With WordPress, these often happen when you run updates. It's crucial to keep your WordPress updated as part of website maintenance, in order to close security wormholes and keep the website running smoothly. Most of the time, the update processes and everything carries on like normal. But every now and then, a WordPress update can throw a monkey wrench in the works and make a mess out of your website.

These problems are always fixable, but they can still cause you a good deal of anxiety and worry along the way. If you're part of a large company, you probably have in-house technical support who can deal with your WordPress update problems in the blink of an eye. But small businesses and solo website owners don’t usually have that luxury.

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If you're grappling with WordPress website maintenance on your own and need to troubleshoot WordPress update problems, don't panic. Most of them are relatively easy to correct without any major techie expertise. All you need are simple instructions to guide you through the process.

Here is the support you need to help you deal with 4 common WordPress update problems.

1. Compatibility issues

Compatibility issues that stop the website from working properly are very common after major core updates, usually because some of your old, outdated plugins and/or theme can't communicate well with the new, updated WordPress code.

The fastest way to fix the problem is to check when your plugins and theme were last updated. If it's been a year or more since any update, it's best to look for a replacement that has more support.

A poorly maintained plugin can be a security risk as well as provoking compatibility issues.

2. White screen of death

With the white screen of death, all you see when you try to log into your WordPress account is that white screen, with no error message and no notification.

Sometimes, you might get this popup

There are a number of possible issues that can cause the white screen of death, so you'll have to methodically try each one. Here are a couple of the main ways to fix the problem.

Note: Make sure you have a backup of your site before you start, just in case things go really wrong.

Troubleshoot your plugins

Plugins are often the cause of this issue, so you can deal with it by disabling them all.

If you can get into your WordPress admin area, just navigate to Plugins » Installed Plugins. Select all the plugins and then click Bulk Actions » Deactivate.

If you're blocked out of the admin area too, you'll need to enter through your FTP account. Connect to your WordPress site using the FTP client, then navigate to wp-content folder » plugins folder. Right-click on the folder and select Rename to change the name and deactivate the plugins.

If this fixes your issue, just reactivate one plugin at a time until you identify the one causing the problem. Either replace it with a different plugin, or contact the plugin makers to report the issue.

Clear the WordPress cache

If you can access the backend but you're seeing the white screen of death on the front end, you could be encountering a caching problem. Clearing the cache should help; you'll find detailed instructions here.

3. Download failed

It's not unusual to get a message "download failed" when you try to update WordPress or a plugin/theme. When that happens, it's usually because of an error in your wp-config.php file. Fixing it does involve some code, but all you need to do is copy and paste the code below.

1. Use the cPanel File Manager Code Editor to open the wp-config.php file
2. Look for this code near the top of the page

3. Copy this line of code and paste it as the second line:

define(‘WP_TEMP_DIR’, ABSPATH . ‘wp-content/’);

4. That chunk of code should now look like this:

5. Click Save

4. Installation failed

Most of the time, auto-updates go smoothly, but every now and then you'll get an "Installation Failed" message about your auto-update, which leaves you locked out of your Admin account.

To fix this, you'll need to go to your FTP account. Navigate to the root directory, then find the .maintenance file and delete it.

Now you can re-enter your admin account, and finish the update by downloading it and then upgrading manually.

WordPress update problems don't have to be a cause for panic

Website issues can be worrying, especially when you're running a small business, but with a little help you can troubleshoot them like a pro! When you inform yourself about these 4 common issues and ways to solve them, you'll feel more confident about your entire website.

As managed WordPress hosting experts, we know what we're talking about, whether you need advice on dealing with common WordPress update issues, building a business website, or improving website speed and uptime. If you’re asking what is managed WordPress hosting, it means you can trust us with the entire gamut of WordPress questions, so the only one left is... why aren't we hosting your WordPress site yet? Click below and join us.

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The post What Do You Do When You Encounter One of These 4 Common WordPress Update Problems? appeared first on uPress.

Before the next WordPress update, we thought we'd share this post that explores the impact of new WordPress versions on your WordPress management plans.

First of all, a little WordPress management history.

Unlike most website hosting platforms, WordPress is a free content management system developed by an open community of programmers. WordPress management systems are constantly evolving, with new tweaks and improvements being added all the time.

Every WordPress management update fixes bugs, adds new features, responds to user feedback, and upgrades existing capabilities in order to stay up-to-date with changing standards of technology. That means that if you don’t update your WordPress site, you'll endanger its security and could miss out on new features.

Let's take a closer look at the pros and cons of WordPress management updates.

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Maintain security

Security is the most important reason why you should keep your WordPress site up-to-date. The popularity of WordPress management for all kinds of websites has made it into a magnet for hackers, malicious code distributors, thieves, and other bad actors. Approximately 23% of the world’s websites are based on WordPress.

On top of that, WordPress is an open source content management system. That means that the source code is publicly available so that anyone can study it and find ways to improve the platform, but it also means that hackers can study it for vulnerabilities that they can exploit to hack into WordPress sites.

Whenever security experts find a vulnerability or weakness, they report the bug, make quick fixes, and discuss ways to patch the weakness to keep hackers out. The vast majority of WordPress core updates are vital security updates that protect your site. They aren't something that's nice to have to make your WordPress management easier; they are vital patches that keep cyber thieves out of your website.

If you continue to use an out-of-date version of WordPress, you are vulnerable to attack. Hackers track and locate sites that are running on older versions of WordPress because they know these are easier targets.

Bear in mind that these updates don't apply only to the core WordPress management system, but also to all the plugins, themes, and templates that you use. You really need to keep each of these fully updated.

Access new features

There are loads of minor WordPress updates, but major ones only come a long every now and then and they always hold important new features and software changes. For example, WordPress 4.0 brought an enhanced plug-in experience; WordPress 4.1 introduced in-line image editing; WordPress 4.2 came with faster plug-in updates.

That means that if you are using an older WordPress version, your WordPress management will be very different, and probably much more difficult, than someone who updated their version promptly.

Improve performance

WordPress developers are constantly trying to improve site performance. Each new version comes with a number of changes that actually make WordPress work faster and more efficiently.

For example, WordPress 4.2 improved JavaScript performance for navigation menus, while WordPress 4.1 improved complex queries that helped sites that used the same queries. Since website speed is a crucial factor in SEO, we strongly recommend keeping your WordPress version updated.

Patch up bugs

Even though every version of WordPress is tested meticulously before it is released, there can still be small bugs that slip through unnoticed and they’re only found once the version is fully operational. That's why responsible WordPress management applies to even minor updates, which are updates numbered “X.X.X” like 4.2.1.

If you contact WordPress support about a problem with your WordPress management, the first question they'll ask will be about which WordPress version you’re using. Updating WordPress is usually enough to solve the issue.

The down side: Adjust for extensions and templates

The only possible downside to keeping your WordPress updated is that occasionally, it could cut off plugins, extensions, and templates that aren't using the best practices and coding standards. That's why you need to schedule frequent backups as part of your WordPress management, at least before each update. Sometimes you might also need to readjust your plugin settings after an update.

Keeping your site updated is best practice for WordPress management

Overall, the advantages that WordPress updates bring far outweigh the possible disadvantages. WordPress updates will increase security, fix bugs, improve site speed, and bring you new features. If you’d like to learn more about updating to the latest version of WordPress, check out Part II of this blog.

As managed WordPress hosting experts, we know what we're talking about, whether you need advice on updating themes, managing preventative security, or if you just need to figure out how to configure your time and date formats. You can trust us with the entire gamut of WordPress questions, so the only one left is... why aren't we hosting your WordPress site yet? Click below and join us.

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The post Why is it important to use the latest version of WordPress? Part 1 appeared first on uPress.

As we discussed in a previous post, keeping your WordPress site updated is key to good WordPress site management, security, and performance. Now we’ll explain how to carry out the process of updating your WordPress site. 

Managed WordPress hosting updates for uPress customers

If you're already a uPress customer, then updating your WordPress site is easy. All you need to do is log in to your Admin panel and click on Choose your site » WordPress Tab » Automatic Update to WordPress, as shown in the image below.

Efficient WordPress site management is as simple as that.

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Handling WordPress updates for non-uPress customers

If you are not a uPress Customer, don't panic. There are several different ways to do this and they are all pretty simple. Or, you could switch over to our managed WordPress hosting packages listed right above by clicking one of those green buttons.

Use WordPress messages

There’s a messaging system built into your WordPress site management dashboard which notifies you about updates every time you log into your WordPress account. You'll see a red circle with a number inside it near the top of your left sidebar when you log in.

Click on the Updates tab in the sidebar and follow the on-screen instructions to install the updates listed.

Receive email notifications about WordPress updates

Alternatively, you can receive an email whenever there's a new update. You just need to install the WP Updates Notifier plugin from the plugin store, and follow the instructions to activate it.

Once it's installed and activated, go to "Updates Notifier" to put your email address in the extension settings. You can choose whether to receive emails about every update, or only about core updates, theme updates, or plugin updates, then click "Save settings," or "Save settings with test email."

If you don't receive a test email, contact our customer support.

Turn on Automatic Updates

If you're using WordPress 3.7 or higher, you can turn on automatic updates for minor releases that fix bugs and other safety issues. You can also permit automatic updates for larger releases, extensions, and topics.

Be aware, though, that allowing automatic updates can be dangerous for your WordPress site management if you don't have a Dedicated Managed Storage Server that monitors for any mishaps. If you always permit automatic updates without any backup, there's a risk that an update could damage your site. Without a recent backup, you won't be able to correct it.

There are two ways to enable automatic updates: using an extension, or with code.

Using a plugin to enable automatic updates

Go to the WordPress store to install and run the Easy Updates Manager add-on.

After activation, go to Control Panel » Updates to adjust the plugin settings.

You'll see that one of the options is Automatic Updates. Here, you can turn on Automatic Updates for core WordPress site management updates, extensions, themes, and translation files updates. Once you have finished, click Save settings.

Using code to enable automatic updates (wp-config.php file)

If you're confident about handling code as part of your WordPress site management, you can permit automatic updates on a code level.

1. Go to your WordPress menu and hover over "Appearance." In the menu that appears, click "Editor."
2. On the right-hand side of the screen, you'll see "functions.php" or "Theme functions." Click this to go to the code editor.
3. Copy the following line of code and paste it into the wp-config.php file.

define('WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', true);

To turn on automatic updates for themes and plugins as well as for core WordPress site management updates, add these lines of code as well:

add_filter( 'auto_update_plugin', '__return_true' );

add_filter( 'auto_update_theme', '__return_true' );

That's all it takes! Hopefully, this article helped you feel in control of your WordPress site management updates.

As managed WordPress hosting experts, we know what we're talking about, whether you need advice on updating to a new version, you're debating how much bandwidth you really need, or you want the full lowdown on security. You can trust us with the entire gamut of WordPress questions, so the only one left is... why aren't we hosting your WordPress site yet? Click below and join us.

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The post Why is it important to use the latest version of WordPress? Part 2 appeared first on uPress.

If you're using WordPress CMS for your business website, you might feel nervous about WordPress plugin updates. After all, you know the old saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Your web developers worked hard to build you an appealing website that engages your audience, and you don't want to risk messing it up with an unnecessary update.

Although we get that feeling, as managed WordPress hosting experts, we can confidently tell you that WordPress CMS relies quite heavily on updates. Because WordPress CMS is open source, hackers study the WordPress source code to look for vulnerabilities that could give them a way in to your site. That's why WordPress CMS and WordPress plugin developers issue frequent updates to close new vulnerabilities and maintain security on your site.

WordPress CMS is a continual work in progress. WordPress developers are constantly looking for new features to make it even better, and improved ways to keep up with technology and security best practices. The same applies to WordPress plugins; if the plugin owner is responsible and cares to deliver a good product, they'll issue regular updates that add functionality and improve security.

That's why we recommend that you always keep your WordPress CMS and plugins updated, as part of your basic website maintenance.

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What should you do if plugin updates don't appear?

Ideally, your plugins and core WordPress CMS should update themselves automatically, but what should you do if that doesn't happen?

Perhaps you read about an update to a plugin, theme, or design pattern in a WordPress blog or on one of the WordPress CMS support groups, but you didn't receive any notification on your management dashboard. Or maybe you’re searching for an update that didn't appear.

When plugin updates don't take place automatically, that's usually because it's a premium plugin or (commercial) design pattern that's based on a customized update system. If you're missing plugin updates and wondering what to do about it, we have a golden rule for forcing WordPress CMS to check for new and available updates.

It's a clever little plugin called Force Plugin Updates Check.

How to install Force Plugin Updates Check

To make WordPress CMS check for new available updates on a regular basis, we recommend using a special plugin called Force Plugin Updates Check. Force Plugin Updates Check searches for and initializes updates for both plugins and themes. It's available through the WordPress CMS plugin library, and it's simple to install and set up. We'll walk you through it.

First, follow this link to the Force Plugin Updates Check download page. Click Download and follow the instructions to run the installation files on your WordPress CMS.

Once you've added Force Plugin Updates Check to your WordPress CMS, you'll want to see it in action. In your WordPress Admin Panel top bar, you should see a new button marked Check For Plugin Updates.

Click the button, and you'll see the page refresh. Any updates should immediately show up on your WordPress CMS admin page. It's that simple.

Using Force Plugin Updates Check saves you time and ensures that your WordPress CMS and associated plugins will always be up to date and fully secure. Without it, you might need to get your site to contact the WordPress.org servers, which is inconvenient and only happens when admin is carried out manually. Ain't nobody got time for that.

As managed WordPress hosting experts, we know what we're talking about, whether you need advice on updates or other preventative maintenance, or you are simply battling with a sluggish site. If you're asking what is managed WordPress hosting, it means you can trust us with the entire gamut of WordPress questions, so the only one left is... why aren't we hosting your WordPress site yet? Click below and join us.

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