Title: Cannot write .htaccess Last modified: November 24, 2020 --- # Cannot write .htaccess * [gregmurf](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gregmurf/) * (@gregmurf) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-write-htaccess/) * Hi, i try to make some changes on iThemes Security but it says “.htaccess cannot be written”. “Allow iThemes Security to write on wp-config.php et .htaccess” is checked. .htaccess rights are 644. Any idea ? * thanks 🙂 - This topic was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by [gregmurf](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gregmurf/). - This topic was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by [gregmurf](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gregmurf/). Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 37 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-write-htaccess/page/2/?output_format=md) [3](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-write-htaccess/page/3/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-write-htaccess/page/2/?output_format=md) * [nlpro](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nlpro/) * (@nlpro) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-write-htaccess/#post-13702198) * Probably best to enable the **Show Error Codes** setting in the **Global Settings** module (Scroll down all the way to the bottom to find the setting). * Then reproduce the error and share all the error info displayed on your screen. * To prevent any confusion, I’m not iThemes. * Thread Starter [gregmurf](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gregmurf/) * (@gregmurf) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-write-htaccess/#post-13702752) * Thanks. Here is the full error: /var/www/html/wordpress/.htaccess n’a pas pu être écrit. C’est peut être dû à un problème de permissions. Assurez-vous que PHP est lancé avec les permissions utilisateurs nécessaires pour écrire à cet emplacement. (itsec-lib-file-write-file-put-contents-failed) * [nlpro](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nlpro/) * (@nlpro) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-write-htaccess/#post-13702934) * Ok, so the full error translated in English is: * > /var/www/html/wordpress/.htaccess could not be written. This could be due to > a permissions issue. Ensure that PHP runs as a user that has permission to > write to this location.(itsec-lib-file-write-file-put-contents-failed) * You will have to contact your hosting provider and let them check that the user running the PHP process has write permission to your /var/www/html/wordpress/. htaccess file. * Thread Starter [gregmurf](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gregmurf/) * (@gregmurf) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-write-htaccess/#post-13703244) * I host my linux server on OVH. Everything else is made by myself. www-data is the wordpress folder owner. If i put “echo(exec(“whoami”));die();” on index.php, www-data is shown as user running. .htaccess is 644. - This reply was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by [gregmurf](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gregmurf/). * [nlpro](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nlpro/) * (@nlpro) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-write-htaccess/#post-13703408) * Ok, I see. You may need to debug the iTSec plugin script responsible for generating the error. It’s the **write** method in the wp-content/plugins/better-wp-security/ core/lib/class-itsec-lib-file.php file. * The **write** method is called like this: * `return ITSEC_Lib_File::write( $file, $contents );` * Return values are boolean or WP_Error. Boolean true on success, WP_Error object otherwise. * Thread Starter [gregmurf](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gregmurf/) * (@gregmurf) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-write-htaccess/#post-13706024) * I put the write method on the class-itsec-lib-file.php file and now it returns: `( itsec-settings-page-server-error-ajax-response: error "Internal Server Error")` * [nlpro](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nlpro/) * (@nlpro) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-write-htaccess/#post-13706488) * Ah, ok. My apologies. I should explain better. * Whatever change(s) you made, undo it first. Then follow the steps below: * In the better-wp-security/core/lib folder create a backup copy of the original class-itsec-lib-file.php file. Name it class-itsec-lib-file.php.old We are making this copy to be able to quickly restore the default setup after we are done debugging. * Then create a new file (itsec-write-test.php) in the WordPress **wp-admin** folder and enter the following content in the file: * ``` [http://www.domain.fr/wp-admin/itsec-write-test.php](http://www.domain.fr/wp-admin/itsec-write-test.php) * Where [http://www.domain.fr](http://www.domain.fr) should be substituted with your domain name. (If using SSL use https instead of http). * At this point, let me know the first and second result (simply refresh the second tab in the browser for the second result). * We will continue debugging after these results are known. - This reply was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by [nlpro](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nlpro/). * Thread Starter [gregmurf](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gregmurf/) * (@gregmurf) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-write-htaccess/#post-13707158) * Done (you missed ?> at the end of code) 🙂 Result => File writing succeeded. * [nlpro](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nlpro/) * (@nlpro) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-write-htaccess/#post-13707673) * Ok, great. * The test script is based upon the wp-admin/index.php file. There is no php end tag included in that file so I saw no reason to add it to our test script 😉 Also most WordPress php files do not include the php end tag. It’s not a fatal error … * Anyway, we have a positive result when writing to a NEW file in the same folder where the .htaccess file exists. Did the second write test also return a positive result ? (Oh, to keeps things tidy you can delete the newly created test1.txt file). * Before starting debugging we need to make sure we can reproduce the issue when using the test script. So next we will try to write to the existing .htaccess file. * **IMPORTANT**: First create a backup copy of the .htaccess file !! * Then change the test script (itsec-write-test.php) and simply change the filename“ test1.txt” into “.htaccess” * Now run the test script again. If the issue reproduces it should return: * > Error msg: /var/www/html/wordpress/.htaccess could not be written. This could > be due to a permissions issue. Ensure that PHP runs as a user that has permission > to write to this location. * If the issue does not reproduce, check the content of the .htaccess file. If the content is overwritten RESTORE the .htaccess file from the backup file we created earlier! - This reply was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by [nlpro](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nlpro/). * Thread Starter [gregmurf](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gregmurf/) * (@gregmurf) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-write-htaccess/#post-13708022) * i delete test1.txt. But i dont understand how to perform the “second write test”? Do you mean this: “Then change the test script (itsec-write-test.php) and simply change the filename “test1.txt” into “.htaccess” Now run the test script again.”? - This reply was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by [gregmurf](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gregmurf/). * Thread Starter [gregmurf](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gregmurf/) * (@gregmurf) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-write-htaccess/#post-13708093) * Done: change the itsec-write-test.php to * ``` /** Write to a new test file */ $result = ITSEC_Lib_File::write( '/var/www/html/wordpress/.htaccess', "This is a .htaccess test.\n" ); ``` * And i have this error: * ``` une erreur critique est survenue sur votre site. Veuillez consulter la boite de réception de l’e-mail d’administration de votre site pour plus d’informations. En apprendre plus sur le débogage de WordPress. ``` * .htaccess is not modified and WP is up. * I use Wordfence. It’s not a problem ? - This reply was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by [gregmurf](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gregmurf/). - This reply was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by [gregmurf](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gregmurf/). * [nlpro](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nlpro/) * (@nlpro) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-write-htaccess/#post-13708216) * Using Wordfence should not be a problem. * I think adding .htaccess twice may be the problem. * So change the write line to look like this: * `$result = ITSEC_Lib_File::write( '/var/www/html/wordpress/.htaccess', "This is a test.\n" );` * Then retry. * Thread Starter [gregmurf](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gregmurf/) * (@gregmurf) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-write-htaccess/#post-13708271) * Same error. itsec-write-test.php content: * ```