Error Messages and States – Restoring WordPress
WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS), but like any software, it occasionally displays errors. And there are quite a few of them. This article focuses on the most common errors that can occur when operating WordPress and provides practical advice for their resolution.
1. White Screen of Death (WSoD)
Problem Description:
- One of the most feared errors is the so-called “White Screen of Death”, where instead of displaying your website, only a white screen is shown.
Technical Solution:
- Deactivate plugins via FTP: Connect to your server using an FTP client, navigate to the “wp-content/plugins” folder, and rename the folder of the plugin you wish to deactivate (e.g., from “plugin-name” to „plugin-name-disable”).
- Increase the PHP memory limit: Connect via FTP and edit the “wp-config.php” file. Add “define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘256M’);”. This file is usually located in the root directory of your WordPress installation.
2. Database Connection Error
Problem Description:
- The error message “Error establishing a database connection” indicates problems with the database connection.
Technical Solution:
- Verify the details in “wp-config.php“: Using FTP, check “wp-config.php” to ensure that the details (“DB_NAME”, “DB_USER”, “DB_PASSWORD”, “DB_HOST”) match those of your database.
- Check the MySQL server: Using phpMyAdmin or another database tool, ensure that the database server is running and that the WordPress database is error-free.
3. Internal Server Error
Problem Description:
- This error, also known as Error 500, can stem from a variety of different issues.
Technical Solution:
- Edit the “.htaccess” file. Via FTP, access “.htaccess” in the root directory of your WordPress installation. You might temporarily rename it, for example to “.htaccess_old”, and check if this resolves the issue.
- PHP Limit: Increase the PHP limit in the “php.ini” file, which may be accessible through your web hosting control panel or editable via FTP.
4. 404 Error on Pages and Posts
Problem Description:
- A 404 error occurs when you attempt to visit pages or posts on your website.
Technical Solution:
- Reset permalinks: Navigate to “Settings” > “Permalinks” in your WordPress admin and simply save the settings again.
- Update “.htaccess”: Check and, if necessary, reset the permalink rules in „.htaccess“. This file can be found in the root directory of your WordPress installation.
5. Errors Associated with Updates
Problem Description:
- Issues with updates to WordPress, themes, or plugins.
Technical Solution:
- Manual update via FTP: Download the latest version of WordPress, unzip it, and upload the files via FTP to your server, overwriting the existing files.
- File and folder permissions: Check and, if necessary, adjust the permissions of files and folders in your WordPress installation using FTP. Files should typically have chmod 644 permissions and folders 755.
Conclusion
When troubleshooting any issues with WordPress, it’s important to stay calm and methodically follow the recommended steps. Always ensure you have a backup of your website before making any significant changes or updates. Many problems can be resolved by simply searching through online WordPress communities and forums, which are excellent sources of information and support. Alternatively, you can contact official support if you have purchased a theme from sources like Envato Market or Divi, for example.
