How to Fix a Bad_httpd_conf Error


By Toni on June 13th, 2008 in Dreamhost, Tips & Tutorials

Did you try to view your website but all you get is this following error message?

Site Temporarily Unavailable
We apologize for the inconvenience. Please contact the webmaster/ tech support immediately to have them rectify this.
error id: “bad_httpd_conf

Don’t panic.

This post will explain what a “bad_httpd_conf” means, and how to fix the problem.

bad httpd conf errorWhile your gut reaction may be that blog or CMS software is throwing errors, Bad_httpd_conf is actually a custom error message only Dreamhost clients will encounter. The error is produced when IP your domain is resolving to points to an Apache web server not configured for your domain.

Quick fix: Go to your Dreamhost web panel then > Domain > Manage Domains > Edit > Save changes.

You don’t have to actually make any changes before you “Change fully hosted settings now” — just following these steps will rebuild the httpd_conf file for your website and most likely fix the problem. Then wait up to 10 minutes to see if the error has been fixed.

If that didn’t work try the following fix:

Delete Static IP, then re-’Add IP’ – If the domain displaying this error has a static IP address you added from DreamHost’s Web Panel, then Delete the Static IP (you will instantly be refunded), then add a new static IP address to your domain by clicking “Add IP”

Those simple steps should solve the majority of bad_httpd_conf errors. If not could delete then re-add the domain to your account, but that can be a hassle as it deletes the whole website (you would need to backup / re-upload all your files deal with databases, etc.

If this is the route you want to take be sure to check out the Dreamhost support wiki page on how to safely delete and reconfig a domain.

Good luck.

 How to Fix a Bad httpd conf Error
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3 Comments to “How to Fix a Bad_httpd_conf Error”

  1. I had this issue after signing up for Dreamhost PS, and tried the edit/save thing – now all I get is a page with the “index of/” on it, but no content. So, I tried to log on to ftp to see if my site had been deleted during the ‘upgrade’ to PS – my log in no longer works. I’m very confused, and frustrated, and so are my customers. Is there some other way to fix this mess (I have yet to receive a response to my support request at DH)?

  2. @Mary – Afraid I have no idea. I’ve had bad_httpd_conf errors a few times, and always fixed them with edit/save. Good luck resolving it, please keep us up to date once you work out how to resolve it.

  3. Thank You Very Much!!

    I resolved the problem by Edit > Save.

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