Title: Fatal error running install.php Last modified: August 18, 2016 --- # Fatal error running install.php * Resolved [bobsch552](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bobsch552/) * (@bobsch552) * [19 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-running-installphp/) * Although I have about 10 years html experience, I have zero php experience. I just downloaded WordPath 2.1, set up my wp-config.php file and ran [http://recoverthefuture.org/wp-admin/install.php](http://recoverthefuture.org/wp-admin/install.php) in my browser. It immediately returned: “Fatal error: main() [function.require]: Failed opening required ‘ABSPATH/wp-admin/admin-functions.php’ (include_path=’.:/ usr/local/lib/php’) in /homepages/5/d96293041/htdocs/recover/wp-admin/upgrade- functions.php on line 5” The admin-functions.php and upgrade-functions.php files are present. Anybody know what’s wrong here? Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total) * [wilsonke](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wilsonke/) * (@wilsonke) * [19 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-running-installphp/#post-512307) * It is trying to include and validate the admin-functions.php file in your wp- admin directory under the directory you have the WordPress folder (blog folder) or the root directory. Check to make sure that your admin-functions.php file is under the wp-admin folder under the WordPress root directory. * Thread Starter [bobsch552](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bobsch552/) * (@bobsch552) * [19 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-running-installphp/#post-512431) * Thanks for your reply. * I assume when you say “WordPress root directory” you mean my “recover” directory which is my blog folder \recover (short for Recover the Future). It contains the root files I downloaded from WordPress plus my wp-config.php file and 3 folders. The complete path to the three folders is: – \recover\wp-admin – \recover\wp- content – \recover\wp-includes * It also contains an “under construction” index.html file which is what opens if you enter [http://recoverthefuture.org/](http://recoverthefuture.org/) in a browser. If you enter [http://recoverthefuture.org/wp-admin/install.php](http://recoverthefuture.org/wp-admin/install.php), then you get the fatal error message. * The wp-admin folder DOES contain the admin-functions.php file. I re-uploaded it just to make sure there wasn’t a glich in the first FTP process. Still the same message. * [MichaelH](https://wordpress.org/support/users/michaelh/) * (@michaelh) * [19 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-running-installphp/#post-512434) * I’d consider reuploading your WordPress files. Might even delete all the WordPress files (except for wp-config.php) first then reupload the files. * I’ve had good luck using [FileZilla](http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_FileZilla) on 1and1.com hosts to upload files. * [Samuel B](https://wordpress.org/support/users/samboll/) * (@samboll) * [19 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-running-installphp/#post-512437) * You need your index.php running to do the install. Rename your index.html file to something like oldindex.html – then run the install link. Should work. * edit – if that doesn’t wok do as MichaelH says – you may have a corrupted file in the download/upload process. * Thread Starter [bobsch552](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bobsch552/) * (@bobsch552) * [19 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-running-installphp/#post-512582) * Thanks to you both! I renamed the index.html file and it didn’t work. I then downloaded the WordPress files anew, put them in new folder called WordPress, added my wp-config.php file and uploaded it all via WiseFtp. I then made the WordPress folder the root folder for recoverthefuture.org, ran [http://recoverthefuture.org/wp-admin/install.php](http://recoverthefuture.org/wp-admin/install.php) with the same result. So, no luck! I suspect the problem lies in the way 1and1 directs the recoverthefuture.org URL to the “Destination…home directory : /wordpress” So, unless you have any other thoughts, I think I’ll press 1and1 and, if they are not quickly helpful, maybe I’ll move the hosting and registration for my 18 domains elsewhere. Thanks again. – Bob * [MichaelH](https://wordpress.org/support/users/michaelh/) * (@michaelh) * [19 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-running-installphp/#post-512629) * For your domain, if you have the Destination home directory as wordpress, then wp-admin, wp-content, wp-includes and the 21 files should be placed in the directory/ wordpress. Then you should be able to navidate to recoverthefuture.org/wp-admin/ install.php to do the installation. * Thread Starter [bobsch552](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bobsch552/) * (@bobsch552) * [19 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-running-installphp/#post-512660) * Michael, that’s where they are but this is the message I get (same as before) when I navigate to [http://recoverthefuture.org/wp-admin/install.php](http://recoverthefuture.org/wp-admin/install.php) * `Fatal error: main() [function.require]: Failed opening required 'ABSPATH/wp- admin/admin-functions.php' (include_path='.:/usr/local/lib/php') in /homepages/ 5/d96293041/htdocs/wordpress/wp-admin/upgrade-functions.php on line 5` * The part where I think 1and1 has control, but that I don’t understand is `(include_path ='.:/usr/local/lib/php') in /homepages/5/d96293041/htdocs/` * I don’t know anything in that phrase. * Thanks again. – Bob * Thread Starter [bobsch552](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bobsch552/) * (@bobsch552) * [19 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-running-installphp/#post-512747) * Still not resolved. I went back into wp-config-sample.php and decided that the entire sample and not just the four modified lines needed to be included in my wp-config.php. It looks like that might have been the problem… to a point. I now get the error ` Parse error: parse error, unexpected '}' in /homepages/5/ d96293041/htdocs/wordpress/wp-admin/admin-functions.php on line 841 * [moshu](https://wordpress.org/support/users/moshu/) * (@moshu) * [19 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-running-installphp/#post-512748) * You should only insert the 4 required info pieces into the wp-config.sample and DO NOT touch anything else! Leave it exactly as it is ans save it as… etc. Just don’t mess with the code (plain English: read the instructions and don’t want to be smarter…) * Thread Starter [bobsch552](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bobsch552/) * (@bobsch552) * [19 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-running-installphp/#post-512750) * Its not that I want to be smarter, I just don’t want to be dumber. Anyway, after not messing with the code except to change the 4 required info pieces and replacing the admin-functions.php file with a fresh one. I now am set up. Problem solved. Thank you all for your help. Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total) The topic ‘Fatal error running install.php’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [fatal](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/fatal/) * [install.php](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/install-php/) * In: [Installing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/installation/) * 10 replies * 5 participants * Last reply from: [bobsch552](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bobsch552/) * Last activity: [19 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fatal-error-running-installphp/#post-512750) * Status: resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics