I assume this mostly blank screen appears either just after uploading or after clicking the import button? If so then it sounds like an out of memory issue. You might be able to check some error logs to confirm (if you’re using cPanel or similar there should be an option to view them from that dashboard).
I don’t understand why it would be an out of memory issue because it’s a new site with the import being the only thing installed other than the default theme. I also am hosted on 1and1, so I don’t have access to the error logs.
Mr. Jon Cave, apparent Master of WordPress Uploader, I’m having the same problem and gravely need your counsel. It’s a brand-new, fresh install with no other plugins except the default (and even they’re not active) and the TwentyTen theme. XML file is only 188kb. I activated Debug Mode and the message I get is:
Fatal error: Call to undefined function libxml_use_internal_errors() in /netapp/whnas-silo1-node1/s8/s8/01296/www.mysite.com/webdocs/blog/wp-content/plugins/wordpress-importer/parsers.php on line 59.
I’m trying this after an attempted automatic upgrade to another install that tanked out and left me in BSOD mode. I’m starting to wonder if there’s something wrong with this database that I’m trying to import?
I’ve spent like 7 hours trying to get this site back up and if I can’t even start fresh and upload, I’m out of ideas. I’m hoping you have new ones.
Up, as I’m having the exact same problem as phillipbgilbert. My xml file is much smaller than the size limit of 8 MB but still, when I try to import, I get just an admin page with the Import header and nothing else.
Thanks in advance for your help, I’m clueless here.
I tried again this morning with just scrapping the install and starting new. Same thing. Nothing installed except twenty-ten theme and the wp importer plugin. The xml file is less than 1 mb. I’ve yet to see this resolved in any other similar topic. Any help is appreciated.
I’ve done some pretty intense Google searching : a lot of people have the same question, none have an answer. This also arose for me after I installed wordpress from scratch. I’m also on 1and1 and decided to switch to another host where I also have a contract to see if that helps, because I’ve had many issues with them (can’t do automatic upgrades of WordPress and have many issues with plugins). I’ll let you know.
I think I’ve maybe figured out what my problem is, I don’t know if it relates to anyone else. I was updating from a fairly old version of WP – 2.7.1 or something – and I think perhaps the structure of the database used now is different enough that the database I have just doesn’t match anymore, somehow, and makes importing not work. I reinstalled the old version of WP on the server in separate folder and brought in the database without a hitch, then recreated the client’s site for the time being. I’ve been hanging out on this thread, this thread and this post, seeing how I can get things to work. We’ll see if any of it makes a difference.
tracyberna:
Fatal error: Call to undefined function libxml_use_internal_errors() in /netapp/whnas-silo1-node1/s8/s8/01296/www.mysite.com/webdocs/blog/wp-content/plugins/wordpress-importer/parsers.php on line 59.
that’s occuring due to you using a older version of PHP, It seems the latest WordPress importer includes a PHP 5.1 function whereas, WordPress 3.1 only requires PHP ~4.3. (The alternative, is that XML parsing (libxml) is disabled on your PHP installation, which is possible)
WordPress 3.2 due to be released shortly requires PHP 5.2.4, so you may find the server your client is on, is incompatible with the latest version of WordPress anyway, fixing that will allow the importer to work correctly..
The memory limits mentioned for whitescreen errors are not the upload size, nor the diskspace, it’s related to how much RAM memory WordPress can consume, some hosts limit you to using a small amount of memory which renders WordPress unable to read the import files properly.
To attempt to work around Memory limits with the importer, you can attempt increasing the memory limit of WordPress, to do so, insert this after the opening <?php of the wp-config.php file:
define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '64M'); – You should only need that while attempting to import the site. Alternatively, Wait for 3.2 which is due to be released shortly, which should attempt to bump that for you automatically.
I checked with the hosting company and the version of php they’re on is 5.2 something (they just told me and I forgot what the third number was. :-/) Anyway, they’re apparently also in the process of upgrading to 5.3. I will try upgrading the memory limit and see how that goes.
BTW, I’m back down to version 2.8.1 of WP, and I’ve been told that from older versions it’s best to upgrade incrementally instead of jumping right to the latest version. I’m going to try that, except that when I try to go to the link to download earlier versions (http://static.wordpress.org/archive/) I get a “You don’t have permission to access /archive/ on this server.” Same thing happens if I take “access” off the end of the URL. I have some old versions saved but if I don’t have the right ones, this could be a problem.
Okay, I’ve done lots (and lots) of incremental upgrading at this point (taking my instructions from this post, except I did jump from 3.0.4 to 3.1.3, instead of just 3.1), and every time I get to a version that needs to use the WordPress Importer 0.4 plugin I get a blank Dashboard page after I hit “Upload file and import.” The blog itself goes to white screen after that. At no time in the incremental upgrading did any version ever tell me I needed to update or reconfigure the database to match the new version and then do so (I don’t know if that was just wishful thinking on my part, but I do think I read somewhere that might occur. Is there anything that can be done to reconfigure the database if in fact it DOESN’T match anymore, a plugin or something? I haven’t opened up my saved db and looked at it to compare it to the latest version but this seems likely, somehow.) Anyway, basically I can get as far as 3.0.4 and no further.
I don’t suppose anybody’s cracked this case in the last three days or so, or has any new ideas of what to try?
Sorry I didn’t notice the more recent replies on this thread.
Fatal error: Call to undefined function libxml_use_internal_errors() in /netapp/whnas-silo1-node1/s8/s8/01296/www.mysite.com/webdocs/blog/wp-content/plugins/wordpress-importer/parsers.php on line 59.
That suggests to me that your host has the simplexml extension enabled, but libxml disabled. That is an oversight on my part and will be fixed.
If this fatal error is the cause of your whitescreen on importing then you could try stopping it from using SimpleXML. You can do this by editing wordpress-importer/parsers.php and changing line number 15 which reads:
if ( extension_loaded( ‘simplexml’ ) ) {
to
if ( false && extension_loaded( ‘simplexml’ ) ) {
It shouldn’t be any problems with changes in database structure. Ideally the importer should be able to take an export from any previous version and import it into a newer version without any trouble. If this isn’t the case then that should be fixed.
Would you be able to send me your export file so I can confirm that it’s not an issue with the file itself? Email: wp AT lionsgoroar.co.uk if possible.
In your most recent reply, when you say:
The blog itself goes to white screen after that.
Are you saying that just the import page whitescreens due the fatal error like before? Or that whatever page you then visit is a white screen?
Thanks.
Thanks very much for the offer, Jon. An email was duly sent last night.
