Are you struggling to access the WP admin page to post a blog article?
The WP admin is your gateway to WordPress, so any issues here demand immediate attention. Causes can range from WordPress file errors to other complications. So, what can you do?
Don’t worry! You can regain access to the WordPress Dashboard with the right solutions. In this article, you’ll discover eleven ways to log back into WordPress.
Before starting, ensure you’ve backed up your site via cPanel to safeguard your files. Now, let’s get into the guide!
10+ Methods to Resolve WP Admin Access Problems
If you can’t log into the WP admin, here are several techniques to try:
1. Clear Browser Cookies and Cache
Web browsers store cookies and cache to load pages faster. However, over time, these can cause WP admin access issues. Here’s how to clear them in Google Chrome:
1. Click the menu button (three dots in the top right corner).
2. Select More tools > Clear browsing data.
3. Set the Time range to All time, check Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files, then click Clear data.
2. Verify Login Password via phpMyAdmin
If you’ve forgotten your password, you can check it through phpMyAdmin:
1. Log into cPanel.
2. Go to phpMyAdmin.
3. Select your website database and find the wp_users or wpvy_users table.
4. The WordPress login password is under user_pass.
By knowing the WordPress login password, you can now log in to the Dashboard again.
3. Disable Plugins and Themes via cPanel
A malfunctioning plugin or theme might block access. Disable them via cPanel:
1. Log into cPanel.
2. Open File Manager and navigate to public_html > wp-content.
3. In File Manager, open the public_html > wp-content folder, then find the plugins folder.
4. Rename the plugins folder (e.g., to pluginsdisabled).
5. Rename the themes folder similarly.
6. Check if you can access WP admin. If you can access the WP admin page after renaming both folders, it means a plugin or theme caused the error.
4. Scan for Malware
Malware might be blocking your access. Use tools like VirusTotal to check for malware:
1. Visit VirusTotal, enter your website URL, and scan.
However, such tools will only tell you if the website is infected with malware.
2. For hosting services, use Imunify360 to scan and remove malware.
use the Imunify360 feature to scan and delete malware-infected website files. This way, the website can be free from malware and hackers.
Important note: Make sure to back up before deleting malware-infected files.
5. Re-upload wp-login.php
If wp-login.php is missing, re-upload it:
1. Download WordPress from its website.
2. Extract the .zip file.
3. Open the extracted WordPress installer folder and find the wp-login.php file.
4. Log in to cPanel and open File Manager to access the public_html folder.
5. Click the Upload button at the top of File Manager. The file upload page will appear.
6. Drag and drop the wp-login.php file from your Windows Explorer to the upload page.
7. After uploading wp-login.php, right-click the file and click Edit to open it.
8. Add the following code to the last line of the wp-login.php file:
// Delete this line
$user_login = $user_data[“user_login”];
// Replace it with this line
$user_login = $user_data->user_login;
9. Save changes.
6. Restore .htaccess File
Errors in .htaccess can block access. Restore it by:
1. Log in to cPanel, open File Manager, and open the public_html folder.
2. Find the .htaccess file and delete it by right-clicking > Delete.
Note: .htaccess might be hidden. To display it, click the Settings menu in the top right corner of File Manager.
7. Adjust File Permissions
You may not be able to log in to WordPress WP admin due to coding errors in important files like .htaccess. This could be due to coding mistakes by your website management team or hackers tampering with the file code.
To prevent these issues, ensure you change the permissions for each important WordPress file so that only those responsible for managing it can access the files.
To change file permissions, follow these steps:
1. Log in to cPanel and open File Manager.
2. For example, to change .htaccess permissions, right-click the file and click Change Permissions.
3. Ensure Group and World only have a checkmark for Read mode. This way, people without administrator access to your WordPress cannot alter the file code.
After changing permissions, click Change Permissions to save the settings.
You should also apply these permission settings to the following files and folders:
- wp-admin
- wp-content
- wp-content/themes
- wp-content/plugins
- wp-content/uploads
- wp-config.php
8. Increase PHP Memory Limit
The PHP memory limit is the hosting memory used to run PHP scripts. If the limit is too small, the website can error when too many PHP scripts run. One such error is WP admin inaccessibility.
To fix this error, you need to increase the PHP memory limit. Here are the steps:
1. Log in to cPanel and open File Manager.
2. Access the public_html folder and edit the wp-config.php file.
3. Find this line of code: define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '32M');.
4. Change 32M to 128M.
5. Click Save Changes to save the changes.
9. Troubleshoot Access Errors
When accessing the WP admin page, you might encounter error messages like:
- HTTP 500 Internal Server Error
- Error establishing database connection
- White screen of death
- PHP error
- And others
Fortunately, you can easily fix each of these errors. For instance, you can address the white screen of death by enabling debugging mode. Here’s how:
1. Log in to cPanel and open File Manager.
2. Access the public_html folder and right-click > Edit the wp-config.php file.
3. Find the line define('WP_DEBUG', false); and change false to true.
4. Click Save Changes.
10. Reinstall WordPress
Restoring WordPress to its state before the issue occurred can also fix admin inaccessibility. To restore WordPress, you must already have a website backup in cPanel.
Next, follow these steps:
- Import the WordPress database backup.
- Install WordPress.
- Reinstall themes and plugins.
- Fix broken links.
- Fix broken images.
Follow the complete guide in the article on how to restore WordPress.
You should be able to log in to WP admin by following the various methods discussed in this article. But what if you still can’t?
11. Restore a WordPress Backup
Restore WordPress from a backup:
- Import the database backup.
- Reinstall WordPress, themes, and plugins.
- Fix broken links and images.
What to Do If WP Admin is Still Inaccessible?
If WP admin is still inaccessible after trying the above methods, you can use the WordPress support forum or other WordPress forums.
Simply explain the issue in detail. With a strong WordPress community, users in these forums will be happy to help you.
Additionally, you can contact your hosting provider’s customer support. They will assist you in resolving the issue promptly.
It is best if your hosting provider has customer support ready to help 24/7. Especially if you can contact them via live chat, email, and more like Niagahoster.
Ready to Fix WP Admin Inaccessibility?
There are many ways to fix WP admin inaccessibility. We’ve explained them in detail above, including:
- Clearing browser cookies and cache
- Checking login password via phpMyAdmin
- Disabling plugins and themes
- Scanning the website for malware
- Re-uploading the wp-login.php file
- Restoring the .htaccess file
- Changing file permissions
- Increasing PHP memory limit
- Fixing errors when accessing WP admin
- Reinstalling WordPress
- Restoring WordPress backup
Some methods require significant changes to your website, such as reinstalling. To avoid undesired consequences, make sure to backup first.
Another practical solution is to use an automatic backup feature, such as provided by your hosting. This automatic backup feature applies daily or weekly, depending on your hosting plan.
By always having a website backup, you are ready to restore website data if errors like login issues occur. So, don’t wait until you can’t log in to WordPress WP admin.
