SOLUTION: WordPress Critical Error after updating it

Hosting Support
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Complete Details of the problem.

Don’t panic. All safe!

UPDATE: Softaculous+iFastNet have updated their records, so you can update WordPress directly from there!

It’s an internal WordPress Error, not related to Dashboard, plugins or themes.
I observed that many people here on the forums are encountering the same error.
Even if your PC is shut or not, the update will fail.

  • Softaculous has not updated their existing WordPress records, so it shows that you are already using the latest wordpress version.
  • Server limits exposes that you can’t upload files more than 10 mb. Here’s the main issue that happened!
    WordPress is more than 10 mb, in a zip file. When you automatic upgrade your wordpress, this issue will come, ultimately breaking your website! See below for more details.

Why this issue occured?

  • You have updated WordPress using the /wp-admin/ automatic mode.
    So what’s wrong in updating wordpress?
    Please note you can never upgrade WordPress using the Automatic Mode in wp-admin. This will break your entire site.

Is my data lost! I don’t had any backups!

  • No! Of course not in this case. Your wordpress content is completely safe and secure. WordPress uses phpmyadmin to store content.

What happened actually while updating?

  • WordPress tried to update the files and folder, following by the database upgrade.
  • When the zip file reached 10 mb limit, the updates suddenly crashes, leaving your FTP Domain files unusable.
  • I said following up by database update. That means that the WordPress has not actually started UPDATING the database!! Hurray!
  • So, your WP files are corrupted here and unsual.
  • However, your database is not affected till far. If you want more security, just download a dump of sql database from phpmyadmin.

How can I recover my WordPress?

  1. If you have any recent old backups, the best choice to recover!

  2. If you have no backups, don’t worry. Download the SQL backup first which contains your main content of website. Now, you need to upgrade your WordPress using another method.

  • Upgrade wordpress to an older version using Softaculous, just override the things, expect the database.
  • Upgrading the WordPress using the manual way! This is the best option right now to upgrade your WordPress and restore your website, fixing security vulnerabilities.

Updating WordPress: The manual way.

  • Go to wordpress.org and download the latest stable version.
  • Unzip it in your local computer.
  • Upload all the files to the server using FTP plugins. This might take few hours to complete.
    (Alternatively, you can split your zip files into multiple zip files to speed up the process.)

UPDATING WORDPRESS (Manual, but FAST)

I have got a simple trick to update wordpress quick and faster, I personally did. It’s the manual way, but not like wasting time to upload one file at a time.

  • Go to txftp.com and login with your FTP credentials there.
  • Move to your wordpress directory.
  • Click Upload option. A new page appears.
  • Now See this line Archives (zip, tar, tgz, gz) Archives entered here will be decompressed, and the files inside will be transferred to the FTP server.
  • Here you can directly upload your zip file, downloaded the latest stable version of wordpress from wordpress.org
  • Once upload, make sure the directory is NOT htdocs and click upload.
    It will upload and extract BUT make sure you keep copy (backup of original files)
    Updating WordPress – Documentation
    This will help you a more. This is just something you can do to bypass the 10MB file limit to upload things manually.
  • Now extract things somewhere else, and follow the above guide to update wordpress, without loosing a single thing!

What can I do to prevent this in future?

  • Nice question. It’s easy! NEVER UPDATE WORDPRESS USING WP-ADMIN AUTO METHOD.
  • Always take weekly backups of your content including your database, specially when doing some major changes like updating wordpress.
  • If you don’t want to waste your time upgrading wordpress using the manual way, wait for few days for softaculous to update their wordpress records. After that you can update Wordpress using Softaculous. But never from /wp-admin/

How to disable auto-updates?

As suggested by @adisp007, thanks for this, please give reference here.

How to do SQL Backup? (UPDATED)

Thanks for the question @NFerreiro. Here’s what you want:

  1. Log-into cPanel using Client area.
  2. Navigate to PHPmyAdmin.
  3. Connect to your wordpress database.
  4. Go to export tab.
  5. Select all the tables
  6. Select “Quick” Option with Format as “SQL”.
  7. Click Export. An .sql file will be downloaded and that’s your database.

Ah! Anything else?

Probably not. Well rest assured, your data is safe!
If there is anything, I will ping here.

Kindly link all the topics right here so that people can be assured.

Well can you drop a like for my support? (Only if I helped you somehow!)

(UPDATE: Sql method updated on 00:35 (IST))
(UPDATE: Auto-Update Disabler updated on 18:03 (IST))
(UPDATE: Manual Way: 10MB limit bypass method on 02:20 (IST))
Regards,
NamVr.

15 Likes
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How do you backup in sql? I can’t find how to do it.
Regards

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Great write-up!

With the new version of WordPress just being released and probably many people having issues when updating to it, I’ve pinned your topic to the top of the list to make it easier to find for everyone.

13 Likes
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Yeah you’re welcome @Admin!
Well I have written that topic separately only because I want it to be pinned and seen separate and for quick reference, rather then typing same things everywhere around.

Just a request, if please merge all the topics here :slight_smile: to keep everything systematic.

2 Likes
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Please refer to the below quoted message I have updated in the main topic @NFerreiro.

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You would have though a global CMS like WordPress that they would have a ‘revert’ button or system, to stop the failed update breaking the system, It’s like Windows updating, and having no internet, so crashing your computer.

Anyways… Very helpful!

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I don’t think there is any need of revert button. Because this thing happens in free hosting because of server limits

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Anyways, I think my post will solve everyone’s problem. So I am marking it solved.
Should you have any questions, feel free to reply below.

3 Likes
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One story, my experience in first time updating WordPress, it fails but without the Critical Error, so my WP still safe and just retry with manual update :slight_smile:

2 Likes
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Then, Is necessary to delete wordpress, and reinstall it?.. or that is not necessary and Can I only install my backup?..(I use updraftplus and I have one)

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Nope who said. I explained literally everything in my post. Kindly read it again.

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I also have the same problem. So I deleted my Wordpress and reinstalled it but with the same result.
Installed it with Softaculous App Installer and I updated it from my Wordpress dashboard.
So for the time being I won’t update my Wordpress until someone has solved the problem.

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Have you seen my pinned post by admin?

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Yes. I made the comment before I saw your post.

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Okay so it’s better to discuss everything there instead of splitting the same topic in multiple discussions.

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Sorry, I don’t understand what you mean by splitting the same topic in multiple discussion.
All I did just hit the reply button.

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Maybe a MOD will explain this to you better.

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:eyes:

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Here’s the MOD @adolfs! Ask her.