We’ve all been there. Your finger is on the mouse, ready to click, but you pause. You think to yourself, “Will this click be the one that I regret? The one that can’t be undone?” Sometimes you’re working away when you get the dreaded error message. Frustrated and confused you think, “Great, now what do I do?” WordPress is an amazing platform that offers a lot of flexibility and control, but with that flexibility comes more complex problems. Many people who are unfamiliar with WordPress are often afraid of making a mistake. Fear and apprehension are common emotions when a WordPress site has an issue. Knowing how to solve a few of the most common problems can give even beginners the confidence to use WordPress without anxiety. Some of the topics that will be covered include: What is a good backup strategy for when things go wrong? How do you use revision history to undo mistakes? What should you do when you see, “Error establishing a database connection.” What to do when you see only a blank white screen?

2. About Damon
• Web Developer For 9 Years
• WordPress Developer For 2 Years
• Love Helping People With WordPress
• Create Custom Web-Based Software For
The Powersports Industry

8. What Do You Do Now?

11. No

12. Have A Strategy
• Be Prepared In Advance
• Know How To Solve Common Problems
• Know Where To Get Help

13. Backup Strategy

14. Why Do I need A Backup Strategy?
• Protect Your Hard Work & Investment
• Many Hosting Providers Don’t Offer A
Backup
• Upgrades Go Wrong
• User Mistakes
• You’ve Been Hacked

15. What Is A Good Backup Strategy?
• Automatic Backup
• Frequency
• Store Backups Remotely

16. What Should I Back Up?
• Website Files
• Database

17. Test The Backup
• Make Sure It Really Works
• Know How To Restore

18. Possible Backup Solutions
• Backup Buddy
• UpdraftPlus

19. Revision History

20. What Is Revision History?
• See Changes That Have Been Made To
Posts And Pages
• Go Back To A Previous Version Of A Page
• Limited To Title & Content

32. Common WordPress Errors

34. Error Establishing A Database
Connection
• WordPress Is Not Able To Use The Database
• Common Solutions
– wp-config.php has incorrect:
• Database username
• Database password
• Database name
• Server name
• Must Have Access To Your Hosting Control
Panel

51. Other Causes
• There Is A Problem At Your Hosting
Provider
• Database Is Corrupt
- Restore

53. Internal Server Error
• .htaccess Has A Problem
– Corrupt
– Incorrect Settings
• Delete The .htaccess File

60. Internal Server Error – Other
Causes
• Plugin Issue
• Theme Issue

62. White Screen Of Death
• A Plugin May Be Causing A Problem
– Disable All Plugins
– Verify The Problem Is Gone
– Enable Them One By One Until The Problem
Comes Back
• Your Theme May Be Causing A Problem
– Switch To A Different Theme
– Twenty Fifteen Or Any Of The “Twenty…”
Themes

71. If It Was A Plugin
• Upgrade The Plugin To The Newest Version
• Upgrade WordPress To The Latest Version
• Upgrade Theme To The Latest Version
• Upgrade All Other Plugins To The Newest
Version
• Check Plugin Creator’s Website For More
Information
• Contact The Plugin Creator
• Is The Plugin Essential?
• Is There An Alternative?

80. If It Was A Theme
• Upgrade Theme To The Latest Version
• Upgrade WordPress To The Latest Version
• Upgrade All Plugins To The Newest Version
• Check Theme Creator’s Website For More
Information
• Contact The Theme Creator
• Get Help From A Developer
• Select A New Theme

81. Other Errors
• Things Look Broken
• Error Messages Printing Out

82. General Troubleshooting Steps
• Disable Plugins
• Disable Theme
• Update WordPress, Plugins, & Themes
• Contact Plugin/Theme Creator

83. What To Do If It Still Is Broken
• Google It
• WordPress Support Forums
https://wordpress.org/support/
• Contact A WordPress Expert

84. Things Will Go Wrong
• Keep It In Perspective
• Have A Plan
• Learn From The Experience
• Move Forward

85. Thank You
• damon@portlighttechnology.com
• @DamonSchopen
• Slides: portlighttechnology.com