WordPress is an open-source platform, its community is spread all over the globe. It’s the easiest and most flexible platform to use. But there are many common WordPress errors that are found.
Some common WordPress errors can be dreadful, especially for newbies. The best part about WordPress is that any problem you face has already been solved by someone else before you.
In this article, a handful of WordPress errors are addressed to show you can easily solve all these problems. So let’s explore!
WordPress Errors Establishing a Database Connection
WordPress Errors Establishing a database connection is quite transparent. The error shows up when the connection with the database has broken.
This error is usually caused by hosting server problems, errors in the wp-config.php file, or your website might have gotten hacked.
How to Fix WordPress Errors?
- It’s a really good idea to talk to your hosting provider and take advice from them. If the hosting server is causing the error, only the hosting provider can solve the server issue. If everything seems alright, then you need to check the wp-config.php file.
- Go to the file manager or FTP and open the wp-config.php file. Check if the database name, username, host, and password are correct. If you see any changes in details, correct them instantly.
- WordPress is an open-source and the most preferred platform by many. Because it’s an open-source platform, it is quite vulnerable to security threats. Websites built on WordPress are the top target of hackers. It is advised to use various security plugins to avoid this issue. Scan your website on a security tool entirely and find out if your website is hacked.
- Do not panic if you find that your website gets hacked. Just change login details immediately and from the backup, restore your website.
White Screen of Death (WSOD)
White Screen of Death is a nickname for a blank screen. This error is quite frustrating since you have no clue on how to fix the error. WSOD is often caused by poorly coded plugin or theme or exhausted memory limit.
First, take note of any recent changes; did it happen after you changed the theme or installed a plugin? Secondly, is WSOD affecting the whole website or any specific page?
If any of this is the case, it can be solved.
How to Fix?
- Your site might have run out of memory limit, resulting in an exhausted memory limit. This is a popular cause, so it is highly recommended to increase memory.
- To increase the memory limit, open up the wp-config.php file. Within PHP tags, add the following line of code.
define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ’64M’);
- The above line of code increases the memory limit to 64M.
- If the problem persists, replace your currently active theme with WordPress default theme or disable plugins. Enable one plugin at a time and check which one is causing white screen error.
500 Internal Server Error
At least once in a lifetime, every WordPress website faces this common problem of 500 Internal Error. There are various potential causes, including corrupted plugin functions, corrupted .htaccess, exhausted PHP limit, and corrupted theme functions.
How to fix it?
For each cause, there is a specific solution.
- Increase the memory limit if the exhausted PHP limit is causing the error. Follow the same steps discussed in the White Screen of Death error.
- Usually, this problem is caused by a corrupted .htaccess file; therefore, you have to edit your .htaccess file to solve this error. From the file manager or FTP, open your .htaccess file. Rename the file with .htaccess old. Now refresh your website and check if the problem persists. If this fixes the error, go to Setting > Permalinks and click on save changes to reset .htaccess.
- Even after changing your .htaccess file did not impact the error, you need to check the plugins. From ‘bulk action drop-down,’ choose the ‘deactivate’ option and hit apply. When you hit the apply button, all activated plugins will be deactivated automatically. Now go back to the website to check if the problem is solved. If so, activate plugins one by one to check which plugin has caused the error.
- If none of these works, from WordPress, install replace wp-admin and wp-includes with fresh copies. Save and upload them. Refresh the browser and check if the problem is fixed.
Connection Timed Out Error:
You might have probably seen sometimes; websites take too long to load, and suddenly Connection Timed Out Error pops up.
This could happen for various reasons, including overburdened shared server, theme function errors, heavy plugins, or exhausted PHP memory limit.
How to fix it?
- You can try upgrading the hosting plan if this error occurs multiple times. A premium plan will facilitate you to avoid downtime and slowdowns. If the server has more resources, this issue will get resolved automatically.
- If there is a lot of strain on the server, try to eliminate unnecessary plugin files or deactivate plugins. Activate them one by one and keep on your site to check which plugin is causing the error. Increasing the PHP limit can also resolve this error.
Lost Admin Email and Password Retrieval is not Working:
When it comes to passwords, humans tend to forget since there are tons of them to remember. You will probably click on the lost password link to recover the account in this scenario, but sometimes you never get a reset link in the inbox.
No actual causes of this problem have been identified yet, but relax, a solution is available. You can do a certain number of things to change or recover an email address and password without the reset link.
How to Fix?
- The first solution is to make changes in the theme’s fucntions.php file. Via file manager of FTP navigate to ../wp-content/themes/your_current_theme . The next step is to open up your functions.php file to add-up the following line of code.
wp_se_password(‘DesiredNewPassword; 1);
- You can choose a new password now and put it in the place where it says ‘DesiredNewPassword.’
- Please save the file now and upload it again once you have made the recommended changes. As soon as you logged into your website, go back to remove code and then upload the file once again.
- The other option is to reset your email and password via phpMyAdmin.
- To solve this issue, first of all, login into c-panel, click on phpMyAdmin and select your website’s database from it. Then click on the wp_users table so you can edit your record. Now enter a new value for users_pass. Since phpMyAdmin uses MD5 encryption, you need to convert your password also into MD5.
- From the drop-down menu in functions, select the MD5 option. Hit the save button and refresh your website.
Due to an interrupted or unfinished WordPress update, you might encounter this error. When WordPress is updating any theme or plugin, it puts the website in maintenance mode. Due to any reason, if the update is interrupted, it keeps your website in maintenance mode.
How to Fix?
Two solutions are generally proposed to solve it. Manually update WordPress Installation or go to file manager or FTP and delete the .maintenance file.
Conclusion
WordPress issues are blissfully rare, but when they happen, they can get to your nerves, frustrates you in the process. Even though these issues seem difficult at first glance, it will become much easier once you start solving them.