There are times when you will need to modify some settings the in the default PHP.INI file. When using Plesk, the PHP.INI file is shared however you have control over many of the common PHP flags – it is a little technical though.

First, you need to create a .htaccess file in your document root (/httpdocs), it is within this file that you add your custom PHP flags, here’s some examples:

To switch off register globals: php_flag register_globals off

To switch on magic quotes: php_flag magic_quotes_gpc on

You can do this with most PHP flags, if you have any problems simply contact the Helpdesk for further assistance,

There are times when you will need to modify the defaultsession.save_path which is hard coded into your PHP confguration. When using Plesk, the PHP.INI file is shared however you have control over many of the flags.

First, you need to create a .htaccess file in your document root (/httpdocs), it is within this file that you add your custom PHP session save path flag, eg:

php_value session.save_path ‘/var/www/vhosts/yourdomainname.co.uk/httpdocs/tmp’

This flag would set the session save path to your /httpdocs/tmp folder, simply ensure this folder exists. If you are manually installing Joomla you may need to change the session.save_path. We recommend that you use the Joomla installation script found under “Web Applications” in your hosting control panel as this automatically sets the sessions.save_path.

So you have just chosen your new favicon, or even painstakingly created it using the latest .ICO file creator. The file size is correct, your friends and family love it – great! – now it’s time to make it live!

So, you go ahead and upload your favicon.ico file, you edit your web pages to point directly to it. Yet, when you visit your website, the Plesk favicon is still there? In fact, no matter what you do, you can only see the Plesk favicon!

This, is a local browser caching issue. You will find that if you visit your site from another PC which never visited your Plesk default homepage that your new super duper custom favicon will work perfectly.

Clear your browser cache and temporary internet files, perform a system reboot and that should do the trick.

The parked domain name homepage builder service is a fairly basic web site builder that enables you to build up to 3 web pages using one of the 8 preset style templates provided.

The Homepage builder whilst easy to use, can be useful if you need to get a simple site up fast. Usually our hosting clients prefer to build their own websites using Dreamweaver or Webplus thus negating the need to use the domain Homepage builder.

If you primarily purchased hosting so that you could use the email facilities (webmail, SMTP, POP, IMAP etc) but would prefer to use the domain Homepage Builder for your website, simply follow the instructions below – or ask the Helpdesk to make the following single DNS change on your behalf:

• Log in to your Web Hosting Account using your ClientXXXXX username
• Click on “DNS Settings” icon
• Select the “A” record that looks like “yourdomainname.co.uk. A 81.95.158.106“. The IP address will differ according to your server. This is usually the third DNS record in the list – but not always!
• Where it says “Enter IP Address”, overwrite the existing IP with the Homepage builder IP address.
• Type “66.98.136.44” (the Homepage builder IP address) and click “Ok”.
• Hit “Update” to save your DNS changes. Hit “Revert” to cancel your changes.
• Allow up to 24 hours for the new DNS to propagate.

If you ever wish to disconnect your hosting account from the Homepage builder and reconnect it to your FTP webspace, simply change the IP address back to that as listed with your regular hosted DNS records.

We are now using the award winning Plesk Control Panel for all new hosting accounts, although there are still many clients that prefer the Ensim interface – there are many reasons why you should upgrade.

Plesk has many advantages over Ensim including many additional features, PHP 5.x, mySql 5.x, AtMail Webmail, better SPAM protection, single click installation of popular web applications such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal. Additionally, our Plesk servers provide a fully PCI Compliant Web Hosting solution – all at no additional cost. That’s right, the upgrade from Ensim to Plesk is absolutely FREE!

Advantages of moving to Plesk

• PHP 5.x and mySql 5.x
• Multi-domain hosting support
• Single click installation of latest web apps (Drupal, Joomla, WordPress, Magento)
• Better SPAM protection
• Higher performance and security
• Super looking, easy to use control panel
• No extra cost to get these geat features!

Things to consider

If you are using Ensim, and would like to move to Plesk then we have some good news – we can do this for you at no cost! You will receive all the benefits of our new Plesk servers however there are some issues to consider:

• Ensim and Plesk backups are not interchangeble.
• We cannot move your web site, emails or anything else from the old account.
• You will be responsible for re-uploading your web site and data.
• Your Plesk Hosting account will be setup just like a brand new account.

How to proceed

• Make sure you have a backup copy of your website and emails
• Remember – your Ensim account will be completely deleted
• Your Plesk account will be set up as a brand new account
• Ready to proceed?
• Contact the Helpdesk and request a ‘FREE sameday upgrade to Plesk’

If you currently have a hosting plan which was setup before the Multi-domain feature was offered contact the Helpdesk for a free upgrade.

The “Add Domain” and “Resource Management” features will be added to your account within 24 hours thus enabling Multi-domain features..

It is not possible to merge existing separate hosting accounts into a Multi-domain hosting plan. However, at the time your accounts are up for renewal, if you find they are not using many resources you could allow your package to expire and add then add domain to your Multi-domain account.

If your hosting plan is currently on our Ensim server range, then you might want to consider upgrading to our Plesk server range – the upgrade is free, see Upgrading to Plesk from Ensim FAQ entry.

Your hosting account is originally set up with your primary domain name (as selected during the order process) allocated all resources.

If your hosting account supports multi-domain hosting, you can add additional hosted domains to your hosting account and simply share the resources of your primary domain thus hosting sevaral websites under one account.

Adding a domain to your hosting account does not register it, you still have to register the domain name using the normal process at the Domain Registration area.

If your hosting plan was purchased before March 2010, you may need to upgrade to Multi-domain hosting.

To host a new domain name using multi-domain hosting do the following:

1. Log in to your Plesk Hosting Control Panel
2. Click on “Domains”
3. Click on “Create Domain”.
4. Put a tick in “WWW” so that www.yournewdomain.co.uk is supported.
5. Enter the domain name you wish to add.
6. Select “Web Site Hosting” if you wish to host this domain as a separate web site.
7. Enter a desired FTP username and password for this domain account.
8. Hit “Next >>” to cotinue advanced set up of your domaine name.
9. Under PHP support select “Run as FastCGI” and switch off “safe_mode”
10. Under FastCGI Support ensure this box is ticked.
11. Enable Web Statistics if required.
12. Ensure that “Expiration date” is set to “Never Expires”

Finally you MUST change this new domain name servers (From the Domain Control Panel) to the same as your primary domain name. If you do not do this, your domain will not connect to your Hosting service. After changing the nameservers allow 24 hours for the DNS to fully propagate.

That’s all there is to it! If you have any problems simply contact the Helpdesk for further assistance,

The Hosting user manual is available online and can be viewed through your web browser:

View: Plesk User Administration Guide

There is also an index of subjects that will help you with many aspects of your hosting account at the following page:

Web Hosting Help Centre

As you know, we like to offer the latest and greatest features to our services as standard.

All web hosting accounts based on the Plesk control panel are now PCI compliant as standard. So, what does this mean to you?

Well, it means that you can rest assured that the stringent Payment Card Industry (PCI)  security and encryption guidelines advised for online merchants are adhered to with your web hosting account at no additional cost.

For more information see: PCI Compliant Web Hosting at UK Cheapest

You can also visit the PCI site directly: PCI (Payment Card Industry)