Template error: File doesn't exist

Some users have reported the following (or similar) error after validating their sites in the Watchful dashboard:

/public_html/templates//index.php The file doesn't exist.

Cause

This is caused by a blank record in your template_styles or template_menu database table. These blank entries may result from an incomplete/manual template removal and possibly during migration between Joomla versions.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, create a backup of your site and then query the database as follows:

Joomla 2.5/3

SELECT DISTINCT template, client_id FROM #__template_styles

Be sure to replace #_ with your actual database prefix, for example:

SELECT DISTINCT template, client_id FROM jos_template_styles

Joomla 1.5

SELECT DISTINCT template, client_id FROM #__templates_menu

Be sure to replace #_ with your actual database prefix, for example:

SELECT DISTINCT template, client_id FROM jos_templates_menu

In the query results, you should find one record that is empty/lacks a name. Delete this empty record and confirm that your site is working as expected.

To confirm that the File does’t exist error is resolved, return to the Watchful dashboard and re-verify your site.