Recently during my famous five minute installation of wordpress, I received following error:

WordPress database error Table ‘my_mysqldb.wp_options’ doesn’t exist for query INSERT INTO wp_options (option_name, option_value, autoload) VALUES (‘cron’, ‘a:2:{i:1221786126;a:1:{s:17:\”wp_update_plugins\”;a:1:{s:32:\”40cd750bba9870f18aada2478b24840a\”;a:3:{s:8:\”schedule\”;s:10:\”twicedaily\”;s:4:\”args\”;a:0:{}s:8:\”interval\”;i:43200;}}}s:7:\”version\”;i:2;}’, ‘yes’) made by add_option WordPress database error Table ‘my_mysqldb.wp_options’ doesn’t exist for query INSERT INTO wp_options (option_name, option_value, autoload) VALUES (‘auth_salt’, ‘#o!nrTPX)teT’, ‘yes’) made by add_option

Tried resetting the database, copying fresh copy of wordpress multiple times to the server but all in vain.

Then googling it, I got to wordpress forum and got a patch fix for this very general error, which is at http://trac.wordpress.org/ticket/7724

After applying the fix to the update.php, I reset the DB and tried installing it again. This time I got page 1 correctly, but entering Blog Name and email id and moving forward led me to a blank page with just a logo which was later identified as “WordPress’s blank screen of death“.

I was confused. I tried it number of times but in vain every time. Then I googled it again and got to know that this is again a very common problem with wordpress. Mamamia, wordpress is full of common issues But wordpress is really a beautiful CMS and few errors are bound to exist.

So I got couple of solutions on wordpress forum which were to be fixed in the server; so were out of my control.

Those were:

1. Increase the memory size in the php.ini file from 8 MB to 32 MB or so.
2. Add the following line to the .htaccess file in the root directory of the server.

   php_value zend.ze1_compatibility_mode "0"

I raised a ticket with my hosting team to fix that, but I could not wait for them and having realized my past experience with them, I could not trust them.

So I continued googling and after reading couple of articles, identified that this blank page is coming due to plugins or themes. So I thought of playing with the system. I renamed plugins and themes directory under wp-contents folder, and tried installing wordpress again to my surprise it worked this time. I was so happy and delighted.

So juice of the story is, if, while installing wordpress you get a blank screen with just a logo then follow these:

1. Rename Plugins and Themes directories.
2. Delete all tables from the wp mysql database or better go to your control panel, delete and create the db again.
3. Run the installation again.
4. Wow!!! It’s all done.
5. Rename back Plugins and Themes folders to original ones

Hope this helps many who are suffering from blank screen of death.

-NKJ

NitiN Kumar Jain

Nitin works in an IT MNC professionally but blogs and owns NKJ Live. He is also the co-owner of a professional start-up ARGHAM BYTES

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