Title: Cannot edit pages
Last modified: March 5, 2017

---

# Cannot edit pages

 *  [genealogist1](https://wordpress.org/support/users/genealogist1/)
 * (@genealogist1)
 * [9 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-edit-pages-5/)
 * Very shortly after upgrading to WordPress version 4.7 I have been unable to edit
   any page on my website. This problem continues even though I have now upgraded
   to WordPress version 4.7.2.
 * Whenever I try to edit a page of my website the area where I would edit the page
   appears completely blank and there are no edit buttons above the edit area.
 * Even though the edit area is blank it tells me at the bottom of the edit area
   how many words are on the page. If I swipe the edit area with the mouse I can
   see the text; so I am assuming that the text is white font on a white background.
   The swiped text appears to be in HTML format not the normal visual view of the
   page when I edit a page
 * I am using theme ‘Twenty sixteen” and using the ‘WPedit’ plugin.
 * Help to get me back up and running would be appreciated, but please be aware 
   that I am a Family Historian, who displays the results of my research on my website,
   and not a website designer. So please make any instructions comprehensive enough
   so that a novice can follow them.
 * Thanks for your help

Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

 *  [linux4me2](https://wordpress.org/support/users/linux4me2/)
 * (@linux4me2)
 * [9 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-edit-pages-5/#post-8876754)
 * It sounds like you may have a problem in the display of your editor caused by
   the WPedit plugin. Have you tried disabling the WPedit plugin (Plugins -> Installed
   Plugins -> WPedit, deactivate) to see if it solves the problem?
 *  Thread Starter [genealogist1](https://wordpress.org/support/users/genealogist1/)
 * (@genealogist1)
 * [9 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-edit-pages-5/#post-8876818)
 * Hi linux4me2,
    I have deactiated WPedit, logged out of WordPress, Logged back
   into WordPress and the problem is still there
 * Regards
    Genealogist1
 *  [linux4me2](https://wordpress.org/support/users/linux4me2/)
 * (@linux4me2)
 * [9 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-edit-pages-5/#post-8876834)
 * Make sure you clear your browser’s cache, too. (In Firefox, it’s Ctrl+F5.) Your
   browser may be caching the old CSS instead of refreshing it.
 * Well, you’re already using a default theme, so unless you have added some custom
   CSS (Appearance -> Customize -> Additional CSS) that affects the editor, the 
   only other thing I can think of is that you have another plugin that’s interfering.
   You might try disactivating all your plugins, and if that fixes it, reactivate
   one at a time until you find the culprit.
 * The other approach is to look at the CSS for the editor using the developer’s
   tools in Firefox or Chrome to see why you have white-on-white, but from your 
   description of your developer skills, that may be a bit of a reach for you.
    -  This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by [linux4me2](https://wordpress.org/support/users/linux4me2/).
 *  Thread Starter [genealogist1](https://wordpress.org/support/users/genealogist1/)
 * (@genealogist1)
 * [9 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-edit-pages-5/#post-8876911)
 * Hi linux4me2
 * I have now deactivated all the plugins and cleared the cache in Firefox and this
   has not rectified the problem.
    Whilst I do have white on white when editing;
   there are also no controls (formatting etc) above the editing area and I believe
   there are two options for editing ‘text’ and ‘visual’. The white on white text
   is in the option shows the page in HTML format rather than what the page actually
   looks like and I cannot select the other option.
 * How difficult is it to use the developer’s tools?
    I normally use Chrome – how
   should I clear the cache when using Chrome?
 * Regards
    The Genealogist
 *  [linux4me2](https://wordpress.org/support/users/linux4me2/)
 * (@linux4me2)
 * [9 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-edit-pages-5/#post-8876928)
 * You can find out how to clear the cache in Chrome [here](http://www.wikihow.com/Clear-the-Cache-in-Chrome).
 * There are only two things I know of that can cause that kind of problem with 
   the editor: a CSS conflict or a javascript conflict. Both of those should be 
   cleared up by using a default theme and clearing your browser cache.
 * I guess it’s possible you have a PHP error–which should be in an “error_log” 
   file in the /public_html or /public_html/wp-admin folders on your server–but 
   it seems unlikely since you’re not using any plugins now.
 * To use the developers’ tools in Firefox, you just use Shift+Ctrl+k to display
   the sidebar, which will by default display any errors in console first. You can
   then right-click on any element on a page and choose “inspect element” to display
   that item’s CSS. If you click on your editor, you may be able to see what the
   errant CSS is, and where it’s coming from.
 *  Thread Starter [genealogist1](https://wordpress.org/support/users/genealogist1/)
 * (@genealogist1)
 * [9 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-edit-pages-5/#post-8877030)
 * Hi linux4me2
 * When I go into developers’ tools in Firefox and it displays the Console tab I
   get the following message:
    ReferenceError: tinymce is not defined
 * Could this be the cause and if so how do I rectify the problem?
 * Regards
    The genealogist
 *  [linux4me2](https://wordpress.org/support/users/linux4me2/)
 * (@linux4me2)
 * [9 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-edit-pages-5/#post-8877051)
 * That means there is a javascript issue for TinyMCE, the javascript-based editor
   that WordPress uses by default. It can definitely cause a disruption in the way
   your editor displays. Most likely, the cause isn’t TinyMCE itself, but a conflict
   between it and some other javascript running on your site.
 * I installed Twenty Sixteen on a test site and checked it, and I’m not getting
   any errors for TinyMCE, so it looks like it’s something specific to your installation.
 * If you’ve already deactivated all your plugins and cleared your browser cache,
   I can’t think of why you’d have a javascript conflict. Are you using the base
   Twenty Sixteen theme without any modifications?
 * I guess you might try switching to another default theme like Twenty Seventeen
   and see if the problem remains.
 *  [zoeloumba](https://wordpress.org/support/users/zoeloumba/)
 * (@zoeloumba)
 * [9 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-edit-pages-5/#post-8879624)
 * Hello[.](http://siriusblack.org/rhodiola/) There are sometimes problems with 
   new updates. I can see 3 possible issues.
    1: The theme is the problem[.](http://mr-ginseng.com/ashwagandha/)(
   many chances) 2: One plugin is the problem[.](http://siriusblack.org/rhodiola/)(
   many chances) 3: Your navigator is the problem. (few chances)
    -  This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by [zoeloumba](https://wordpress.org/support/users/zoeloumba/).
 *  [linux4me2](https://wordpress.org/support/users/linux4me2/)
 * (@linux4me2)
 * [9 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-edit-pages-5/#post-8880200)
 * I thought of a couple other things that might be causing the error. Hotlinking
   protection can prevent javascript from loading if you don’t have it configured
   correctly. That would be unrelated to your WP upgrade, and usually happens when
   you have hotlinking protection enabled, switch to HTTPS, and forget to add the
   HTTPS to your hotlinking list of allowed sites.
 * Since you’re already using a default theme, and you have deactivated all plugins
   and cleared your browser cache, the other thing you could try is a manual update
   to 4.7.2 on the off-chance that some files were not successfully updated or were
   corrupted.
 *  Thread Starter [genealogist1](https://wordpress.org/support/users/genealogist1/)
 * (@genealogist1)
 * [9 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-edit-pages-5/#post-8880397)
 * Hi linux4me2,
    Thanks for your patience I was tired last night and started to
   make mistakes, so I left further testing until this evening.
 * I tried uploading and switching to theme twenty seventeen and the problem still
   occurred.
 * Hi zoeloumba
    Re your comments the problem occurs on both themes 2016 and 2017
   therefore probably not a problem. All pluggins have been disabled So what are
   the navigator problems?
 * Hi linux4me2 again
    I do not know what you mean by ‘hotlinking protection’ can
   you please give me some guidance as to how I check that is not the problem? I
   have already updated to 4.7.2 using the button on the dashboard but is this different
   from a ‘manual update’ ? If it is different then can you please give me guidance
   as to how to do a manual update?
 * I have searched around on Google and I don’ seem to be the only person with the
   same problem. The problem occurred very shortly after upgrading to 4.7.
 * Your help is much appreciated
    Regards The genealogist PS In 1 hour I have to
   go out for 2 hours I do appreciate your help to try and resolve this problem
 *  [linux4me2](https://wordpress.org/support/users/linux4me2/)
 * (@linux4me2)
 * [9 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-edit-pages-5/#post-8880720)
 * Hotlinking is the use of images from your site by another site. You can read 
   more about it on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inline_linking). If
   you’re using cPanel for your web hosting account, you can see if hotlinking is
   enabled by clicking “Hotlink Protection” in the Security section. If you’re not
   using cPanel, you can use the file browser for your hosting account or FTP to
   look in your root web folder, usually /public_html, for a file called “.htaccess”.
   If you have hotlinking protection enabled, there will be something that looks
   like this:
 *     ```
       RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://yourdomain.com/.*$      [NC]
       RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://yourdomain.com$      [NC]
       RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://www.yourdomain.com/.*$      [NC]
       RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://www.yourdomain.com$      [NC]
       RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^https://yourdomain.com/.*$      [NC]
       RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^https://yourdomain.com$      [NC]
       RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^https://www.yourdomain.com/.*$      [NC]
       RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^https://www.yourdomain.com$      [NC]
       RewriteRule .*\.(js|jpg|jpeg|gif|png|bmp)$ - [F,NC]
       ```
   
 * I think you may be able to have hotlinking protection through a plugin, but since
   you have those deactivated, that’s not an issue.
 * The instructions in the Codex will help you perform a [manual update](https://codex.wordpress.org/Updating_WordPress#Manual_Update).
   It will make you appreciate automatic updates, but it does sometimes solve issues
   like you’re facing.

Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

The topic ‘Cannot edit pages’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 11 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [genealogist1](https://wordpress.org/support/users/genealogist1/)
 * Last activity: [9 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-edit-pages-5/#post-8880397)
 * Status: not resolved

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