500 Error while using X Theme

While installing a WordPress theme or plugin you might encounter a 500 Internal Server Error, as you probably know (or may not) when you face such an issue there are little to no details as to why this error is happening. In this article, we will lay down 5 of the most common causes and how to fix the 500 error. To fix the 500 error on your WordPress website please refer to our corresponding article on this issue. 

1. Incorrect web server configuration 

In some cases, the error 500 might be caused due to incorrect directives on your web server. Make sure to check out other alternative solutions to fix the error 500 when installing a WordPress theme, and if none of the following solutions work out, then please refer to your hosting provider to see if it is the case of incorrect web server configurations. 

2. Incorrect file permission 

In almost all cases the file permission for the WordPress themes and plugins must be set to  755 for folders, and 644 for files. If you are setting permissions too loose like 777 or too strict will often cause this and other errors.

3. Corrupt files or poorly coded files 

At most times the error 500 will be caused due to improper file transfer to the webserver which will cause it to be corrupt. This might be undetectable but something during the process is causing the file to be unusable by the server. Besides corrupted files, errors in coding can also cause this issue, whether that be in WordPress, a plugin, or a theme. In this case, there are three main solutions :

  1. Most often you will need to reinstall WordPress in order to fix an error in the core file of WordPress
  2. If it is a plugin related issue, then uninstall all plugins one by one to see which one is causing the error
  3. If the theme is at fault, delete and reinstall the theme to resolve the issue 

Another route to make sure that none of your files are corrupted is by checking if the .htaccess file is set properly. Although the file is primarily designed to be used with custom permalink structures, it can sometimes be used by third-party plugins, or for overriding certain server configuration directives if allowed. The file is located .htaccess file is located in the root folder of your WordPress installation and to access it you must 

  1. Log in into your FTP account 
  2. Download a copy of your .htaccess file and rename the copy e.g. “.htaccess-backup”.
  3. Delete the .htaccess file from your webserver
  4. Create a new file and name it .htaccess on your PC/laptop/Mac.
  5. Upload the new file you create into the same place where the previous .htaccess file was. 
  6. Navigate to the wp-admin page of your website, and you should be able to log in to your website. 
  7. Once logged in simply go to Permalinks settings on your page. This action alone should do the trick and enables WordPress to write the correct .htaccess declarations itself. Now you will be able to access your website. 

4. PHP Memory Limits too low 

In such a case, if your PHP Memory limits are too low, there are two solutions. You can either contact your hosting provider o increase the PHP Memory limit or you can install your WordPress theme via FTP. 

5. Deactivate corrupted third-party plugins 

  1. If you have access to the backend of your page, to the admin dashboard then you just go to Plugins > Installed Plugins, tick the box at the top to check all the plugins, and choose Bulk Action to Deactivate them. After you have deactivated all the plugins, you can go ahead and active one by one, always checking your page for changes after each activation. If you notice that one of the plugins has caused a white screen, deactivate it and continue activating other plugins, again one by one to make sure there is no other faulty plugin. 
  2. But if it happens that you can not enter the backend nor the frontend of your website either then, you can disable your plugins via FTP. All you need to do is connect your site using your FTP credentials and once logged in, go ahead and locate the wp_content file, and inside you will see the plugins files. Rename that folder to something like plugins.test, this will cause WordPress not to be able to locate them and thus deactivating all your plugins. Check if the problem has been solved if positive then go back and change the file name to plugins again.
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