Delete your old .htaccess, rename htaccess.txt to .htaccess and turn on friendly url's again. If it still doesn't work. Then it's host related with Apache re-write not working correctly.
VPS doesn't classify as a shared host.
HostGator, GoDaddy, etc. are a shared host... you have the equivalent of a dedicated server with shared resources.
Try what @Mike Edge suggested and just for grins/giggles, restart the apache server.
Are you running an APC or xCache?
Delete your old .htaccess, rename htaccess.txt to .htaccess and turn on friendly url's again. If it still doesn't work. Then it's host related with Apache re-write not working correctly.
Exactly what you did. You removed the original .htaccess (by renaming it to .htaccess-) and replaced it with a new, fresh version. Something within the old .htacess has started to fail, for whatever reason.
Exactly what you did. You removed the original .htaccess (by renaming it to .htaccess-) and replaced it with a new, fresh version. Something within the old .htacess has started to fail, for whatever reason.