How to disable WordPress plugins without access to the admin page

Method 1: Disable Plugins via hPanel File Manager #

This is the quickest way if you have access to hPanel.

Step 1: Log in to hPanel #

1. Go to ozspeed.com.au and log in to your hPanel Dashboard.
2. Navigate to Files > File Manager.

Step 2: Open the Plugins Directory #

1. In the File Manager, go to the public_html folder (or your WordPress installation directory).
2. Open the wp-content folder.
3. Locate the plugins folder.

Step 3: Rename the Plugin Folder #

1. Find the folder of the plugin you want to disable.
2. Right-click on the folder and select Rename.
3. Add _disabled to the end of the folder name (e.g., plugin-name_disabled).
4. This change will deactivate the plugin.

Step 4: Test Your Website #

1. Try accessing your WordPress admin page again.
2. If the issue is resolved, you can go back and rename the folder to its original name after troubleshooting.

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Method 2: Disable All Plugins via phpMyAdmin #

If you suspect a plugin conflict but aren’t sure which one is causing it, you can disable all plugins at once using phpMyAdmin.

Step 1: Access phpMyAdmin in hPanel #

1. Log in to hPanel and go to Databases > phpMyAdmin.
2. Select your WordPress database from the left sidebar.

Step 2: Edit the Plugins Table #

1. Click on the wp_options table (prefix may vary, e.g., wp123_options).
2. Look for the row with the option_name field labeled active_plugins.
3. Click Edit.

Step 3: Disable All Plugins #

1. In the option_value field, replace the existing value with a:0:{}.
2. Click Save or Go.

Tip: #

• This method deactivates all plugins without deleting them, allowing you to re-enable them one by one after fixing the issue.

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Method 3: Disable Plugins via FTP #

If you prefer using an FTP client like FileZilla, this method offers another way to access your site files.

Step 1: Connect to Your Website via FTP #

1. Open your FTP client (e.g., FileZilla).
2. Enter your FTP credentials (host, username, password) and click Connect.

Step 2: Navigate to the Plugins Folder #

1. Go to the public_html/wp-content/plugins/ directory.
2. Locate the folder of the plugin you want to disable.

Step 3: Rename the Plugin Folder #

1. Right-click on the plugin folder and select Rename.
2. Add _disabled at the end of the folder name (e.g., plugin-name_disabled).
3. This will deactivate the plugin immediately.

Step 4: Check Your Site #

1. Reload your WordPress site and see if the issue is resolved.
2. If the issue persists, repeat the process for other plugins until you identify the problematic one.

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Method 4: Use WP-CLI (Advanced) #

If you have SSH access to your server and are comfortable using command-line tools, you can use WP-CLI to disable plugins.

Step 1: Connect via SSH #

1. Open your terminal or SSH client (e.g., PuTTY).
2. Connect to your server using SSH credentials.

Step 2: List Installed Plugins #

1. Run the following command to list all installed plugins:

bashCopy codewp plugin list

Step 3: Disable a Plugin #

1. Use the following command to deactivate a specific plugin:

bashCopy codewp plugin deactivate plugin-name

Step 4: Disable All Plugins #

1. To disable all plugins at once, use:

bashCopy codewp plugin deactivate --all

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Additional Tips: #

• Create a Backup: Always back up your site before making changes to your files or database.
• Identify the Problem Plugin: After regaining access, re-enable plugins one by one to identify the source of the issue.
• Check Site Health: Use the Site Health tool in WordPress to monitor and address any potential issues.