“Error establishing database connection” is a common issue in WordPress and can occur for various reasons. It usually indicates that WordPress is unable to connect to your website’s database. Here are some steps to help you troubleshoot and fix this problem:
1. Check your login credentials: Ensure that your database login credentials (username, password, database host, and database name) in the WordPress configuration file (wp-config.php) are correct. You can access this file via FTP or your hosting control panel. Make sure there are no typos or mistakes in the credentials.
2. Verify database server is running: Confirm that your database server (usually MySQL or MariaDB) is running correctly. If it’s not, try restarting it from your hosting control panel or contact your hosting provider for assistance.
3. Check your database server status: Sometimes, the database server may run out of resources or crash. In such cases, you may need to contact your hosting provider to resolve the issue.
4. Check database table prefix: If you have recently migrated your WordPress site, make sure the database table prefix in the wp-config.php file matches the prefix used in the database. It should look like `$table_prefix = ‘wp_’;` by default, but it might be different if you customized it during the installation.
5. Review your website’s disk space: Running out of disk space on your hosting account can lead to database connection errors. Check your available disk space through your hosting control panel and make sure you have enough space.
6. Examine for plugin or theme conflicts: Sometimes, a faulty plugin or theme can cause database connection issues. If you recently installed or updated a plugin or theme before the error occurred, try disabling it. You can do this via FTP by renaming the plugin’s folder (e.g., “pluginname” to “pluginname_disabled”) in the “wp-content/plugins” directory.
7. Test your database connection: Create a simple PHP file (test.php) and add the following code to test the database connection:
<?php
$db_host = 'your_database_host';
$db_name = 'your_database_name';
$db_user = 'your_database_username';
$db_password = 'your_database_password';
$conn = mysqli_connect($db_host, $db_user, $db_password, $db_name);
if (!$conn) {
die('Database connection failed: ' . mysqli_connect_error());
}
echo 'Database connection succeeded!';
?>Replace `’your_database_host’`, `’your_database_name’`, `’your_database_username’`, and `’your_database_password’` with your actual database details. Upload the file to your WordPress root directory and access it through your web browser (e.g., www.yourwebsite.com/test.php). If the connection fails, it should provide you with a more specific error message.
8. Contact your hosting provider: If you’ve tried the above steps and the issue persists, it’s best to get in touch with your hosting provider’s support team. They can assist you in diagnosing and resolving the database connection problem.
Remember to always create a backup of your website files and database before making any changes to avoid any accidental data loss.
Please note that these steps are general guidelines, and the actual solution may vary depending on your specific hosting environment and setup.
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