Solution for “500 Internal Server Error” After Installing Some Plugins

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500 Internal Server Error

Problem: After updating the blog to WP 2.7 everything was running smooth. But when opening some of the plugin setting pages the server responded with a “500 Internal Server Error” – especially when using plugins like “XML Sitemap Generator for WordPress” or when uploading pictures. When I activated the “StatPress Reloaded”-plugin non of the admin section was accessible anymore.

Diagnosis: PHP is running out of memory.

Solution: If you are running your own root, dedicated or virtual server this is an easy bugfix: You just have to change the php.ini of your server and provide more memory to your PHP installation. On a shared hosting server – like at the webhosting solutions at 1and1 you often don’t have access to that central php.ini. But there is an easy workaround:

Create a text file and name it “php.ini” (without the quotes ) and with a single line of code in it:memory=20MB

This file has to be placed into the directory /wp-admin/ within your Wordpress installation.

That’s it!

Problem: Recently, I was playing with a couple of plugins and unfortunately one of them crashed my server and thus displayed the 500 Server Error message.

I also discovered that plugins such as XML Sitemap Generator for WordPress, Some Database Backup Plugins and various other useless plugins are the main cause of this error.

Diagnosis: Lack of PHP memory; in other words, PHP is running out of memory.

Solution: You can easily fix this bug if you are running your own root or dedicated server. All you need to do is update your php.ini file and provide more memory to your PHP installation.

If you are on a shared hosting just like many of us, such as godaddy, hostgator, bluehost etc, you do not have control over the php.ini setting but there is another way around.

Create a text file and name it “php.ini” (without the quotes)
Add a single line of code in it “memory=20MB” (without the quotes)
Save the php.ini to your directory /wp-admin/ within your Wordpress installation.
It should look like /wp-admin/php.ini

Bingo!

You should be able to access your blog now. If you still cant then, go to your plugins folder through FTP and remove plugins like XML, database backup plugins and other suspicious plugins. Now login to your blog, go through all the plugins, activate the useful plugins and deactivate the unnecessary ones.

If you have deleted the XML plugin earlier then you can install it again and create your sitemaps with a click.

It is important that you know what you are dealing with. When i encountered the error, i was not happy. I thought i lost everything but of course there is always a way around. Make sure you know about the widget or plugins that you are dealing with. If you have several blogs then you can use one of them to test and experience with various plugins. In this way you will know what plugins to keep and use on your main blog.

Hope you find this post useful. Bookmark and share for future reference.