Updating WordPress is essential for keeping your website secure and running smoothly. However, sometimes things can go wrong during the update process. Whether it’s a failed update, plugin compatibility issues, or a theme breaking after an update, these problems can disrupt your site’s functionality. In this complete guide, we’ll walk you through the most common steps in fixing wordPress update issues.
1. Failed WordPress Update
A failed update can leave your website in a broken state, often displaying an error message like “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance.”
Solution:
- First, check if the update process is stuck in maintenance mode by deleting the .maintenance file located in your WordPress root directory via FTP.
- Manually update WordPress by downloading the latest version from WordPress.org and replacing the core files.
2. Plugin or Theme Conflict
Sometimes, plugins or themes can cause conflicts with new WordPress updates, leading to errors or broken functionality.
Solution:
- Deactivate all plugins temporarily to check if a plugin conflict is causing the issue.
- Re-activate each plugin one by one to identify the conflicting one.
- If a theme is causing the issue, switch to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Three to test if the problem resolves.
3. White Screen of Death After Update
After updating WordPress, you might encounter the dreaded white screen of death (WSOD), leaving your site blank.
Solution:
- Increase the PHP memory limit by adding this line to your wp-config.php file:
define( ‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘256M’ );
- If that doesn’t work, enable debug mode in WordPress by adding the following to your wp-config.php:
define( ‘WP_DEBUG’, true );
define( ‘WP_DEBUG_LOG’, true );
define( ‘WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY’, false );
- Check the debug log for error messages to identify the root cause.
4. Database Update Required Loop
Sometimes, after updating WordPress, you may encounter a database update screen that keeps reappearing, trapping you in a loop.
Solution:
- Use FTP or a file manager to locate the wp_options table in your database.
- Search for and delete the core_updater.lock record, which can prevent the database from completing the update.
5. Permissions Errors During Update
In some cases, incorrect file permissions can prevent updates from completing, showing errors such as “Could not copy file.”
Solution:
- Use FTP to change the permissions of your WordPress files and folders.
- Set file permissions to 644 for files and 755 for directories to allow updates to work correctly.
6. Stuck in Maintenance Mode
WordPress enters maintenance mode during an update, but if the process is interrupted, your site may get stuck.
Solution:
- Use an FTP client to locate and delete the .maintenance file from your WordPress root directory.
- Refresh your site, and the maintenance mode message should disappear.
7. Reverting to a Previous Version
If the latest update causes significant issues, you may need to revert to a previous version of WordPress, a plugin, or a theme.
Solution:
- Download the previous version of WordPress or the plugin/theme from the official WordPress repository.
- Use FTP to manually replace the updated files with the older version.
Conclusion
WordPress updates are essential for security and performance, but they can sometimes cause problems. By following this guide, you’ll be able to troubleshoot and fixing wordPress update issues.
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