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Updating WordPress is especially mandatory to keep WordPress error-free, secure, and loaded fast. In typical scenarios, when a site is error-free – the WordPress updates don’t create problems. However, if you’re experiencing problems, here is how to fix WordPress update issues.
Let’s address more details.
WordPress Update Issues
Some principal/common “update issues” are listed in the following lines with brief descriptions.
- WordPress maintenance stops accidentally
- Update finished: no success
- Themes or plugins updates: Incomplete status
- White Screen of Death
- Error messages appear after WordPress has finished updates
- PHP update: Broken website
- No changes after the WordPress Update
- WordPress Auto-updates not working
Let’s proceed further and describe the subject in more detail.
WordPress maintenance has stopped
Sometimes, WordPress shows “briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance” after an update has finished.
While the message appears for several reasons, the existence of a specific file on disk can cause the error. To confirm, check if WordPress still shows the message after clearing the cache.
If yes, we can proceed with more details on how to fix the problem.
Next, log into hosting cPanel, File Manager, and see if you can find a file named .maintenance. Here, remove the file and save the changes at the end. Now, you should check your site in different browsers after clearing the site cache.
For more information on fixing the message “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance,” visit this detailed resource.
Updates would only finish partially
WordPress updates needed to be completed successfully on shared hosting plans. This is because shared servers have limited resources allocated for separate sites.
The chances of broken updates are high, especially when updating multiple plugins simultaneously.
Now, you can contact hosting representatives to ask if your site’s memory allocation can increase. Also, updating plugins one by one can fix the issues.
Themes or plugin updates still need to be completed
If an update process has been interrupted, you can experience incomplete update entries. Remember, incomplete updates can cause site errors.
This happens primarily due to Internet issues, missing files, or incorrect permissions.
To proceed, you should manually handle the situation. For example, logging into Hosting cPanel and File Manager and uploading the package from scratch will fix the problem.
Remember to delete the previous package (incomplete one) before re-uploading. Once the file has been uploaded successfully, you must log into the WordPress dashboard.
Here, you can activate the theme or plugin and see if the problem has been fixed successfully.
White Screen of Death
As its name suggests, a White Screen of Death shows nothing on the screen. This error occurs when something terrible happens while updating WordPress core, themes, or plugins.
Such errors typically occur when a script, theme, or plugin process overuses the site’s memory.
As its name suggests, the error leaves no tracks behind on screen. To proceed and learn how to fix the problem, this detailed tutorial has covered the routine.
Error messages after WordPress updates
Sometimes, WordPress core updates can cause trouble. You may see random errors, misbehaves, and random layouts after you’ve updated the WordPress core.
You can roll back over to the previous/old versions of WordPress.
Here is how to proceed and roll back to the WordPress stable core version.
Downgrading to the WordPress stable version includes:
- Restoring WordPress backup, the old ones you’ve already taken before updates
- Manually removing, replacing, and managing WordPress core files
If you can proceed to the first option, you’re good with a plugin like Up Drafts Plus. On the other hand, the second option is more technical and requires:
- Technical understanding of how WordPress core file structure works
- Knowledge of Hosting cPanel
- Technical information on how WordPress settings should be done
Here, if you need to learn how to proceed, it would be better if you hire WordPress specialists. Remember, making the right move can help your website.
PHP update breaks WordPress website
Updating PHP improves WordPress’s speed, stability, and functionality.
Consulting hosting support agents can fix the issue if something goes wrong after PHP updating.
Usually, there are several reasons why a PHP update causes issues in WordPress.
One reason PHP updates break WordPress is “incompatibility.” Yes, incompatibility between WordPress themes, scripts, plugins, and PHP can cause such scenarios.
Here is how to fix the issue.
Log into Hosting cPanel and look for an option That says “Update PHP”.
The page helps users choose PHP versions, apply the update, and improve sites’ functionality. You should select a lower version here.
Save changes and see if the problem has been fixed. After setting the PHP to a new, lower version, ensure you’ve cleared the site’s cache.
I am not seeing Update changes.
This is normal if you see no changes after updating WordPress assets such as Core, Themes, or Plugins.
The obvious fix for such problems is to clear the browser cache. If clearing the browser cache doesn’t work, ask Hosting support agents to clear the server cache.
Indeed, after clearing the cache, you should see new changes. If you still don’t know the update changes, consult your site’s Support Team or seek another fix.
WordPress Auto-Updates is not working.
Check if the WordPress files have correct file permissions if the auto-updates are not working in WordPress.
For example, if a plugin is not auto-updating in WordPress, you should check file permissions for the “upgrade/directory” location on the server.
The director should generally be writable. Check if the file permission is set to 777 on the server.
Professional Tips
Let’s discuss advanced tactics to update WordPress. These scenarios are not for beginners.
How can you force WordPress Updates?
The best way to force WordPress to update is to log into WordPress Dashboard.
Here, you can make the following key points:
- Check pages for WordPress Updates to see if a core update is available
- Check the Themes page and see if your site’s theme has new update(s) available
- See if the Plugins page has update notifications available
Here, all you have to do is click the Update option. This way, beginners can quickly update WordPress core, themes, or plugins in the dashboard, all by having point-and-click options without learning how to go through complex routines.
Can we manually update WordPress?
Yes, we can update WordPress manually. This phase of applying manual updates is technical and requires extensive knowledge, so it is not for beginners.
In this case, you’ll need to follow the following road map.
- Log into Hosting cPanel -> File Manager.
- Locate WordPress core directories, such as wp-content, wp-admin, wp-config.php, and others.
- Locate and replace directories’ content and the configuration files as well.
This routine is highly technical. Beginners wouldn’t make it until success.
So, it would be better to hire WordPress specialists if you need to update WordPress manually. Otherwise, dealing with WordPress without prior expertise can break your site, remember?
Summing up
That’s it. We have learned how to fix common WordPress update issues. If you are not technical enough, you should consult WordPress specialists.
The possibilities are unlimited. After an update has finished, you can find WordPress errors everywhere. However, it would be best to only care about “stability, knowledge, and compatibility.”
