Locked Out of WordPress? What You Need to fix 2024

Locked out of your WordPress admin? Don’t panic! It’s a common issue that can happen for various reasons.This article will help you understand the various reasons that trigger errors. We’ll guide you through the best solutions to fix locked out of WordPress

Incorrect Login Credentials

One of the most notable reasons for getting Locked Out of WordPress “incorrect username or password” message. It’s frustrating, but not irreversible. Ensure that before you reset your password, you’ve entered the correct credentials. Double-check your username and password, caps lock, and other keyboard mishaps. Click the “Lost your password?” link on the login page to initiate the password recovery process.

If you’re certain about your credentials but still can’t log in, proceed to the next step for Locked Out of WordPress error.

Password Does Not Work

If your password isn’t working and attempts to recover it fail and you don’t receive the recovery email (check spam email as well), it’s time to take action to change the password from the hosting cPanel account dashboard. Here’s a guide on how to change your password.

Step 1: Open the cPanel account Dashboard

Step 2: Navigate to phpMyAdmin in the Databases section.

Step 3: Click on phpMyAdmin.

Step 4: Once you’re on the phpMyAdmin dashboard, you need to select your WordPress database.

Step 5: This will open the WordPress database. Navigate to wp_users and click on it.

Step 6: You will now see the WordPress user table. Click on the edit button for the username whose password you want to change.

Step 7: This will open a form with all users’ information fields. To change the password, you need to delete the value in the “user_pass” field and replace it with your new password. Next, change the function value of your password and select MD5 from the drop-down menu.

Step 8: After that, click on the Go button at the bottom of the form.

Losing Administrator Privileges

losing administrator privileges means hackers will lock your website and delete your WordPress administrator privileges. In some cases, you are able to log in, but you don’t have your usual administrator privileges, such as themes, plugins, pages, etc. 

To fix the losing Admi administrator privileges. Checkout: Adding an Admin User to the WordPress Database With phpMyAdmin

Too Many Login Attempts (security plugins)

Users use security plugins to protect the WordPress dashboard. Security plugins set limits on the number of attempts, such as one time, three times, and sometimes excessive failed login attempts, which can trigger security measures that lock you out of WordPress. This is a safety feature to thwart unauthorized access. To fix this issue, you need to deactivate that plugin using your hosting cPanel account.

Here are the simple steps to deactivate a plugin:

Step 1: Open File Manager, located in the files section.

Step 2: Once you’re in File Manager, navigate to public_html and click on it.

Step 3: Next, click on wp-content.

Step 4: This will open the WordPress content section. Now click on plugins.

Step 5: Navigate your security plugin. Here, we use “Limit Login Attempts Reloaded” as our security plugin. Right-click on it and rename it. That’s it. Your plugin is deactivated.

White Screen of Death (WS)

The “White Screen of Death” In this error, you see the white display. This happens when something goes wrong but doesn’t display.

This happens when you exhaust memory limits and is also triggered by incompatible or poor plugins or themes. To fix the white screen of death, you need to access your site via FTP or File Manager, deactivate plugins, or switch to a default theme. If you can’t identify the cause, seek professional help. So if you’re looking for an affordable shared hosting solution for your website, then you should definitely try HostaBet Shared Hosting.

Error Establishing Database Connection

Error establishing a database connection” affects your WordPress website. This error occurs when WordPress is unable to establish a connection with the database that stores all the website’s content and settings.

Checkout: How to Error establishing a database connection in Detail.

Parse Error Syntax Error

A “Parse error: syntax error” message usually causes a problem in your code, such as an incorrect or misplaced code.

To fix this error, you need to access your site’s files via FTP or File Manager, navigate the recently added incorrect code, and fix it. If you’re not comfortable with coding, consider seeking assistance from a hosting provider.

The WordPress error given below might block you from logging in to WordPress (Locked Out of WordPress). We have guides on how to fix these WordPress errors.

• 500 Server Error
• 404 Error on a Website
• 403 Forbidden Error

Conclusion

Getting locked out of your WordPress site can be stressful, but if you have the right knowledge, you can easily get your locked out of  WordPress admin area back. Follow the step-by-step guide above to regain access and troubleshoot common issues while ensuring a smooth WordPress experience.

FAQ section for Locked Out of WordPress