Forums

WordPress › Support » Installation

The data could not be converted to UTF-8 (wordpress 2.9) (20 posts)

  1. unscripted360
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    Not sure what this is. Just did an upgrade to 2.9 and now my Incoming Links area and the WordPress Development Blog area all say this. RSS Error: The data could not be converted to UTF-8

    Help?

  2. sir_aniep
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    yeah same problem ... i got message "RSS Error: The data could not be converted to UTF-8"

  3. RCoA
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    Likewise for me.

  4. unscripted360
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    yep. hopefully there's a solution guys.

    anyone know a resolution?

  5. bwnunnally
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    I also am seeing this. Even the WordPress links for development blog and news on the dashboard show the error: RSS Error: The data could not be converted to UTF-8

  6. bwnunnally
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    I had my host update the PHP version on my hosting account from 4.x to 5 and now the feeds show up properly on the dashboard, on my blog, and the video embed based on a url works properly. I would say that several functions in WordPress 2.9 require php 5.x to work properly

    GoDaddy instructions for php version change: http://help.godaddy.com/article/3937

  7. Robert Chapin (miqrogroove)
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    WordPress is not supposed to need php 5. This needs further investigation.

  8. Robert Chapin (miqrogroove)
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    ... and it looks like there is a discussion already going at http://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/11219

  9. unscripted360
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    thanks miqro. i'll look into that discussion. and you're right. wordpress isn't supposed to need php 5.

  10. Robert Chapin (miqrogroove)
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    To help boil this down for anyone trying to read the Trac thread:

    One aspect of this bug is that there is a requirement for either of these two PHP modules to be installed: iconv or mbstring. If your server is missing both of them, in any version of PHP, then that may be part of the cause of these errors.

  11. RCoA
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    I noticed another peculiarity, though I know it is better addressed in another post; After the upgrade, WordPress Stats started tracking my admin visits to my other pages. I logged out and logged back in again, and this seems to have fixed this. Anecdotally anyway.

  12. Denis de Bernardy
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    See also: http://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/11518

    Please be gentle with the core devs. Merely mention that it affected you.

  13. unscripted360
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    thanks everyone. this is all alien speak to me so i'm hoping it gets resolved in a way that i can comprehend lol

  14. Kaneanite
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    I did what "bwnunnally" suggested (I'm also hosted on GoDaddy so it was pretty easy)and it worked for me too. Maybe WordPress 2.9 does need some PHP5...or maybe it just needs it for now, until the devs find a good solution for those using PHP4.

    In any case, changing to PHP5 works for me. As long as it doesn't cause other issues with other plugins, etc.

  15. StevenCashman009
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    yep, php5 should be. and it is time to work on fresher solutions :)

    [sig moderated as per the Forum Rules]

  16. Denis de Bernardy
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    please try this as a fix:

    http://www.semiologic.com/2009/12/21/wp-2-9-three-bugs-and-how-to-fix-them/

  17. unscripted360
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    thanks Denis! that fixed me right up. i didn't feel like going to my host asking them to upgrade to anything or whatever it is lol.

    so again, thanks much!!

  18. Jenmenke
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    thanks. fixed mine too. In fact, it fixed a bunch of things -- like the Google Analytics which hadn't been working even before I upgraded to 2.9. Weird.

  19. Marie-Aude
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    Regarding the php5 issue : WordPress can work with php4, but php5 is strongly recommended.

    Since version 2.8, WordPress has started to use php5 specific features. In the last two versions, they added a compatibility layer, which means they where looking for alternate solutions to provide the same features when you were on php4. This meant slowing the software, and was source to many strange errors or plugin disfunctionnements.
    This layer has not been added for 2.9 which means that php4 users start to really miss features.

    php5 is now a must, even if it is "still possible" to run WordPress with php4.

    By the way, php4 is not supported for a year now. So running php4 is like runnong windows 98...

  20. domc
    Member
    Posted 2 years ago #

    Add this to your .htaccess

    <IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteEngine On
    AddHandler x-httpd-php5 .php
    AddHandler x-httpd-php .php4

    </IfModule>

    Worked for me. Using Godaddy.

Topic Closed

This topic has been closed to new replies.

About this Topic

Tags