Have you ever encountered issues with your WordPress website but couldn’t access the admin dashboard to fix them? This is a common frustration experienced by many WordPress users.
A typical troubleshooting step is to deactivate all plugins and then reactivate them one by one. This process helps to determine if a plugin conflict is causing the problem. But what should you do if you can’t log in to the wp-admin area to carry out this crucial step?
Don’t worry, there’s a solution. In this guide, we will explain how to deactivate all WordPress plugins when you are unable to access your admin dashboard.
There are two popular methods to deactivate plugins without logging into the admin area of your WordPress site. You can select the method that seems easiest for you:
- Method 1: Deactivate All WordPress Plugins Using FTP
- Method 2: Deactivate All Plugins Using phpMyAdmin
- Video Tutorial
- Expert Guides on Managing WordPress Plugins
Method 1: Deactivate All WordPress Plugins Using FTP
For this method, you will need to use either an FTP client or the file manager tool available in your WordPress hosting control panel.
If you are new to using FTP, you may want to check out our guide on how to use FTP to upload files to WordPress.
Begin by connecting to your website using an FTP client or the file manager in cPanel. Once connected, navigate to the /wp-content/ directory.
Within the wp-content directory, you will find a folder named plugins. This folder contains all the plugins that are installed on your WordPress site.
Right-click on the plugins folder and choose ‘Rename’.
Then, rename the folder to whatever you prefer. For this example, we will rename it to plugins.deactivated.
After renaming, all of your plugins will be deactivated.
This happens because WordPress searches for a folder named ‘plugins’ to load the plugin files. If it cannot find this folder, it automatically disables the active plugins in the database.
Typically, this method is utilized when you are unable to access your admin area. If the problem was related to your plugins, you should now be able to log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
When you go to the Plugins » Installed Plugins page in the WordPress admin dashboard, you will see alerts for all the plugins that have been deactivated.
You will notice that all your plugins are no longer visible. Don’t worry; they are still intact and can be easily restored.
Now, return to your FTP client and navigate to the /wp-content/ directory. Here, you need to rename the plugins.deactivated folder back to plugins.
After that, head back to the Plugins » Installed Plugins section in the WordPress admin area and activate each plugin one by one until your site encounters the issue again.
At this stage, you’ll clearly identify which plugin caused the problem. You can then remove that plugin’s folder from your site via FTP or seek assistance from the plugin developer.
Method 2: Deactivate All Plugins Using phpMyAdmin
While we find the FTP method to be simpler, you can also deactivate all WordPress plugins through phpMyAdmin.
Important: Before proceeding, ensure you create a full backup of your database. This will be useful if anything goes awry.
Next, log in to your web hosting control panel. In this example, we are using a cPanel interface, but your hosting dashboard may vary.
Click on the ‘phpMyAdmin’ icon located under the Databases section.
This will open phpMyAdmin in a new browser window.
You will need to select your WordPress database if it is not already selected. Once selected, you will be able to view the WordPress database tables.
As shown, all tables in the database have the wp_ prefix preceding the table name. Your tables may have a different prefix.
You need to click on the wp_options table. Within the wp_options table, you will find various option rows. Locate the option ‘active_plugins’ and click on the ‘Edit’ link next to it.
On the following screen, change the option_value field to a:0:{}.
Then, click the ‘Go’ button to save your changes.
You have successfully deactivated all WordPress plugins using phpMyAdmin. If a plugin was preventing you from accessing the WordPress admin area, you should now be able to log in.
Comprehensive Guides on WordPress Plugins
We hope this article has assisted you in deactivating all plugins in WordPress. You may also want to explore additional guides on troubleshooting WordPress plugins:
- What Are WordPress Plugins and How Do They Function?
- A Beginner’s Guide to Easily Deactivate WordPress Plugins
- How to Activate WordPress Plugins Directly from the Database
- Do Inactive Plugins Affect WordPress Performance? Should You Remove Them?
- What is the Ideal Number of WordPress Plugins to Install?
- Is It Safe to Use Outdated WordPress Plugins? Here’s What You Need to Know
- Should You Use Plugins That Haven’t Been Tested with Your WordPress Version?
- Step-by-Step Guide to Properly Update Your WordPress Plugins
- What Should You Update First: WordPress or Plugins? The Correct Update Sequence
