Title: Host migration: Can’t save permalink Last modified: May 9, 2017 --- # Host migration: Can’t save permalink * Resolved [sadlion](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sadlion/) * (@sadlion) * [9 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/host-migration-cant-save-permalink/) * I am trying to migrate between Bluhost and GoDaddy hosting. * Everything goes smoothly until I have to save the permalinks. * After I sign in again into my admin dashboard I click save and my browser tries to download a .php file. It happens over and over and even if I visit the actual website, the browser prompts me to download a file. * Please help. This is very frustrating. Viewing 14 replies - 1 through 14 (of 14 total) * Plugin Author [Yani](https://wordpress.org/support/users/yaniiliev/) * (@yaniiliev) * [9 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/host-migration-cant-save-permalink/#post-9114404) * [@sadlion](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sadlion/) * Try talking to GoDaddy support – they are usually quite good at fixing such errors. * You can also search for .htaccess files that can be telling apache not to execute php files. * Thread Starter [sadlion](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sadlion/) * (@sadlion) * [9 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/host-migration-cant-save-permalink/#post-9114905) * I think that’s it. * All of my other exports are named [http://www.domain.com-xxx](http://www.domain.com-xxx) but this particular one is always missing the www in front of the name. Could that be the problem? * Thread Starter [sadlion](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sadlion/) * (@sadlion) * [9 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/host-migration-cant-save-permalink/#post-9115035) * Found the problem. This drove me crazy for two days! I hope writing down the solution will help others and save people some time. * The problem was with the plugin Ad Inserter * It was writing a line of code in the .htaccess right between: * # BEGIN WordPress <<>> * THERE IS DEFINITELY A COMPATIBILITY ISSUE WITH THE All-in-One WP Migration AND THE Ad Inserter plugin. * Causing the new server not to hold the .php files. After the migration, when trying to access the website or clicking on any link on the site or dashboard the browser would just try to download the file. * It seems to be working now. Fingers crossed! * Plugin Author [Yani](https://wordpress.org/support/users/yaniiliev/) * (@yaniiliev) * [9 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/host-migration-cant-save-permalink/#post-9115838) * Thank you [@sadlion](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sadlion/) You can also notify the author of Ad Inserter plugin. They will want to fix this issue. * [Spacetime](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spacetime/) * (@spacetime) * [9 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/host-migration-cant-save-permalink/#post-9118154) * Hello, * I am the author of Ad Inserter plugin. * I’m pretty sure this plugin has nothing to do with the problems mentioned above. The plugin does not write to .htaccess file. * Thread Starter [sadlion](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sadlion/) * (@sadlion) * [9 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/host-migration-cant-save-permalink/#post-9119096) * Hello Igor and thank you for taking the time to look into this. * You created an amazing plugin. Ad Inserter is awesome. * I am sorry if I mistakenly singled out your plugin but it was the only thing I could come up with. * Here is the .htaccess file. The second line is the extra one. * # BEGIN WordPress AddHandler application/x-httpd-php70s .php ExpiresActive On ExpiresByType image/jpg “access plus 6 hours” ExpiresByType image/jpeg “access plus 6 hours” * Since I did not have Ad Inserter installed on any other site and all other migrations worked fine, I assumed it was the culprit. * I am probably mistaken. * Thank you for clarifying that! * [dreadpiratebonney](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dreadpiratebonney/) * (@dreadpiratebonney) * [9 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/host-migration-cant-save-permalink/#post-9136928) * I am experiencing the exact same issue. Can you describe what you ended up doing that resolved the issue for you? * [dreadpiratebonney](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dreadpiratebonney/) * (@dreadpiratebonney) * [9 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/host-migration-cant-save-permalink/#post-9141130) * Nevermind, I figured it out. In case anyone else experiences the same issue: I discovered that the original host (BlueHost) had installed several hidden “ Must-Use” plugins, probably with the 1-click WP install. When I moved the site to the client’s HostGator account, these plugins started causing the issue. I simply FTPed into the site, deleted these plugins, and the issue disappeared. * Plugin Author [Yani](https://wordpress.org/support/users/yaniiliev/) * (@yaniiliev) * [9 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/host-migration-cant-save-permalink/#post-9141907) * [@dreadpiratebonney](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dreadpiratebonney/) Please open a separate forum post next time. I do not follow posts that are marked as resolved. Thank you! * Thread Starter [sadlion](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sadlion/) * (@sadlion) * [9 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/host-migration-cant-save-permalink/#post-9142397) * [@dreadpiratebonney](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dreadpiratebonney/) * Yes, the problem is with Bluehost. I explained how I resolved my issue in my posts. Perhaps you missed it. Here is a quick re-cap. * PROBLEM: after moving from Bluehost to GoDaddy hosting the migration would not allow me to save permalinks since every link on the dashboard or website would cause the browser to download a PHP file. * CAUSE: Bluehost (and most likely one of the plug-ins it installed with the WordPress installation) was writing an extra line in the .htaccess file. * This line: AddHandler application/x-httpd-php70s .php * It looks something like this in the .htaccess file * # BEGIN WordPress AddHandler application/x-httpd-php70s .php ExpiresActive On ExpiresByType image/jpg “access plus 6 hours” ExpiresByType image/jpeg “access plus 6 hours” * SOLUTION: Edit the .htaccess file so it looks like this: * # BEGIN WordPress ExpiresActive On ExpiresByType image/ jpg “access plus 6 hours” ExpiresByType image/jpeg “access plus 6 hours” * SOLVED! * Goodbye forever Bluehost. I am so glad you’re out of my life! I can’t believe you are the #1 host recommended for WordPress! My sites were always down 3 to 4 times a week. * [dreadpiratebonney](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dreadpiratebonney/) * (@dreadpiratebonney) * [9 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/host-migration-cant-save-permalink/#post-9142589) * Yeah, I tried editing the .htaccess file but as soon as I would go to the Permalinks page it would rewrite that line that I had just edited out. * I wasn’t until I actually removed the BlueHost “must-use” plugins that the .htaccess file would stay edited. * Thanks for your follow up! * [elpuas](https://wordpress.org/support/users/elpuas/) * (@elpuas) * [8 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/host-migration-cant-save-permalink/#post-9302973) * I run thru the same issue, i spend a week trying to figure it out, until i run into this thread, and yes deleting the bluehost mu-plugin fix my issue. * [jinx-nm](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jinx-nm/) * (@jinx-nm) * [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/host-migration-cant-save-permalink/#post-9463847) * I am having the same issue migrating a site from Bluehost to GoDaddy, but I am still unable to save the permalinks changes after deleting the Bluehost plugins like Mojo Marketplace, etc. After reading this thread I deleted the old backup, logged into the site to be migrated, deleted the Bluehost plugins, exported a new backup, and tried to import the new backup into a new install of WordPress( not the install that had failed previously) but I still have the same issue. Am I missing a step, or can anyone suggest something else that might help? Thanks! * [dreadpiratebonney](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dreadpiratebonney/) * (@dreadpiratebonney) * [8 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/host-migration-cant-save-permalink/#post-9487265) * I had to FTP into my site to even see all of the extra BlueHost plugins. They weren’t accessible or visible from the WordPress dashboard. Viewing 14 replies - 1 through 14 (of 14 total) The topic ‘Host migration: Can’t save permalink’ is closed to new replies. * ![](https://ps.w.org/all-in-one-wp-migration/assets/icon-256x256.png?rev=2458334) * [All-in-One WP Migration and Backup](https://wordpress.org/plugins/all-in-one-wp-migration/) * [Frequently Asked Questions](https://wordpress.org/plugins/all-in-one-wp-migration/#faq) * [Support Threads](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/all-in-one-wp-migration/) * [Active Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/all-in-one-wp-migration/active/) * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/all-in-one-wp-migration/unresolved/) * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/all-in-one-wp-migration/reviews/) ## Tags * [permalinks](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/permalinks/) * 14 replies * 6 participants * Last reply from: [dreadpiratebonney](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dreadpiratebonney/) * Last activity: [8 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/host-migration-cant-save-permalink/#post-9487265) * Status: resolved