UKC

Which web hosting control panel do you use?

Starting from 2010, we switched to Parallel’s Plesk web hosting control panel software for our new server range. Plesk is currently the best web hosting control panel on the market giving high performance, security and flexilibity.

Previously we used Ensim Pro which is now part of Parallels. The best features of Ensim Pro are now built into Plesk and moving forward, Plesk has replaced the Ensim Pro system. Many of our clients still use Ensim Pro, it is still a great control panel. However, unless specificially requested, all new web hosting accounts will be set up on our Plesk server range.

Are banners and ads displayed on my site?

It is common for low cost, cheap and free web hosting service providers to place banners or ads on your website, they use the revenue generated from the displaying or such banners and ads to recoup the cost to provide the service.

The problem with this methodology is that your site will look unprofessional, also you have no control over the types of advertisements shown on your site.

At UK-Cheapest,co.uk, we do not display any banners or advertisements on your site. In fact, we do not meddle with your code at all. What you see is exactly as you uploaded and nothing more.

phpMyAdmin doesn’t load when I click on the icon in Plesk

A common problem when attempting to launch Webadmin is your browser Popup Blocker. The Webadmin application opens in a popup window so you must ensure that pop-ups are enabled for your browser.

If you find that clicking on the “Webadmin” button does nothing, then this is the problem, use the guide below to temporarily disable your browser popup blocker.

To disable the Popup blocker in Internet Explorer

  1. Open Internet Explorer and select the Tools option.
  2. In the window that displays, click on the Internet Options option.
  3. Click on the Privacy tab
  4. Uncheck Turn on Popup blocker
  5. Click on Ok to save your preferences
  6. Close the window

To disable the Popup blocker in Firefox

  1. Open the Firefox menu and select the Tools option.
  2. In the window that displays, click on the Content option.
  3. Remove the checkmark from the Block pop-up windows option.
  4. Close the window

To disable the Popup blocker in Chrome

  1. Open the Chrome Tools menu and select the Options option.
  2. In the window that displays, click on the Under the bonnet tab.
  3. Click on the Content Settings button
  4. Click on the Pop-ups tab
  5. Select Allow sites to show pop-ups then press Close
  6. Close the windows

To disable the Popup blocker in Safari

  1. Open the Safari menu and select the Preferences option.
  2. In the window that displays, click on the Security option.
  3. Remove the checkmark from the Block pop-up windows option.
  4. Close the window

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

How can I customise my PHP.INI file?

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,

How to Change PHP session.save_path in Plesk

PHP session storage

Change session.save_path only when the application requires a writable, private session directory

Most hosted applications should use the working Plesk default. A custom path can solve a documented application or isolation requirement, but it must exist, belong to the correct subscription and stay outside publicly downloadable web content.

Open My HostingChange carefully
DEFAULTLeave it when workingAvoid needless change
PATHPrivate and writableCorrect ownership
TESTOne domain firstVerify login flows

When is a custom session path appropriate?

Documented application need

The software vendor explicitly requires file-based sessions in a particular writable location.

Broken default path

Logs show that PHP cannot create session files and the current path or ownership is genuinely invalid.

Deliberate isolation

A developer needs a private per-subscription location and understands cleanup and permissions.

Not a general speed tweak

Changing the path does not automatically improve performance and can break authentication if configured incorrectly.

Set session.save_path for one domain in Plesk

  1. 1
    Record the current value

    Check PHP Settings or a temporary diagnostic page, then remove that diagnostic page after use.

  2. 2
    Create a private directory

    Place it within the subscription’s private area, not in a public web directory, and apply restrictive ownership.

  3. 3
    Open PHP Settings

    Select the domain in Plesk and add the required session.save_path value at domain scope.

  4. 4
    Apply and test

    Confirm the effective value, then test login, baskets, forms and any other session-dependent workflow.

What to check if sessions still fail

CheckWhy
Directory existsPHP cannot write into a missing path
Ownership and permissionsThe domain’s PHP handler needs controlled write access
Disk space and inode useA full filesystem can prevent session creation
Effective PHP handlerCLI and website PHP can load different configuration
Session cleanupOld files should expire without deleting active sessions too aggressively

PHP session questions

Can I change session.save_path in .htaccess?

That depends on the PHP handler and may be ignored or cause an error. Use the domain’s Plesk PHP Settings for a predictable scoped change.

Should the directory be inside httpdocs?

No. Session files can contain sensitive state and should be kept outside publicly served content.

Why does php -i show a different value?

Command-line PHP can use a different configuration from the website handler. Verify through the domain’s effective PHP configuration.

Change only with a reason

Keep session storage private, scoped and testable

Record the old value so you can reverse the change if the application behaves differently.

Open Plesk Hosting