Dashboard Error Code 404

Hi, tjdavis, & welcome to the WordPress support forum.

From what I’m seeing, it looks like you’re running WordFence. While I believe that’s a really good plugin, it can become quite aggressive. It’s trying to prevent your site from being hacked–unfortunately, it can also block legitimate users who’ve simply forgotten a password, etc.

So, let’s try this. In Filezilla, when creating an ftp connection to your site, you’re presented w/a box where you’re asked several questions. Your hostname is generally your domain name. The username is usually the username your host gave you for your control panel. The same applies to your password. I prefer that folks use secure ftp as opposed to simply ftp to log into their server, but that might be too much for now.

Once you get logged in, you’re presented w/a listing of directories/folders, very much as you would be on your home machine. At this point, you’re looking for the folder that holds your website. Often it’s public_html, but it may be www, htdocs, or other names–each host is different, & I can only speak for my server, which is public_html.

Your WordFence plugin folder is located in wp-content/plugins/wordfence. Rename that folder to something like wordfense1 & try to log into your site in the usual way.

If you have trouble, post back here, & we’ll help. Also, if your problem has been resolved, please remember to mark it as such. Thanks for helping w/that.

Please let us know how it goes, ok?

I appreciate your help but I can’t even log onto the ftp with the boxes you said. It keeps trying then won’t..with an error message.

Here’s what it shows when I try to log into the Filezilla FTP:

Status: Resolving address of https://www.teresadavisblog.com
Status: Connecting to 209.159.146.74:21…
Status: Connection established, waiting for welcome message…
Response: 220———- Welcome to Pure-FTPd [privsep] [TLS] ———-
Response: 220-You are user number 1 of 50 allowed.
Response: 220-Local time is now 14:14. Server port: 21.
Response: 220-This is a private system – No anonymous login
Response: 220-IPv6 connections are also welcome on this server.
Response: 220 You will be disconnected after 15 minutes of inactivity.
Command: USER login
Response: 331 User login OK. Password required
Command: PASS ********
Response: 530 Login authentication failed
Error: Critical error: Could not connect to server

I’m so aggravated with this..is there anyway you can log on for me and just delete the Wordfence?

Try to log in to your host. Using the file manager supplied by them, rename wordfence to wordfence-old.

tjdavis, the error is telling you your FTP password is incorrect, which is why you can’t log on. kmessinger had a good idea regarding logging onto your control panel. Usually your FTP password is the same as the password for the control panel. Your host usually sends you your credentials in a welcome email. Perhaps you can find that. Your other option is to contact your host & ask them for your password.

Clearly, however, even if I had these credentials (which you cannot supply in open forum), I couldn’t log on because your password is wrong. Once you rectify that situation, you should be able to log on & rename the plugin.

I know this is frustrating. Hang in there. You’ll get it resolved.

Ok I finally got my login info from my host and logged into the Cpanel and then found the WordFence plugin and just deleted the whole thing.

I then tried logging into my blog with WordPress using both the “login” and “admin” with my password, but I am still getting the dreaded “Error 404”.

I do not know what else to do.

I would suggest two things.

Delete the WordFence plugin totally (you can always install it again)

Test and if that still doesn’t work, download a copy of the .htaccess file in your public_html folder and then delete that from the server.

Please post a copy of your .htaccess file here. I think WordFence added to that file.

It also looks to me like your theme is no longer available in WordPress themes. Is this where you got it?

kmessinger, you beat me to it. I didn’t know if we were allowed to ask for a copy of the .htaccess file or not–I’m rather new to forum participation & still trying to learn what is & is not allowed.

Kmessinger and abletec here is what is showing in the file .htaccess

# BEGIN iThemes Security
# BEGIN Hide Backend
# Rules to hide the dashboard
RewriteRule ^/purplerose/?$ /wp-login.php [QSA,L]

# END Hide Backend
# END iThemes Security
# BEGIN WordPress
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ – [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>
# END WordPress

Hope this is what you need to help me figure this thing out.

Justlookin I am not sure how to delete that file from the server.

justlookin I already deleted the WordFence plugin totally from my cpanel but still could not log into my blog.

Bingo, tjdaivis!

If you have an ftp client, you can edit your .htaccess file by putting a # in front of this line, like so:
#? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? RewriteRule ^/purplerose/?$ /wp-login.php [QSA,L]

Alternatively, you may rename the .htaccess file to htaccess (i.e., eliminate the .), & try to log in.

If you choose to rename the .htaccess file, simply go into ‘Settings > Permalinks’, select your desired permalink structure, & save it–that’ll recreate the .htaccess file.

If this resolves your difficulty, please mark the thread as resolved for us–we’d really appreciate it.

Thanks abletec..this would be helpful if I had any idea how to use Filezilla to edit anything lol. I was able to finally log into my ftp, but have no idea how to use it.

Look like I will be having to google this and find out how to do what you explained.

Glad it will finally work once I figure it out..lol

Hi again, tjdavis:

Perhaps this’ll help:
https://brighter-vision.com/2014/09/06/using-filezilla-to-back-up-your-site

Obviously you’re not backing up your site. But it should show you how to enter your hostname, username, & password. Once you see the .htaccess file, simply double-click it, & you can edit it thus.

Please let us know if this was helpful.

Ok I went into my ftp and edited the htaccess to this

# BEGIN iThemes Security
# BEGIN Hide Backend
# Rules to hide the dashboard
# RewriteRule ^/purplerose/?$ /wp-login.php [QSA,L]

# END Hide Backend
# END iThemes Security
# BEGIN WordPress
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ – [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>
# END WordPress

I then saved the file with the new htaccess and deleted the .htaccess file.

I then uploaded it and tried logging into https://www.teresadavisblog.com/wp-login and still get the 404 Error page.

What am I doing wrong now?

Hi, tjdavis:

It would actually be wp-login.php .

However, that still produces an error.

Is your plugins folder still renamed to plugins-off? If not, would you please find the plugin called ithemes security, rename that, i.e., ithemes security1, & try logging in again?

Would you also please rename your encounters-lite theme to encounters-lite1 or similar? WARNING: your blog will appear blank if you just go there after doing that. You’ll need to change themes once logged into the dashboard.

You’ve been a real trooper & most patient thru all this. I’m on my way to church now, which I’ll likely need after what I said when you wrote back that the .htaccess edit didn’t solve the problem lol. Not directed at you, of course–just the fact I hadn’t quite helped yet. You’re doing excellent!