ASP

[#1]

Is it ok to ask questions about stuff not hosted with PlusNet on here?
If not.... erm, can you move me somewhere else?
Anyone here get ASP, and all that?
Friend has an eCommerce site in deep trouble with her hosting provider. They say she can move the site but she'll have to do it herself or pay $550.
They've given her the FTP details. I've been there....
I grabbed everything available but there's no cPanel. Just ftp.
Question.
Is there a database - like sql - used with ASP? I know nothing about ASP.
If there is I can't access it.
I can't find anything like htaccess or other email related directories, etc, so I'm obviously not in the root. But I can't move back any further.
I'm asking around about what to do, not getting answers so far!
Anyone have any suggestions? Maybe about what to say to these obstructive hosting providers about what we need to get all the stuff required.
Or, alternatively. Is it not possible to move this stuff? They say its possible, and have mentioned a database.
Couple of noobs on the ASP malarky  ;D... heeeelp!! 

[#2]

The database is likely to be MS SQL Server or just possibly MS Access.
Plusnet do NOT offer ASP hosting.

[#3]

Very wise to know nothing about ASP - I try to approach that happy state myself. Is this eCommerce site based on a CMS or similar package that your friend installed herself, or was it developed using the host's templates? If the former, then it should provide instructions for packing up and moving host. Assuming the new host supports ASP.NET, it should be possible to move the site. ASP.NET can be used with a number of db types, typically MS SQL. The host should provide or suggest a gui db administrator you can use to dump your db.
Gabe

[#4]

Thanks Gabe,
I thought it might be a php package to start with but it isn't. I think its the host's template. Looks like ASP.NET to me. And yes, it is CMS.
The current hosting provider are offering no instructions or help whatsoever - only demanding another $2,000 for a year hosting.
Trouble is, I can't get FTP into to the root directory. It shows as root, but the expected files are not there, so...
The cPanel is set up to show only sparce email options.
Sounds like this database, if found, will be of little use, in fact the whole hosted site will be useless. Unless it goes to another host who support ASP.
I need to find out exactly what she stands to lose here...
Being as though the site has been up for two years but never worked properly, she's had no customers on the site and is potentially about to do into administration (shops and all), there is unlikely to be much content in the db.
She needs to sell the whole business package quickish.
Take the domain and start again?
I could probably host her site temporarily even though she's in AU, at least it would work!
(No, not on PlusNet!)

[#5]

I first ran into problems with ASP & PHP when rebuilding my website which incorporated a contact enquiry form, rather than expose an email address to the whole world and get it spammed.
I had two options add an ASP Form or go for the more popular PHP Form.
It was not until I contacted my Hosting Company that I was told my website was hosted on a Windows Server, which immediately restricted me to using an ASP Form. If it had been hosted on a Linux Server I could have used a PHP based Form.
As it turned out I located a FREE Contact Form creator on the Internet, it works perfectly and includes anti-spam security.
However, the moral of the story is check which type of server your website is being hosted on and if creating a new account always choose Linux, which performs a lot better than Windows versions for web hosting requirements.

[#6]

If you want to use PHP with ASP then try ASP WebMatrix. This has a programming model called web pages rather than web forms or MVC used by other types of ASP. You can drop PHP sites straight into it. You will of course have to choose a hosting provider who can support the necessary configuration, but generally anything you can do on Linux, you can also do on Windows; it just costs you a little bit more.