Is your WordPress website malfunctioning and you’re locked out of the admin dashboard? Don’t panic! A problematic/ rogue plugin might be the culprit. This guide will walk you through how to deactivate all your WordPress plugins even without Admin access.
By following these steps, you can regain control of your website and identify the plugin causing the issue.
For any troubleshooting on your WordPress site, you often get advised to deactivate all plugins and then re-activate them one by one, to isolate the rogue plugin.
But how do you do it if you cannot access the WordPress admin area to deactivate the plugins?
A step-by-step guide on how to easily deactivate all WordPress plugins if you are locked out of WP-Admin.
There are two methods commonly used to deactivate plugins when you have no access to your Wp-Admin area.
Using an FTP client to gain access to your cPanel and using phpMyAdmin.
We will use the cPanel method to deactivate all plugins since it’s easy even for a beginner.
In this method first, you need to log on to your host cPanel. Your cPanel URL will be https://yoursite.com/cpanel
Log in with your username and password.
once in the cPanel dashboard click on File Manager. In the cPanel make sure you are in the public_html folder.
::: Next, click on the wp-content folder to open its content. ::: In the wp-content folder locate the Plugin folder.
:::Right-click on the plugin folder and from the option choose re-name And rename the plugin folder to anything you like, for this tutorial I renamed it to Plugins-deactivate, then click on save.
Log out of your cPanel.
Once you do this by renaming your plugin folder, all of your plugins will be deactivated.
This is because basically, WordPress looks for a folder called plugins to load the plugin files. When it does not find the folder, it automatically disables all active plugins in the database.
This method to deactivate all plugins is used when you are locked out of your admin area.
If the issue of not being able to access the wp-admin dashboard was with your plugins, then you should be able to log in to your WordPress admin area.
Now visit the Plugins page inside the WordPress admin area, you will see notifications for all the plugins that have been deactivated now.
You will also notice that all your plugins have disappeared now. But don’t worry they are there and safe, and you can easily restore them.
To restore all your plugins, simply login to your cPanel and rename the plugins-deactivate folder back to plugins.
Next, go back to your wp-admin dashboard you will see all your plugins but deactivated.
Now you can activate one plugin at a time until you find the one that breaks your site again.
At this point, you will know which plugin caused the issue and delete the plugin from your admin dashboard.
Hello! I am Ben Jamir, Founder, and Author of this blog Tipsnfreeware. I blog about computer tips & tricks, share tested free Software’s, Networking, WordPress tips, SEO tips. If you like my post /Tips then please like and share it with your friends.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
