Critical error after trying to load a payment plugin

  • Unknown's avatar
    teresacattin · Member ·

    Hi, I tried loading a payment plugin and got the critical error message. An email offering a recovery mode option didn’t work. I can’t get back in using any method. As this is a business site, i’m getting a little desperate!!

    Any help gratefully appreciated.

  • Unknown's avatar
    james3265166 · Member ·

    I understand how stressful it is when a business site goes dark and the standard recovery tools fail. Since the “Recovery Mode” email didn’t work, it means the payment plugin has likely caused a deep conflict with your site’s PHP memory or another active tool. Because the recovery email failed, the quickest way to get your site back online is to manually “force” that payment plugin to turn off through your hosting provider’s file system, which bypasses the WordPress dashboard entirely.You can perform the “Rename Fix” by logging into your hosting account (such as Bluehost or SiteGround) and opening the File Manager. Navigate to the folder public_html/wp-content/plugins/, find the folder for the payment plugin you just installed, and rename it to something like plugin-name-OLD. This causes WordPress to immediately “lose” the plugin, breaking the error and allowing you to log back into your dashboard. While in the File Manager, you can also check the error_log or debug.log file; if the bottom of the log mentions a “Fatal error” regarding exhausted memory, it confirms the plugin was too heavy for your current server settings.If you aren’t comfortable editing files yourself, I recommend opening a live chat with your hosting provider directly. Tell them that you installed a plugin that caused a Critical Error and ask them to temporarily rename your plugins folder so you can regain access. They can usually perform this task in under two minutes to get you back up and running.

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