Could not open template config file
phpBB : Critical Error Could not open subSilver template config file
This is an infrequent error that sometimes appears on phpBB 2 forums. It can look very daunting to a new user of phpBB, but it is really a very simple error to fix. The error message can have different variations replacing "subSilver" with the name of another template. Take note of the template name mentioned in the error message you are receiving, as this is the most important clue you have to fixing the error.
Every phpBB template has three things in common. They all have their own directory in the templates directory, such as templates/subSilver or templates/ashGrunge. Likewise, they all have a file in that directory named after the template and ending with a "cfg" extension, such as subSilver.cfg, illusion.cfg, ashGrunge.cfg, and so on. Finally, the names of these cfg files and directories are case sensitive. phpBB regards subSilver.cfg and subsilver.cfg as two completely different things.
This error message is really saying that either the directory or cfg file for a template are missing or named incorrectly. Some uploading programs, such as FTP clients, have options to automatically convert filenames to all upper or lower case letters when the files are uploaded. If your subSilver.cfg gets uploaded as subsilver.cfg because of such a setting, it can cause this error message to appear.
Here's a handy checklist for finding the cause of this error.
- Has the template named in the error has been uploaded to the templates/ directory?
- Is the directory for this template named exactly as spelled in the error message? With the example above, subSilver would be correct, but subsilver would not.
- Does a file exist in the template directory that has the same name as the directory plus a cfg extension, such as subSilver.cfg?
- If this file does exist, is it named exactly as spelled in the error message? subSilver.cfg is correct, but subsilver.cfg is not the file phpBB needs.
Actually fixing the error is as simple as correcting whatever problem(s) you find from the checklist. If the template or cfg file are not in the right directories, put them there. When the names are spelled incorrectly, rename the directory or file as needed.