I'm having troubles with my limesurvey. Summer 2015 I installed Limesurvey on my bluehost server and used it to gather the data for my master thesis. Now, a few months later, I can't access it anymore because of an "internal server error. CDbConnection failed to open the DB connection.". You can see the full error message here: www.biancahaun.com/survey2/index.php/admin/survey/sa/index << this should be my login site. I haven't changed anything since it was working a few months ago, and no it suddenly doesn't. Any ideas what could be the cause?

I really need the access to the limesurvey dashboard again, because I'm in the middle of my master thesis and I need the data & survey.

I have Limesurvey Version 150520 installed. The survey is connected to the database: saschana_li4079. I've already checked the database for errors but it was all okay.
I also looked in this forum for solutions but, I couldn't get it resolved. I checked the config.php file, but the database & password are correct.

Does anyone have any ideas? I'd greatly appreciate it!

Thanks,
Bianca

First of all, you should have downloaded the data a few months ago, when the survey had finished and Limesurvey was working...

But of course this doesn't help now. But don't worry, as long as you did not delete the database, there will be a way to get to your data.

First of all, without any changes, this error wouldn't appear if it worked fine before. If you didn't change anything, probably your hoster did (change PHP version, etc.). Something must have happened in the meanwhile.

Do you have any other means like PHPmyAdmin to access the dabase saschana_li4079 and check if your data and responses are still stored there?

Thanks holch!
I've downloaded the data months ago (thankfully) but now I wanted to go back and export the survey for the thesis attachments. All the data is still in the database - I've checked through phpmyadmin and also made a backup (who knows what will happen next...).
I've contacted the bluehost support and asked them if they changed anything - but they had no idea and were no help at all.
So the question is if I can get existing limesurvey install connected to the database again or if I should install a new limesurvey and connect it to the old database. I don't know if it results in any errors or problems if I connect two installs to one database.

I am not surprised that Bluehost support were no help at all. They are a huge hoster, an support is probably not their strength. They don't really care about the individual client.

I honestly don't know how to connect the database again (especially without knowing more details).

I probably would create a copy of the database, install it on my local Limesurvey test installation on my computer, create a new installation of Limesurvey and try to connect it to this database and see what happens.

But maybe someone else has an idea on how to solve the error directly in your installation.

Do you have any other web applications on this server that use the MySQL database and work fine?

So a few days after I was talking to the bluehost support and the support of the limesurvey one-click-installer (all of little to no help), the error was gone as quickly as it appeared. I have no idea what the reason was for error.. but for now I'm happy it's working again. Thanks for your help, holch!