dashboard not displaying correctly

  • maxsalad

    (@maxsalad)


    2 days, 14 hours ago

    Hi

    I am having issues with the dashboard its self, the side panel which usually displays home, updates, posts, pages etc has gone completely blank. there is absolutely nothing there. Any help most appreciated.

    thanks

    The page I need help with: [log in to see the link]

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • Thread Starter maxsalad

    (@maxsalad)

    2 days, 14 hours ago

    context:

    I have a website – Stephenwattssculpture.co.uk – it was back in 2015 that I created it. The Theme went out of date/ showed lots of errors, which prevented the website working – I have been working to get a new theme installed.

    Every time I tried to install a new theme it said the theme could not be installed – there were errors – instalation failed – could not create directory – so I thought that it might be becasue I needed to update things – so I updated to wordpress version 7.0 and then this happened – The dashboard went completely blank. – the side on the left that usually displays – home, pages, posts, etc – the tools needed for wordpress,

    Any help most apprecaiated.

    • This reply was modified 2 days, 14 hours ago by maxsalad.
    Bigul Malayi

    (@mbigul)

    2 days, 6 hours ago

    Hi @maxsalad

    The earlier “Could not create directory” error may be related to the current issue.

    Could you please try the following after a full site backup:

    • Clear all caches:
      • Any caching plugin or server-side cache
      • Browser cache (Ctrl + Shift + R)
    • Disable all plugins:
      • Rename the /wp-content/plugins/ folder to plugins-old using FTP.
      • Refresh the Dashboard.
      • If the menu returns, rename the /wp-content/plugins/ folder back, then reactivate the plugins one by one to identify the problematic plugin.
    • Switch to a default theme:
      • Temporarily rename your active theme folder in /wp-content/themes/.
      • WordPress should automatically fall back to a default theme if one is installed.
    • Reinstall WordPress core:
      • Download the latest WordPress package from WordPress.org.
      • Replace the contents of the wp-admin and wp-includes folders.
      • Do not overwrite wp-config.php or the wp-content folder.

    Also, since you previously saw “Could not create directory” errors, please check the file permissions:

    • Folders: 755
    • Files: 644

    Please let us know whether the admin menu returns after disabling the plugins, and share your PHP version if possible.

    websiteconsultant

    (@websiteconsultant)

    2 days, 6 hours ago

    Hi there,

    If the WordPress dashboard side menu has gone completely blank, it is usually caused by one of these issues:

    • Plugin conflict
    • Theme conflict
    • Failed or incomplete WordPress/plugin update
    • Admin CSS or JavaScript not loading properly
    • Browser/cache issue
    • User role/capability issue
    • Security or optimization plugin blocking admin scripts
    • PHP error affecting the admin area

    I would start with the simple checks first:

    1. Try opening the dashboard in an incognito/private browser window
    2. Clear browser cache and any site cache
    3. Check if the issue happens with another admin user
    4. If you recently updated a plugin/theme, that may be the cause
    5. Temporarily disable plugins to see if the admin menu returns
    6. If you cannot disable plugins from the dashboard, rename the plugins folder through hosting File Manager or FTP
    7. If plugins are not the issue, temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme
    8. Check the browser console for JavaScript errors
    9. Enable WordPress debug mode if needed to find the exact error

    Since the front-end page may still work normally, the issue is likely inside the admin area rather than the public website itself.

    Before making changes, I would recommend taking a backup first, especially if you need to disable plugins or edit files through hosting.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.