In the world of website creation and development, most people who have ever attempted to create a website or blog must have come across the website creation service, “WordPress.” Given the vast array of designs available to users on the website, many people have made it their go-to service.
As with all critical tools and websites, however, WordPress has its fair share of problems. One of the major issues is the white screen of death. This guide will help you in resolving the issue so that you can avail this amazing service without ths specific error bothering you.
What is the White Screen of Death?
Most users have often had their work affected by the white screen, generally as they are working on a new design for their website. Some may also encounter it while logging in to WordPress. Usually, due to the error, the screen appears blank and irresponsive.
The Possible Causes:
The white screen is usually caused by a relevant problem in the database of the website. There can be many reasons for this, although WordPress themselves have attributed it to three causes. The first is the absence of a theme file from WordPress, the second can be attributed to the case when there is an element of incompatibility between a plugin and a theme and the last occurs when a plugin is not compatible with some software on WordPress.
Now that you know what the white screen of death is, here is how to solve the issue in case you come across it.
- Use the WordPress Recovery Tool
As a result of all the errors appearing on the site, WordPress has now made it easier to view if your site is experiencing mistakes and has also made it simpler to solve the issues. Usually, even with a white screen, a prompt on the website will inform you if there is a technical fault with your website. This will be followed by correspondence from the WordPress software itself, in the form of an email, which will identify the precise plugin or theme that is causing the problem. You will then be directed towards opening the website in recovery mode, which will allow you to remove the faulty software.
If you do not receive an email, you may have to make the changes manually, which can be done through the following measures.
- Change the Memory Limit
The memory limit defines how much data can be handled by your server and most often than not, this is the cause of most errors. Increasing the limit may solve the issue as it can allow your site to process more data. To change the amount of PHP memory used by WordPress, you will have to change the amount stated in the wp-config.php, .htaccess, or the php.ini files. This will solve the issue in most cases; however, if this does not work, you may have to test the plugins and themes.
- Test the themes and plugins
As elaborated above, this error is caused by incompatible software, which can be a theme or a plugin. Removing the culprit will solve the problem.
To test the plugins, use an FTP client to disable all clients. This will let you log in back to the website. Then enable the plugins, one by one. If the error returns after a specific plugin is allowed, that will be what you are looking for.
If plugins are not the cause of the error, you may have to look at the themes installed. Again, start by using an FTP client to replace the current theme with a default WordPress Theme. If you do not have one, download one. Provided this is proved to have caused the error, replace the current theme, or download a new version of it to remove the error.
- Remove any Changes You Made
Sometimes, this issue can come across due to any coding or changes you made. This can be easily deduced if the error occurred soon after you altered your website. If this is indeed the case, use the backup recovery option to get your original template back which should remove the error.
- Empty Browser and WordPress Cache
Many people don’t seem to stress upon the effect an occupied cache can have on your software. Sometimes all you need is to get rid of it to remove the error. First, empty your browser cache, This can be done by entering the settings menu of your respective browser and then choosing the appropriate option. For WordPress, use the delete cache option in the WP Super Cache plugin, and it will remove all of it.
- Check Error Logs
If none of this works, you can pinpoint the error by viewing the error logs in WordPress. First, change the value of WP_DEBUG to true after using the WordPress Configuration Tool in the FTP client. This will allow you to analyze just when and what contributed to the screen of death and will enable you to remove it manually or contact WordPress support with the relevant data.
- Check your Server
At times, the error may be caused by an irresponsive server, and this can, at times, cause the white screen to emerge. The solution to this is to check the downtime schedules for your server, and if your server is not scheduled for any maintenance, you will have to contact the relevant management and make them diagnose the problem.
- Use the Backup Recovery Option
If at the end of the day, none of these options work for you, a simple decision that you may make is to use the WordPress recovery options to use the original template of the device. Normally the error is caused only by malware and incompatible software; therefore, the ultimate solution to this problem lies in removing any such software. The default templates or the templates in use before the error of the screen arose, avoid both of these issues, whereas they also disable any plugins or themes that may have resulted in the issue.
This solution is recommended for those that are either reluctant to engage in the methods mentioned above or those that are looking for a quick and easy fix to their problem. Also, if the error arose after you made some insignificant changes which you would not mind to lose, you could easily use your backups as it will result in little to no harm being done to your project.
- Fix Detailed Articles and Texts:
There may be issues with the code which may result in the infamous white screen. This includes articles that may be longer, which does pose a problem to the software at times. This is the case when the white screen comes only on large screens or long posts. Judging whether this is the issue, solving it may require alterations to the code which can be done although a degree of care should be observed. Open the wp-config file and put in the following code:
1/** Trick for long posts */
2/ini_set(‘pcre.recursion_limit’,20000000);
3/ini_set(‘pcre.backtrack_limit’,10000000);
This code will allow your website template to process large amounts of data which will remove the error on longer pages or posts. Many of the times, this will be the issue apart from the plugins and templates, and therefore, this fix appears to be very handy for those experiencing this issue in their WordPress experience.
- Investigate for Corrupted Files
This error may also be a result of any corrupted files filtering into your system, and normally this is the case after updates in new versions of WordPress. You can find out if this the case by looking into the error logs on your website. Normally they will point towards an incomplete file or malware, and after we have evidence of them, you can look towards solving the problem by calling WordPress Support. This problem is complicated to solve by yourself, and therefore, you will have to rely on the expertise of the men and women in the support team.
Conclusion:
The white screen of death can prove to be a significant error and setback for those looking to use WordPress efficiently, and therefore, we hope that the measures underlined above allow you to use the site to the fullest. Happy coding!
Author Bio:
My Name is Charles Johns I am blogger. My mainstream articles are related to IT and latest technology trends. I have been in the IT industry for the past many years and writing about various technologies and organizations. I came across Origami Studios, an Android App Development Company. They are utilizing modern programming trends in mobile app development arena.
