500 Error Multiple Sites, Hostgator

BHopkins · Jun 9, 2017

I buy my domains through Namecheap and host with Hostgator. The last ~10 domains that I've bought and setup (wordpress) all show a 500 error every couple days. I've chatted with Hostgator a couple times and they're completely useless. I moved an entire site to a different server and it happened again and they blamed it on the site. I deleted everything, and reinstalled a blank WP install, two days later it happened again.

If I log into Wordpress, the site immediately starts working again (refresh and 500 error is gone).

Can you happen to think of what might be going on? It's only the most recent domains, they're hosted on different shared accounts (different IP, nameservers, login info, etc.).

I have verified the "fix" of logging into WP on 6 different sites that were giving me a 500 error. They all run the same plugins, Akismet, IWP, Imagify, W3 Total Cache. Those same plugins are running on all of my sites so I don't think it's a plugin issue.

Thanks for your help!

towelfox · Jun 9, 2017

500s are server errors. Check your log files and all will be revealed.

SlickSocials · Jun 9, 2017

Had the same issues! Hostgator Support Article

sam.hunt0710 · Jun 9, 2017

Try to remove W3 Total Cache , Remove all the cache file once , Delete advanced-cache.php, db.php, wp-total-cache-config.php, and delete the entire w3tc folder from the Wp-content folder.

I was facing similar issue removing the above plugin made my problem solved.

Their Support Email : [email protected]

Hope it will help.

BHopkins · Jun 9, 2017

towelfox said:
500s are server errors. Check your log files and all will be revealed.

Logs are clean. Last error message was about two months ago. Error was 15 minutes ago, but nothing in the logs.

SlickSocials said:
Had the same issues! Hostgator Support Article

Hostgator error page isn't much help as I haven't touched my .htaccess file (same as the 200+ other sites). cPanel > Errors (Error Log) is totally empty. Sites are very small and it's not all the sites on the server, just one or two.

sam.hunt0710 said:
Try to remove W3 Total Cache...

I have W3 Total Cache running on 200+ installs and none of them have problems except these last couple of new sites.

sam.hunt0710 · Jun 9, 2017

Deactivate all plugins , then star activating plugins 1 by 1 , the plugin which is creating problem you can catch that one easily and remove that plugin.

Bargain Boss · Jun 9, 2017

What type of 500 error is it? 500 Internal Server Error or HTTP Error 500?

Can you post a screenshot of the error page (and block out your domain name)?

BHopkins · Jun 9, 2017

Bargain Boss said:
What type of 500 error is it? 500 Internal Server Error or HTTP Error 500?

Can you post a screenshot of the error page (and block out your domain name)?

Attached!

Bargain Boss · Jun 9, 2017

From your screenshot, that's a 500 Internal Server Error.

Check whether the root directory of your cPanel is correctly entered in the .htaccess, .user.ini, wp-config.php, and the PHP file of your security plugin. If your cache plugin has a PHP file listed on the same page as .htaccess and the other files mentioned above, check whether it has the correct root directory too.

I have not used InfiniteWP so I am not sure if the root directory is required/listed in any of its files. You should take a look.

Look at the readme.html file and delete any suspicious long strings of alphanumeric letters.

Edit: I was on mobile earlier. I just checked my notes on my PC and confirmed that the files you should check for are .htaccess, user.ini, wp-config.php, and the PHP file of your security plugin. Please refer to the image what I meant by root directory.

Couch Monkey Media · Jun 9, 2017

@BHopkins

Are you set up on a shared or VPS plan with Hostgator?

If you want I can set one site up on one of our servers for you. NO COST For this. Just to help figure out what is going on.

I would set up one domain for you and give you logins to load the site up. Then we can track and see if the same thing happens here. If it does then one of our admins can figure out the issue and get it fixed and then we can see if it happens after fix. If not Then you can load your site back over at HG and I will close out the account with us.

Just our way to give back and help out a MOD here.

SlickSocials · Jun 10, 2017

BHopkins said:
Logs are clean. Last error message was about two months ago. Error was 15 minutes ago, but nothing in the logs.

Hostgator error page isn't much help as I haven't touched my .htaccess file (same as the 200+ other sites). cPanel > Errors (Error Log) is totally empty. Sites are very small and it's not all the sites on the server, just one or two.

I have W3 Total Cache running on 200+ installs and none of them have problems except these last couple of new sites.

Check your Plugins if you are using wordpress on them, some of the plugins makes conflicts , with each other > all the caches cleaners > and defenders plugins

DunDidIt2X · Jun 10, 2017

I have one of my sites doing the exact same thing which is hosted on HG. Luckily its the only site I have on HG

kmoore · Jun 10, 2017

Check your apache error logs - it will reveal whats causing this error.
Only after recognizing whats causing this error - one can provide a solution to it.
As other member stated - you can disable all the plugins and enable them one by one to identify the problem.

Naveen Onlive · Jun 11, 2017

Hi,

you should update htacess file on root floder ..

GoDesain · Jun 11, 2017

i think this from hostgator side.. and you on shared server ?
but much better if you recheck again.. try to check .htacess, permission file and folder and and increase time out..
if i got 500 error.. i try to check my plugin 1 by 1 just make sure everything ok.

BHopkins · Jun 20, 2017

Thanks for all the feedback. I've checked everything that was suggested and still am having trouble. Frustrating when 10 of my recent sites are constantly down. I have to log into them manually to make them drop the 500 error. Even more frustrating that I have over 200 sites with Hostgator and their support won't actually help.

MayaK · Jun 21, 2017

I think in that case its server end issue, if they are not helping move from them, I host my wordpress sites with Webhost.uk.net since 2010 support has been great till date any issues as you have faced support tries to help me all possible way thats the reason I am still with them.

BHopkins · Jun 21, 2017

Along with Hostgator's third level of tech support, I think I've identified the problem. I have been using W3 Total Cache and using the same configuration file for the last year. At some point W3 updated their settings which caused a problem with my config file. When I disabled W3 on all of the problem sites, they have been working for about 12 hours which is longer than normal. The strange thing is that I disabled W3 on sites and then reenabled it, but it kept the settings which remained broken.

Diplomat · Jun 21, 2017

500 errors are almost always PHP errors. Sometimes they can come from incorrect .htaccess configuration. Easiest thing to do is check error_log files (keep in mind that they can appear in any directory).
Another thing you can check is errors in cPanel errors page.

sam.hunt0710 · Jun 22, 2017

@BHopkins I suggested you in my first post to do that sometime logs files of cache plugins create such problems.

500 Error Multiple Sites, Hostgator

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