Frustrated and confused by the “There Has Been a Critical Error” error? We feel your pain. WordPress‘ popular CMS can sometimes generate this dreaded message, but don’t despair! Let us help you figure out why it’s happening – and how to get past it once and for all.
What can cause this frustrating malfunction? Turns out it could be an issue with the website’s database, storing and managing content like posts, pages, comments and settings… or a problem related to the WordPress theme or plugins being used. So before diving into finding where your problems lie within your site you may want consider these two culprits!
Test Theme and Plugins
A common cause of the error is a problem with the website’s theme or plugins. WordPress themes and plugins are used to add functionality and customize the appearance of a website. If a theme or plugin is not compatible with the version of WordPress being used or has been poorly coded, it can cause the website to display the error message.
To find out if the problem is with the theme or plugin, you can try disabling or uninstalling the theme or plugin. You can do this by accessing the WordPress admin panel and going to Appearance > Themes or Plugins. If disabling or uninstalling the theme or plugin resolves the error, you will need to contact the developer for a fix or use an alternative theme or plugin.
To deactivate all WordPress plugins at once, you can follow these steps:
- Log in to the WordPress admin panel
- Go to the “Plugins” menu on the left sidebar
- Select “Installed Plugins”
- Use the “Select All” checkbox to select all of the plugins on the page
- From the “Bulk Actions” dropdown, select “Deactivate“
- Click the “Apply” button
After deactivating all of the plugins, you can then reactivate them one by one and test the website to see if the problem is resolved.
To reactivate a plugin:
- Go to the “Plugins” menu in the WordPress admin panel
- Select “Installed Plugins”
- Locate the plugin you want to reactivate and click the “Activate” link under its name
- Test your website to see if the problem is resolved.
To prevent any hiccups, test your website after reactivating each plugin to see if the issue is resolved. If one of them is causing a problem, contact the developer for assistance or search for an alternative!
Error Logs
Another option for troubleshooting “There Has Been a Critical Error” error, is to check the website’s error logs. The error logs contain information about any errors that have occurred on the website, including the this particular error. Checking the error logs will somehow point you in the direction you need to go in to identify the specific cause of the error and provide clues on how to fix it.
Database
If the error logs or theme and plugin testing do not provide any useful information or the error persists, then it’s possible the database could be corrupted which would take some detailed research to narrow down. If this seems to be the case for you please reach out so I can assist you further.
In conclusion, the “There Has Been a Critical Error” error can be caused by a variety of issues, including problems with the database, theme or plugin. By checking the error logs, database and theme or plugin, website owners can identify the cause of the error and take steps to resolve it. Remember to always back up your website’s database and files before making any changes. If you are having a hard time figuring out what’s causing the error feel free to reach out so I can take a look at it for you.
