How to get the site back up again when it is down

The speed read

Got a plugin update error. Try these things:

1. Notice the error message and google it. Figure out which plugin has the error and rename the folder through FTP. See if you got the site back into normal. Search for an update that takes care of the error. Download the update and through ftp upload the update and overwrite the existing plugin folder (rename the renamed folder back to its original name). Activate the plugin in the WP backend and see if everything works. IF not then rename the plugin folder again and e-mail or go to support for the plugin and let the plugin developer know about the problem.

Another can be: Stuck in “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute.”
An update goes bad and one is stuck in the maintenance screen. Through FTP delete the hidden/greyed out file: .maintenance. This should bring the site out of the update gone wrong loop and back to normal.

The longer read.

Plugin update problem

Yesterday thanks to a comment on youtube under my Duplicator video tutorial I was told that this site was down. As I have just arrived back home again from a two week vacation my site seems to have taken a vacation as well. As I checked https://easywebdesigntutorials.com this message on a white screen was what I saw:

I was not able to see my site or login. I copied the message into a new browser tab and made a search and found out that the Google Analytics plugin that I use caused this error.
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/upgraded-site-dies-with-message-please-open-this-page-in-the-admin-panel-only

As the site was down I had to open a FTP program for instance Filezilla (I use Forklift) and logged in through ftp. To get at the folders of the site. Opened wp-content -> plugins and renamed google-analytics-dashboard to 1google-analytics-dashboard. The point is to rename it so WordPress can not find it and will then automatically deactivate. Deactivating the troublesome plugin brought the site back online and I was able to login to the backend of the site. I checked the Installed Plugins screen and noticed an update existed for the google analytics dashboard plugin which I then updated and also activated without any problems. Problems solved.

Additional advice – tips: The site is down – how to get it back online

1. Do not panic. A solution will very likely exist to get your site back online again.

2. If you see an error message copy it and paste it into a search engine and search to find advice on how to fix the error.

3. I discovered I had a plugin update go wrong. I also discovered which plugin had caused the error. I FTP’ed into my site and renamed the offending plugin folder (in my case google analytics dashboard). Tested the site and noticed it was back online again. Logged into the backend of the WordPress site and updated the offending plugin through the installed plugins screen and activated it. Tested the site and it was back online again. Which means the developer fixed the plugin error .

IF you can not figure out which plugin or if it is a plugin that has caused the error then rename the main plugins folder containing all your plugins. Then test your site. If it is online then it is a plugin causing the error. Give the plugins folder its name back again and rename some of the lessor known (smaller not as often downloaded) plugins to something else. Test the site again. Go forth and back and rename plugins and hopefully you’ll narrow in on the offending plugin.

When you do figure out which plugin is causing the error go to the plugin support page and see if others are also experiencing a similar error and post if needed and ask the developer for help and inform of the problem so he/she can take care of it. 4. Renaming the main plugins folder (through FTP) does not change a thing. Open the themes folder (through FTP) and rename the theme you are using. As an update of the theme might have gone wrong. Renaming the active theme makes the default theme (right now it is) Twenty Fourteen active. Test the site. If it comes up then your theme might contain an error.

Go to the theme developers site and contact support and/or check their forums for advice.

5. The error is still in effect. Do another search online. I would then go to https://wordpress.org/support/ and post about the problem. What I did and the result. I would perhaps list which theme and plugins I was using with the site. Hopefully your site is now back online again. Ahhh I better take a backup of my site. Check my article on using Duplicator.

NB!
Another can be: Stuck in “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute.”
An update goes bad and one is stuck in the maintenance screen. Through FTP delete the file: .maintenance. This should bring the site out of the update gone wrong loop and back to normal.