How to Fix 500 Internal Server Error Fast

500 internal server error is an error that can occur to any website and not just WordPress. It may be a little worrying the first time you encounter it, but it is something that can be fixed.

Before you embark on the journey to fix 500 internal server error, you need to know that there is no specific thing that causes it to occur. You, therefore, have to try out different approaches until you find something that works.

Use a Cache Cleaner to fix 500 internal server error

You can use any cleaner that you think does a good job, one of which is CCleaner. Install it and then launch it. Try and clean up all the cache files in your system, and specifically those from your default web browser.

Once everything is deleted, restart the browser and check whether the website is live. If this works, then you will not need to go to any more trouble. The problem was that the servers were down and your browser stored that version in its cache.                    

Deactivation and reactivation of plugins

One of the easiest ways to interfere with a WordPress website is plugins. Chances are you have installed quite a number over time and this may have affected things along the way. To fix 500 internal server error from this angle, you will need to first deactivate all the installed plugins.

Then start activating them one by one, starting with the one that was installed first and going on in that order to the most recently installed. Keep checking the live status of the website every time you activate another plugin. If the problem was caused by a plugin, the website should be live again.

Once you figure out which plugin is causing the chaos, you will need to remove totally it or find out if there is an update available for it. This will permanently fix 500 internal server error.

Increasing the PHP Memory limit

Sometimes the theme you are using could be eating up a lot of your server resources. Increasing the memory limit will solve it. You can do this by creating a blank text file and name it php.ini. Inside the file paste ‘memory=64MB’ without the quotes. Save this file and upload it onto the /wp-admin/ folder using your file manager or FTP.

If you are using shared hosting, you may not be able to increase it as much as you would want. You will need to talk to whoever is providing you with hosting services to find out whether increasing your memory limit is possible.

Tweak the .htaccess file

The .htaccess file is one that is very important for your WordPress site. This file may, however, have been corrupted along the way, and the only way to fix 500 internal server error is by doing a new file altogether.

Login to cPanel and then go to File Manager. You can also log in to FTP so as to gain access to root files and folders. You should be able to see the .htaccess file if you look closely through your site’s files. Right click on it and then rename it. You can keep the first part of the name and then add something like ‘old’ or ‘corrupt’ to the end so that you can be able to distinguish it from the one you are about to create. Download this renamed file.

Use Notepad to create a blank text file. Save this file with .htaccess as the extension. Upload this file to the root folder to replace the previous one. The upload should be completed without any hitches. Now try reloading your website to see if there is any change. If the website is back on then, that is where the problem was, and the solution worked.

Now log in to your dashboard and go to permalinks settings. You will find a new set of activated settings because you just changed the file name of the initial .htaccess file. Go to the previous permalinks settings and then save them. Refresh your website again to see if it is still live.

If all of these methods are unable to fix 500 internal server error, then you will need to consider the services of a professional. Making any changes to the code may lead to serious problems so just leave that side alone. The good thing is that the server you signed up with most likely takes on such issues. They should be able to help you with this technical hitch so as to get your website back up and running.

Hoping that your website is back on track, you can look at a great offering of themes to get your website to the next level. Browse through all the available themes and choose whatever catches your attention. Customize them to your liking and make use of all available resources to improve website activity.