Error connecting to database

First of all:
Have debugging turned on only while you’re using it, since it sometimes may leak a bit too much information.

Besides that, the connection and login details to your SQL is something you need to check with your hosting provider. Many hosting companies make these settings available via self-service panel.

I turned on debug so that you could see the error.

My host does not allow these to be self service. Any way I can look into it without their help (not responsive)?

I get this error on front and backside of the website, forgot to mention.
Thanks for taking a look!!

Actually, you get this error even before WordPress manages to start working.

The only thing you can do is to double-check how the connection to the database should be set up.

If you have a previously backed up copy of your files, then you could try to compare the connection details for the database with what you’ve got now.

Is the database really located on same server as the web server, for instance? (the error mentioned @localhost).

yes, it is. The webhost has several mac servers with each user having access to a folder on the server hard drive with the website generated from that folder, therefore localhost.

I will look at backups. I am concerned that the password was changed without my knowledge – so the wp-config and the SQL passwords may be different. Wp-config has the same SQL password that I was originally issued for database access and AFAIK it hasn’t changed. But I have altered my admin user password over the years, and when I plug the current one (or the one I think is current) in, I get the white screen instead of the connection error.

That’s why I was thinking that I needed to confirm my SQL password was the same as shown in config. Without a response from the host to confirm I thought maybe there was another way to check passwords.

Does it seem to you that it’s a password issue, too?

The detailed error message indicates that WordPress starts talking to the database, but login details were rejected. So, yes. Wrong user-id or wrong password. (Or talking to wrong server!)

OK, so is there any way that I can confirm my login data without involving the webhost?

That would be only brute force, but I’d definitely not recommend it…

(Umm. Or perhaps migrating to another hosting company…)

But wait: Did you say that you’re able to login to phpmyadmin? Perhaps you then could simply create a new database user, or set the password for the user WP calls?

I don’t know how to login via phpmyadmin. That was my thought as workaround. Downloaded it to my mac but don’t know how to get it running.

Migrating sounds nice but I think I need info from my webhost which is hard to get without responses. They are my domain manager too.

Yeah, that would be a longer term solution.

phpmyadmin is a web interface to mysql (and homologues). So it would typically be installed on the same server where mysql is running.

In order to phpmyadmin to talk to the database, you need to be able to connect to the database server (which usually is located behind a firewall) and have valid login details. Many hosting companies give you a button where you’re automatically logged in to the database. Doesn’t seem to be the case here, though.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 7 months ago by tobifjellner (Tor-Bjorn “Tobi” Fjellner).

I am guessing that my login info is incorrect so phpmyadmin won’t work (won’t be able to login to the db).

Any other possible solutions?

No. For any other solution, you need the hosting company to do their part.

OK Tor. Really appreciate your help today. Confirmed that I was on the right track. Have a great weekend!!

Chris