When WordPress breaks, it tin exist pretty frustrating to try and figure out what'southward causing the consequence. It'due south especially annoying when the problem doesn't resolve for hours and blocks y'all from using an of import part of your site.

Are you lot getting a strange error on your Updates page preventing y'all from upgrading WordPress core or fifty-fifty your theme and plugins? Sometimes this problem will sort itself out, only if yous've waited a long time and you're nevertheless stuck on this message, it's not likely to resolve on its ain.

Let's go over why this problem happens and a few suggested ways to get your site working again.

Causes of the Update in Progress Error

When your site is working as intended, going to the Dashboard > Updates screen will show your current version of WordPress. You tin can also initiate an update for WordPress cadre, your theme, or your plugins.

WordPress Updates screen
WordPress Updates screen

Simply if your site has updated recently, yous may notice a brief message has taken over or appears when you lot attempt to update or reinstall anything: "Another update is currently in progress."

This removes all the update buttons and prevents you from doing anything else on the page.

WordPress update progress screen
WordPress update progress screen

If you know that y'all just ran an update, this is actually intended functionality to go on you from accidentally breaking your site while an update is downloading.

If you didn't start the update yourself, it may accept been caused past the auto-update function or another user on your site with loftier-level privileges could have initiated the update process.

But while it'due south normal to run into this screen while an update is running, it's non normal for it to stay in that location for hours on stop.

WordPress does intentionally lock your database, but sometimes the lock doesn't go removed properly. Peradventure the update didn't finish properly due to a server connection blip or something else that went wrong, but y'all could become stuck on the "Update in progress" screen indefinitely.

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Why Cadre Updates Lock the WordPress Database

And then why the foreign message? Why would WordPress intentionally block off access to the updates screen similar this?

Whenever WordPress runs a core update, it adds a row to the database to prevent any other updates (including plugin and theme updates) from running during the update, sometimes up to 15 minutes after completion. Information technology doesn't matter if the update takes 5 seconds to install; updates will still be blocked for 15 minutes.

There'southward a good reason for this. If a database table is updated simultaneously from two unlike sources, it could upshot in database corruption and serious information loss on your site.

For example, if you lot run a theme and a core update at the same time, there'due south a small run a risk that both operations could end up modifying the same database table and taking your whole site downwards.

This update lock prevents you or whatever other auto-update routine from corrupting your site and your important data.

That's why information technology's recommended you lot await out the fifteen minutes and don't attempt to manually remove the lock to run a second update, every bit it could have serious consequences.

But if you lot've been waiting and waiting and your Updates page just isn't fixing itself, you will need to have manual action. (And when you lot're done, you may desire to cheque out our guide to repairing database tables in case the failed update broke anything).

iii Ways To Set the WordPress Update in Progress Error

It's normal to run into the "update in progress" message for about fifteen minutes later on an update is initiated, then don't jump to messing with your database too quickly. Merely if yous've waited some time and are all the same seeing the error, it'south probably time to take further measures into your ain hands.

Wait at to the lowest degree an 60 minutes since y'all first noticed the message, then attempt out one of these steps. E'er retrieve to backup your database and your site as a whole before editing dorsum-stop files, especially if yous aren't familiar with the procedure.

And if none of these steps work or you're but non comfortable trying to fix it on your own, you lot can always contact your host and enquire for their help.

Utilize a Plugin

Usually fixing this problem requires digging through your database or getting accustomed to advanced developer tools like WP-CLI, but if y'all don't want to risk breaking anything, there's a much simpler option bachelor.

Fix Another Update in Progress plugin
Set Another Update In Progress

The Ready Another Update In Progress does exactly what it indicates on the tin can. While it'due south an older plugin that hasn't been updated in a long time, contempo reviews indicate that information technology still works but fine (and its 10k+ active installations attest to that).

There are also not many other alternatives available, and so this is the all-time option in the WordPress repository. Merely it doesn't appear to be supported past the developer anymore, so use it at your ain risk.

To install information technology, log in and get to Plugins > Add New. Search for "fix another update in progress" and click to install the plugin.

You can likewise download the plugin manually and click Upload Plugin on this page.

One time you activate information technology, yous'll see a new menu under Settings labeled Prepare Another Update In Progress.

Accessing the Fix Another Update in Progress settings
Accessing the Fix Some other Update in Progress settings

If it detects the lock in your database, information technology volition show this screen. Just click the Fix WordPress Update Lock push button and the database entry should be instantly removed.

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Click on the Fix WordPress Update Lock button
Fix WordPress Update Lock button

After that, you're good to become and your "Updates" folio should be usable again. It'south not a good idea to go out unused plugins on your site, then you tin go ahead and uninstall it if you don't encounter this issue cropping up once again.

Use PhpMyAdmin

Even if you've never delved into your database before, this solution is a fairly easy and safe 1 equally long as you don't touch any sensitive settings. Merely make sure to run a fill-in before touching anything in your database and only delete the 1 cleaved row.

Offset, y'all should log into PhpMyAdmin. Kinsta users can open MyKinsta and access PhpMyAdmin through its interface. If you're using a different host, you tin ordinarily admission it through cPanel.

Accessing databases in cPanel. 
Accessing databases in cPanel.

On the left carte du jour with several driblet-downs, open your site'southward database and select wp_options.

Accessing wp_options in cPanel
Accessing wp_options in cPanel

In one case you click through to wp_options, you should see a table of various database entries. You may encounter information technology right in the list, or your table may be far as well large. If you can't find it, employ the Filter rows bar above the tabular array and enter "core_updater.lock" to jump right to it.

Now simply click Delete on the "core_updater.lock" row.

Deleting the core_updater.lock row.
Deleting the core_updater.lock row.

With that, yous're gratis to go back to WordPress and update your site again.

Apply WP-CLI

If messing with your sensitive database feels a bit too uncomfortable, or all those tables make you lot feel overwhelmed, at that place's a quick and like shooting fish in a barrel solution: WP-CLI.

This is the WordPress command-line interface, a fashion to interact with your database or other aspects of your site without needing to manually navigate through cPanel and PhpMyAdmin. Enter one line of code and your problem is instantly solved.

Many WordPress hosts these days (including Kinsta) already come with WP-CLI installed, then you don't need to do whatever difficult setup.

As with editing your database direct, y'all should still support your site before running the command line.

Cheque out how to connect to SSH for some actress guidance, simply here are the basics: Windows users will demand to install a program like PuTTY, while Mac and Linux users already have a Terminal built-in.

Downloading PuTTY
Downloading PuTTY

You'll besides need to get your SSH credentials from your host. You may be able to discover this in cPanel nether SSH Access, or Kinsta users can notice it under the Info tab in MyKinsta.

Windows users should install PuTTY and enter the hostname/IP, port, username, and countersign provided by your host.

Mac and Linux users can just open up the Final and enter this command:

ssh [email protected] -p portnumber

Enter your password if prompted.

Now, whether yous're using PuTTY on Windows or the Last on Mac or Linux, you should be able to enter commands into your server. Blazon in the following:

wp option delete core_updater.lock

Making changes in the command line. 
Making changes in the command line.

Getting there is a picayune difficult, only with that one command, your problems are over.

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Summary

The "Another update in progress" mistake can be very annoying when information technology does ingather up. A small-scale database error tin can cause a lot of confusion if you cease upwards unable to update your site for days on terminate.

Luckily, fixing it is a pretty simple task. If you lot take access to WP-CLI or PhpMyAdmin, you tin can just delete the lock and your site will go back to normal. If yous're non comfortable doing that, install a plugin that will handle it for you.

And if nothing works, you can always contact your host and enquire them to delete the broken database entry themselves.

Merely remember to requite the message xv minutes to an 60 minutes before going through the trouble of trying to set up this, as it's possible it will resolve itself before then. That database lock is put there for a reason, and you can corrupt your database if you lot remove it before you're supposed to.

WordPress errors are common and it helps to know what to do when they crop upward.


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