Unable to use Dashboard

What happens when you examine your dashboard content using firebug ?

Could this be a theme problem ? Try resetting to the default theme by accessing your website by either FTP or your website hosting management file login, rename your current theme in the “wp-content/themes” directory.

Does this bring back the dashboard content ?

I’m in the control panel. I’ve accessed the wp-content/themes folder. I have used Sandbox theme. Which file do I need to go to in order to rename my current theme? How do I do it?

Access your website files using either FTP or your webhosting management file manager, navigate to “wp-content/themes”, there will be a directory there which is “sandbox” or similar, rename it, just add an X to the end, this will force WordPress to using the default theme.

Again: What happens when you examine your dashboard content using a browser inspector like firebug ?

I changed the folder name to SandboxX. No change on Dashboard view. Still showing the menus and still following links when an item is clicked. The browser indicates that new content should be displayed but nothing appears in the content area.
Also when changing he folder to SandboxX nothing appears in the browser at all when I try to view site. Changed it back to Sandbox and the site view is restored.
The links all work when viewing site in the browser.
What is not working is the display of content in the dashboard.
Very frustrating.

Try disabling all plugins.

Do the same with the wp-content/plugins folder; add an X to the end so that it is /pluginsX

If this gets the dashboard content area visible again, you know it is a plugin that is causing the issue.

You will get warnings on the plugins page after you do this. Go back and rename it back to /plugins and then when back at the plugins page (after a refresh or navigating away from it) reactivate them one by one until the culprit is determined. Chances are is is a plugin that is not compatible with the updated WP.

I’ve just clicked on Comments in the dashboard menu. I then view source when the link has been activated. I get his in view source:

[ Deleted, please do not post that much code in these forums. Use pastebin.com instead for that if you must. ]

But still no content showing in the dashboard.

The blog is functioning. I can log in and get to the dashboard. All the menus are there. The menu links work BUT the content area is blank.
I’ve tried Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome and get he same result.

Side note: @ronwooduk That HTML massively broke the formatting here. If you need to show the HTML please provide a link to that page or use pastebin.com instead.

Thanks Lyle. It worked. I have now got the Dashboard back. If I reactivate the plugins folder I will lose it all again. Whats the best way to track down the culprit? Do I need to change the names of all plugins then reactivate the folder and work through it?

Sorry Jan. I won’t do that again. Apologies.
Best wishes
Ron

As mentioned, once you have the dashboard back, just rename the plugin folder to the original name, i.e. plugins.

Once you do that and refresh the plugins page in the dashboard, they will all show inactive. Just reactivate one, try getting around the dashboard to make sure everything is still working and then repeat, one at a time for each plugin until you get one that shuts down the dashboard again. Once that happens, go to the plugins folder and rename just that plugin’s folder.

Well, all seems to be working again. It appears to have been a plugin problem but I have no idea which one caused it. Thank you for your help gentlemen.
Regards
Ron