Title: Comment button vanished
Last modified: April 29, 2020

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# Comment button vanished

 *  [cakass](https://wordpress.org/support/users/cakass/)
 * (@cakass)
 * [6 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comment-button-vanished/)
 * I have reluctant responsibility for a site set up by a friend, recently deceased.
   It is still running WordPress 3.6 with BuddyPress version 1.9.2. I am not a WordPress
   expert and have yet to brave a potentially tricky upgrade, so the site has been
   bumbling along using the antiquated version. Until now.
    The comment button on
   the main blog page has suddenly and unaccountably disappeared, and restoring 
   files (not the database) from a backup makes no difference. Comments for the 
   page are activated. The only recent change to the configuration was to upgrade
   a user to editor status, but this was a couple of days before this malfunction.
   Comments can be added from the edit page but users and editors alike cannot add
   them from the blog page. I would welcome any suggestions on how this might be
   remedied.
 * The page I need help with: _[[log in](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwordpress.org%2Fsupport%2Ftopic%2Fcomment-button-vanished%2F%3Foutput_format%3Dmd&locale=en_US)
   to see the link]_

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

 *  [Carike](https://wordpress.org/support/users/carike/)
 * (@carike)
 * [6 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comment-button-vanished/#post-12750715)
 * Firstly, check under /wp-admin/ -> Settings whether comments on new blog posts
   are set to auto-close after a certain period.
 * Also, have you updated your theme, by any chance?
    The theme is normally responsible
   for outputting the comment button on the front end.
 *  Thread Starter [cakass](https://wordpress.org/support/users/cakass/)
 * (@cakass)
 * [6 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comment-button-vanished/#post-12750753)
 * Thanks for that. I’ll check it out. I haven’t updated the theme. It is so far
   out of date IO fgear screwing things up.
 *  [Carike](https://wordpress.org/support/users/carike/)
 * (@carike)
 * [6 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comment-button-vanished/#post-12760627)
 * Have you tried finding an export plugin that is still compatible with <4?
    It
   may be easier to just export the posts and re-import it on an updated site.
 * If you are going to update the site at some point, make sure that you have a 
   backup (tar.gz from your host) and consider updating in stages.
 *  Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * (@ipstenu)
 * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist
 * [6 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comment-button-vanished/#post-12760656)
 * BuddyPress is going to be the gotcha on that one I’m afraid.
 * I would make a good backup and, in order:
 * 1. Upgrade Core
    2. Upgrade Theme *(assuming no direct edits to theme) 3. Upgrade
   all plugins 4. Possibly install Classic Editor (since you’re jumping to Gutenberg
   and may not be quite prepared)
 * From 3.6 that shouldn’t be actually that horrible, but there are a LOT of changes
   and you’re going to be hard pressed to find anyone who’s super familiar still
   with 3+ year old updates.
 *  Thread Starter [cakass](https://wordpress.org/support/users/cakass/)
 * (@cakass)
 * [6 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comment-button-vanished/#post-12764460)
 * Thanks Carike and Ipstenu for your suggestions. I appreciate your help. A reply
   button has mysteriously reappeared on comments but not the main post. I think
   I am going to have to try the upgrade. The trouble is that I am doing this as
   a favour, and have other things to do, and as a WP novice I get bogged down trying
   to sort out problems. I did try to set up a local install to prototype the upgrade
   at home but could not find a compatible server. The current configuration is 
   in a subfolder within the public-html directory and addressed as domain/subfolder.
   Is it possible to make a copy of this under a new name in public_html and prototype
   using that?

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

The topic ‘Comment button vanished’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [comment button](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/comment-button/)

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 5 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [cakass](https://wordpress.org/support/users/cakass/)
 * Last activity: [6 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comment-button-vanished/#post-12764460)
 * Status: not resolved

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