6 Common WordPress Installation Errors and How to Deal With Them

Updated: May 1, 2023

Have you encountered an error when attempting to install WordPress? The popular content management system (CMS) is known for being easy to install. With WordPress, you can build anything from a basic blog to an e-commerce website.

At NameHero, we always do our best to resolve hosting errors and quickly as possible. Namehero offers WordPress which is one of the best CMS platforms to build a website. You can typically install WordPress in less than five minutes, after which you can begin building your website. However, there are certain errors, however, that may arise during the installation process.

#1. Database Connection Error

The database connection error indicates a problem with the database specified in the wp-config.php file. WordPress requires a database. When installing it, you’ll have to create a database on your server. You can then edit the wp-config.php file so that it features the name of the database, the username associated with the database and the password of the username.

If you discover the database connection error after completing the WordPress installation process, you should double-check the wp-config.php file. It must point to your recently created database. Editing the wp.config.php file with the wrong database name, username or username password will result in the database connection error.

Keep in mind that the database name must be new and unique. You can’t reuse an existing database on your server for WordPress. Rather, you’ll have to create a new database. The username and username password, though, don’t have to be new and unique. You can use the same username and username passwords for multiple databases, including the WordPress database.

#2. Critical Website Error

The critical website error is a generic type of WordPress installation error. Like with the database connection error, you may discover it immediately after completing the installation process. The critical website error indicates a serious problem with your server that’s preventing WordPress from operating as intended. This error may completely limit your ability to work on your wordpress website.

While it has multiple potential causes, the critical website error usually involves an unsupported or outdated version of the scripting language Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP). PHP has been around since 1992. During that time, eight major versions have been released.

According to Search Engine Journal, over six in 10 WordPress websites have an outdated version of PHP. Older versions of WordPress are typically compatible with older versions of PHP. Newer versions of WordPress, on the other hand, require newer versions of PHP. If your server runs an outdated and old version of PHP, you may encounter the critical website error when attempting to install the latest version of WordPress. You can fix this installation error by upgrading your server to the latest version of PHP.If the problem still persists, you may want to deactivate plugins or themes to see if you can debug the issue. Plugins are another very common problem with WordPress and if you receive this screen, a WordPress plugin may be the culprit.

#3. White Screen of Death

The white screen of death is characterized by an all-white screen. It’s the equivalent of Microsoft’s Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) for the Windows operating system. After installing WordPress, you should be able to load your website. The white screen of death will result in an all-white screen being displayed, instead.

WordPress’s official support page states that the white screen of death is typically caused by a PHP or database problem. You can only install WordPress on your server if your server features PHP and a database. Any problems with your server’s PHP or database may trigger the infamous white screen of death. A very common problem with white screen of deaths are low memory limit in your server. Today, most web hosting companies have a default of 128mb memory limit, yet some page builders like elementor require 256mb or better

To deal with the white screen death, try recreating a new database. If the white screen of death persists, you can enable debugging mode. Debugging mode will automatically record errors so that you can identify and troubleshoot them. For more information on debugging mode, visit wordpress.org/support/article/debugging-in-wordpress.

#4. Syntax Error

The syntax error indicates a formatting mistake with the PHP code. The core files of WordPress, as well the files of plugins and themes, contain PHP code. If it’s not formatted correctly, you may discover the syntax error.

You can typically fix the syntax error by reuploading the original core WordPress files to your server. You may want to create a backup of your wordpress website in order to prevent any loss of data. If you’re  Yet, going to upload any plugins or themes, set your File Transfer Protocol (FTP) program to binary. FTP programs support multiple transfer types, such as binary and ASCII. Using the ASCII transfer type can lead to PHP formatting problems with plugins and themes that cause the syntax error.

#5. Internal Server Error

Another common WordPress installation error is the internal server error. It involves a 500 status code. With the internal server error, you won’t be able to load your website. Visiting your website in a web browser will reveal an “Internal Server Error” message.

If you discover the internal server error when attempting to install WordPress, use an FTP program to access your server and look for a .htaccess file. According to WordPress, a corrupted .htaccess file is the leading cause of the internal server error. You can either delete the .htaccess file on your server, or you can simply rename it.

There a few ways to fix this:

• Do a Hard Reset on your browser. You can do this by holding f5+ ctr button.
• Clear the browser cache and refresh the page
• Delete your browser cookies
• Troubleshoot as a 504 gateway timeout
• Contact the support team ( sometimes weird stuff happens )

WordPress should generate a fresh .htaccess file automatically when you update your website’s permalinks. Go to the permalinks section in the admin dashboard and choose your preferred URL configuration. With a fresh .htaccess file, the internal server error will hopefully be resolved.

#6. PHP Memory Limit Error

The PHP memory limit error means that WordPress doesn’t have access to a sufficient amount of memory for PHP. PHP requires memory. Unlike client-side languages, PHP processes are performed on your server. Therefore, they’ll consume resources like memory.

If there’s an insufficient amount of memory for PHP, you may encounter the PHP memory limit error. Installing WordPress with too many plugins and themes, for example, may push it over the limit. Plugins and themes contain PHP code, so they consume memory. You can use fewer plugins or themes, or you can try to increase the amount of memory allocated to PHP.

Do you have the right web hosting? Try NameHero.

Namehero is one of the most established web hosting providers on the internet.  If you have a free or low-cost web hosting plan, it may not provide memory for PHP. Investing in a premium web hosting plan with more memory may eliminate the PHP memory limit error.  Your server will have memory, so it can handle all of the WordPress-related PHP processes.

The first step to building a WordPress website is installing the CMS. While WordPress is known for being beginner friendly, it’s not always easy to install. There are several installation errors that may occur, including the database connection error, critical website error, white screen of death, syntax error, internal server error and PHP memory limit error.

Guest Post by Darrel Wilson

Darrel Wilson is a content creator that manages more than 400k subscribers on 5 different youtube channels. His channel mainly focuses on WordPress. He teaches in English, Spanish, Arabic, French, and Portuguese. He currently resides in Phuket, Thailand and enjoys deep sea fishing and spicy thai food.