This document provides tips for troubleshooting common WordPress issues. It discusses how updating plugins can cause problems, especially 500 internal server errors which are often due to a corrupt .htaccess file. It recommends enabling debugging to check the error log and find the source of the problem. Other issues covered include maintenance mode errors after updates, admin dashboard display issues, and general tips for experimenting safely, backing up files, and ensuring a reliable hosting provider.
3. From my experience mostmajor problems occurduring updates –
especiallyplug-in updates
4. The most common cause of a 500 Internal Server Error message is
a corrupt .htaccess file. Additional causes can be a conflicting
plugin or theme, or even a corrupt WordPress installation.
The easiest way to figure out where the problem lies is to check
your website’s error_log.
To find out more, you can enable WP_DEBUG and check for error
logs. Open up your wp-config.php file, and locate the following line
of code:
define(‘WP_DEBUG’, false);
And change it to:
define(‘WP_DEBUG’, true);
IMPORTANT
You will need FTP access on your server, or log into your domain
host’s site to access your files.
Navigate to the root directory of your WordPress installation, and
locate the .htaccess file. Rename the file to, let us say, something
like .htaccess_old
5. Now reload your website. If it works, congratulations! You can now
generate a new .htaccess file simply by navigating to Settings–
>Permalinks in your WP admin panel and re-saving the settings.
6. MAINTENANCE MODE ERROR
Each time you update WordPress to a newer version, it makes a
temporary .maintenance file. Problem occurs when the
.maintenance file is not removed properly after the upgrade (in
many cases, this happens when the upgrade process itself fails to
complete successfully).
7. You will need to login to your WP root directory via FTP, Or login
into your domain hosts website. Thereafter, you can locate the
.maintenance file and delete it. This will resolve the error.
9. The error message that completely had me baffled!!!!
Content/03/13120403/html/traveller/.maintenance) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or
directory in /home/content/03/13120403/html/traveller/wp-includes/load.php on line 182
Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening '/home/content/03/13120403/html/traveller/.maintenance'
for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/local/php5_3/lib/php') in /home/content/03/13120403/html/traveller/wp-
includes/load.php on line 182
What does this mean??
Usually you see this message after an update – it’s an error message
with a lot of gobbledygook.
It simply means that you need to go into your uploaded files,either by
using your FTP or by accessing your hosting account.
The hard way to fix this is to find the obscure line in the file that is listed
and change the sense,if you know what to do.
The easy way to fix it is to thank whichever deity you follow for giving
you the commonsense to backup your files and just install the backup
that you did before the error occurred.
10. WordPress admin dashboard is not displaying properly
Check if your Internet connectionis behind a proxy connectionor
firewall. Some of these tools are blocking CSS files making CSS files to
not load properly.Try to clear your proxy or firewall cookies and cache,
and press Ctrl + F5 to refresh your page.
11. TOP TIPS
NEVER BE AFRAIDOF WORDPRESS AND EXPERIMENT AS
MUCH AS YOU LIKE – JUST KEEP SCREENSHOTS,OR COPY
AND SAVE BEFORE YOUMAKE CHANGES SO THAT YOU
CAN EASILYGO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL
ALWAYS BACKUP – AND KEEP THE BACKUP FILES IN A
PLACE THAT IS EASY TO FIND AND ACCESS
WHEN STARTING A SITE BUILD YOUR FRONT PAGE AS
MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND TRY OUT AS MANY THEMES AS
YOU LIKE UNTIL YOU SEE ONE YOU REALLYLIKE – THEN
PURCHASE THE PRO VERSIONAS YOU USUALLY GET GOOD
HELP AND MORE DESIGNOPTIONS
UPDATES CAN BE FRAUGHT WITHDANGER – LEARN WHAT
TO DO WHEN THINGS GO WRONG,OTHERWISE YOU’LL
SPEND HOURS BEING FRUSTRATED
WHEN YOU’VE GOT YOUR WEBSITE LOOKING AND
BEHAVING AS YOU WANT IT TO BE – DON’T KEEP
TINKERING,USE IT FOR A WHILE THEN, WHEN YOU’RE
USED TO IT, MAKE ANY CHANGES YOU LIKE
ENSURE YOU HAVE A GOOD HOSTING SERVICE,ONE
WHICHHAS A GOOD HELP CENTRE,IT IS WORTHPAYING
SLIGHTLYMORE FOR THAT RELIABLE ASSISTANCE
WHEN WRITING YOUR POSTS OR PAGES WRITE THEM ON
PROCESSING SOFTWARE SUCH AS WORD AND ALWAYS
RUN A GRAMMAR AND SPELLCHECKBEFORECOPYING AND
PASTING – THIS ACTUALLYSAVES HEAPS OF TIME AND
HELPS WITHYOUR ACCURACY
FOR IMAGES ALWAYS FORMAT WITHA RELIABLE IMAGE
MANIPULATIONSOFTWARE(SUCH AS PAINT.NET OR
LIGHTROOM)TO GIVE YOUR IMAGES OOMPH
