Blank page or error message when activating, installing, or deleting plugins

New info: it occurred to me that this could be something applying to all changes on the site (not just plugins), and indeed it is. I just tried updating a page, and the same thing happened. When I clicked ‘update’, I got a blank page. But when I navigated to the same page via its URL, I found that the updates had worked.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by StefConnerMusic.

Check whether your hosting storage space is full. This would no longer allow any storage.

Also take a look at Tools > Site Health to see if there are any abnormalities there.

It can also be interesting to take a look at the error log on the hosting. There could be an error listed there. Your host’s support can help you find the error log.

Thanks so much for the reply @threadi! And sorry not to respond until now. I didn’t get a notification.

I can do very little with my site now, including (it would appear) checking whether hosting storage is full – that information just won’t load.

Site Health suggests deleting inactive plugins (I am trying but get error messages, .e.g, ‘Deletion failed: {“success”:true,”data”:{“delete”:”plugin”,”slug”:”easy-digital-downloads”,”plugin”:”easy-digital-downloads\/easy-digital-downloads.php”,”pluginName”:”Easy Digital Downloads”}}’); and removing inactive themes (but there seems to be no way to do this).

It also says that I should use a ‘persistent object cache’ and that jetpack_sync_full_cron is ‘late to run.’

The error log isn’t something I have any hope of extracting useful information from, but I can share it, if that helps?

I’m getting a bit desperate and panicky!

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by StefConnerMusic.

That sounds strange. Have a look in the error log for the time when you tried to delete a plugin. And yes, of course it would be interesting if it helps you.

Another tip: deactivate all plugins by renaming the directory /wp-content/plugins/. Then install Hello Dolly, for example, as a test. Then delete it again straight away. If it works, then the whole problem is due to a plugin you are using.

Thanks again. I didn’t understand the thing about renaming a directory, but I deactivated all the plugins and the problem remained. I think the problem is bigger than plugins! There’s no point me looking at the error log – I have no hope of understanding. My whole business is disrupted and I’m absolutely desperate for help.

SOLVED! I am adding the details here, in case it’s ever useful for someone else. There was an extra space in the functions.php file, from where I’d added then deleted some code. It was causing havoc.