Failed opening required '/system/startup.php'

Searching for the answer I see this has happened to many folks and the answer always seems to be to check the config and index files. I have checked them and altered them (full path...relative path) and nothing seems to be working.
My host in Dreamhost (I've dropped them a line as well...waiting for a response) and their path to the public folder is /home/[username]/[site address]/ where the site address is actually the "public folder".
My errors as as follows:
[Thu Apr 14 11:21:44.425439 2022] [fcgid:warn] [pid 99698:tid 119451464468224] [client 68.200.14.116:52364] mod_fcgid: stderr: PHP Warning: require_once(/system/startup.php): Failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/paumaz3/mazcrafters.com/index.php on line 17
[Thu Apr 14 11:21:44.425617 2022] [fcgid:warn] [pid 99698:tid 119451464468224] [client 68.200.14.116:52364] mod_fcgid: stderr: PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Failed opening required '/system/startup.php' (include_path='.:') in /home/paumaz3/mazcrafters.com/index.php:17
[Thu Apr 14 11:21:44.425642 2022] [fcgid:warn] [pid 99698:tid 119451464468224] [client 68.200.14.116:52364] mod_fcgid: stderr: Stack trace:
[Thu Apr 14 11:21:44.425663 2022] [fcgid:warn] [pid 99698:tid 119451464468224] [client 68.200.14.116:52364] mod_fcgid: stderr: #0 {main}
[Thu Apr 14 11:21:44.425686 2022] [fcgid:warn] [pid 99698:tid 119451464468224] [client 68.200.14.116:52364] mod_fcgid: stderr: thrown in /home/paumaz3/mazcrafters.com/index.php on line 17

startup.php does in fact exist in /home/paumaz3/mazcrafters.com/system.

INDEX FILE IS:
<?php
// Version
define('VERSION', '3.0.3.8');

// Configuration
if (is_file('config.php')) {
require_once('config.php');
}

// Install
if (!defined('DIR_APPLICATION')) {
header('Location: install/index.php');
exit;
}

// Startup
require_once(DIR_SYSTEM . 'startup.php');

start('catalog');

CONFIG FILE IS:
<?php
// HTTP
define('HTTP_SERVER', 'http://www.mazcrafters.com/admin/');
define('HTTP_CATALOG', 'http://www.mazcrafters.com/');

// HTTPS
define('HTTPS_SERVER', 'http://www.mazcrafters.com/admin/');
define('HTTPS_CATALOG', 'http://www.mazcrafters.com/');

// DIR
define('DIR_APPLICATION', '/catalog/');
define('DIR_SYSTEM', '/system/');
define('DIR_IMAGE', '/image/');
define('DIR_STORAGE', '/home/paumaz3/storage/');
define('DIR_CATALOG', '/catalog/');
define('DIR_LANGUAGE', DIR_APPLICATION . 'language/');
define('DIR_TEMPLATE', DIR_APPLICATION . 'view/template/');
define('DIR_CONFIG', DIR_SYSTEM . 'config/');
define('DIR_CACHE', DIR_STORAGE . 'cache/');
define('DIR_DOWNLOAD', DIR_STORAGE . 'download/');
define('DIR_LOGS', DIR_STORAGE . 'logs/');
define('DIR_MODIFICATION', DIR_STORAGE . 'modification/');
define('DIR_SESSION', DIR_STORAGE . 'session/');
define('DIR_UPLOAD', DIR_STORAGE . 'upload/');

// DB
define('DB_DRIVER', 'mysqli');
define('DB_HOSTNAME', 'HOSTNAME');
define('DB_USERNAME', '[USERNAME');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'PWD');
define('DB_DATABASE', 'DB');
define('DB_PORT', '3306');
define('DB_PREFIX', 'oc_');

// OpenCart API
define('OPENCART_SERVER', 'https://www.opencart.com/');

I tried putting the full path into the config file but that generated a whole new slew of errors. So I put them back.
Any help greatly appreciated!

Your config.php files are have the wrong paths except, possibly, the storage folder. See this post to test your paths: viewtopic.php?f=199&t=198781&p=699560#p699560

Thanks for your reply.
I ran that php code you sent. Cool how it displays that information right there. I was pretty sure I tried those values before, but I tried again and got the following visual when I tried to connect:

Unknown: mysqli::real_escape_string(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($string) of type string is deprecated in /home/paumaz3/mazcrafters.com/system/library/db/mysqli.php on line 53Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/paumaz3/mazcrafters.com/system/framework.php:42) in /home/paumaz3/mazcrafters.com/catalog/controller/startup/session.php on line 25Unknown: Automatic conversion of false to array is deprecated in /home/paumaz3/mazcrafters.com/catalog/controller/startup/startup.php on line 103Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/paumaz3/mazcrafters.com/system/framework.php:42) in /home/paumaz3/mazcrafters.com/catalog/controller/startup/startup.php on line 107Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/paumaz3/mazcrafters.com/system/framework.php:42) in /home/paumaz3/mazcrafters.com/catalog/controller/startup/startup.php on line 167

PHP version?

7.3.12. The tech at Dreamhost said he tried to change it to 7.4 but that did not help.

I would have your host re-check your PHP version. The errors you are posting above are similar to PHP 8.x errors.

mazman wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 15, 2022 4:03 am

7.3.12. The tech at Dreamhost said he tried to change it to 7.4 but that did not help.

See if you can either downgrade your PHP version to PHP v7.4x releases which are compatible with OC v3.x releases. As an alternative, contact your host to do it for you if your host console does not provide this feature.

I did go in and change my PHP version on the server to 7.4. No help. I may end up just paying them to look at it.

Depends on your server setup, but sometimes with multi-PHP, the handler is done via .htaccess. There are occasions that the .htaccess file doesn’t always get updated with the current PHP version and you get stuck on a different version then what’s being reported.

Running a simple phpinfo() would be a simple test, but if you have no experience with editing files, then its best left to developers or your server IT support.

So I have a follow-up question. Do you suppose I could reinstall OpenCart directly onto the live site, but leave the existing database there (I can access the DB just fine). Would all of my products, etc still be there intact?

mazman wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 16, 2022 12:14 am

So I have a follow-up question. Do you suppose I could reinstall OpenCart directly onto the live site, but leave the existing database there (I can access the DB just fine). Would all of my products, etc still be there intact?

Reinstalling OC from scratch would also reset your database values if installed on the same database. If you already have additional data on your database, I would then suggest to backup your database before you try anything.

mazman wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 16, 2022 12:14 am

So I have a follow-up question. Do you suppose I could reinstall OpenCart directly onto the live site, but leave the existing database there (I can access the DB just fine). Would all of my products, etc still be there intact?

Your products are ONLY dependant on the DB NOT the code of OC
DB remains intact then the products remain intact.
ALWAYS backup everything anyway.

mazman wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 16, 2022 12:14 am

So I have a follow-up question. Do you suppose I could reinstall OpenCart directly onto the live site, but leave the existing database there (I can access the DB just fine). Would all of my products, etc still be there intact?

If you run through the installer again and use your same database you will lose everything. As shown below, the installer runs an SQL file with drop table, so keep that in mind. https://github.com/opencart/opencart/bl ... encart.sql

What are your error logs reporting now? Whats the reason for the re-install?

Backup, regardless what you do.

A few redundancies here ...

So to be clear. If I backup my DB. Re-install OC on the server. Then restore the backed up DB, the site would look as it did when I created it on my localhost. Yes?

mazman wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 16, 2022 1:25 am

So to be clear. If I backup my DB. Re-install OC on the server. Then restore the backed up DB, the site would look as it did when I created it on my localhost. Yes?

Yes - Make sure you back up and restore through phpMyadmin and NOT OC backup and restore.
Export the current DB from phpMyadmin then Import when done.