Local testing environments are highly useful tools for WordPress developers and site owners. While we’re partial to DevKinsta, our own free local development tool, MAMP is also an excellent way to set up a WordPress instance. However, it can be hard to do much testing when you can’t access your site, and that’s exactly what a MAMP HTTP Error 500 will result in.
This error is particularly troublesome because it rarely provides any useful information or hints as to the source of the problem. Fortunately, you can usually trace the cause to PHP errors, a corrupt .htaccess file, or problematic WordPress plugins, all of which are relatively easy to fix.
In this article, we’ll explore the causes of this error and walk through three simple troubleshooting steps to get your MAMP installation back on track. Let’s dive in!
An Introduction to the HTTP Error 500
The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) 500 Internal Server Error is a message that can sometimes appear when you’re attempting to load a page.
This is a generic, “catch-all” error. Essentially, the server wasn’t able to load the page for one reason or another, but it also couldn’t determine a more specific error code to use:
The error’s presentation can vary based on the specific browser being used, and some websites have custom error pages of their own. So what you’re seeing may not look exactly like the image above, but the basics are the same.
This is a frustrating error, primarily because it’s so vague. If it happens on a MAMP installation it can be even trickier since there are more potential causes.
With WordPress in general, the most common causes of an HTTP 500 error are plugin incompatibilities and a corrupt or missing .htaccess file. This file handles server configuration, so issues there can cause a variety of problems.
Another possible source specific to errors on MAMP comes into play when your site encounters a PHP fatal error. This is often the result of misconfigured files or incorrect code. In these cases, checking the PHP error logs for your installation will often reveal the file that’s causing the issue, as well as the specific problem with the code.
How to Fix the HTTP Error 500 in MAMP
In this section, we’ll walk through troubleshooting each of the potential causes of an Error 500 on a MAMP WordPress installation. You should follow these steps in order, and only proceed to the next fix if the problem persists.
Step 1: Check the PHP Error Log and Resolve Code Problems
The first troubleshooting step you should take is to check your MAMP installation’s PHP error log for problems. This log is a text file with a chronological listing of all PHP errors the installation has encountered and, if they’re PHP code issues, which file they occurred in.
You can find this file in your MAMP logs folder. On Windows, the path is C:MAMP\logs. On a Mac, it’s /Applications/MAMP/logs. Once you’re there, look for the file called php-error:
Open the file and look for any lines that indicate problems. They will begin with “PHP Parse error”. They will also usually tell you exactly what the problem is and which file it’s located in.
The issues you see here may vary. In this example from Stack Overflow, the user had semicolons at the end of some lines in the listed file. These should have been commas instead, and correcting this resolved the error.
If the error log is empty, or if correcting the errors in it doesn’t resolve the “Error 500,” proceed to the next step.
Step 2: Generate a New .htaccess File
Next up, you’ll want to try creating a fresh .htaccess file and see if that resolves the problem. This key WordPress file is located at the root of your website’s folder within the MAMP directory.
On Windows, the default path to your website’s folder is C:MAMP\htdocs. On a Mac, it’s /Applications/MAMP/htdocs.
Once you’re in the folder, locate the .htaccess file:
Rename this file to something like “.htaccess-old”. That will effectively remove it from the equation when WordPress loads. Then try to load your site again. If it works, you know this file was the culprit.
The final step is to generate a fresh .htaccess file. To do that, head to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Settings > Permalinks:
Don’t change anything on this page. Instead, simply scroll down and click on Save Changes. This will regenerate the .htaccess file, which is necessary to prevent 404 errors on your pages. At this point, you can safely delete the file you renamed earlier.
Step 3: Deactivate and Test Your Plugins
If neither of the above troubleshooting methods work, the final step to try is disabling all of your site’s plugins. If this fixes the problem, you can enable them one by one until the issue returns. This will tell you which plugin is the culprit, and you can then look for replacements for it or contact its developer for assistance.
If you have access to your WordPress dashboard, you can do this by heading to Plugins > Installed Plugins. Select them all, and then choose Deactivate from the Bulk actions dropdown menu at the top of the screen:
Once they’re deactivated, attempt to load the problematic page again. If it works, you can now go back to your list of plugins and turn them back on one at a time by clicking on Activate.
After reactivating each individual plugin, refresh your page. If it still loads, move on to reactivating the next one. Continue this process until the error returns, and you’ll know which plugin is causing the error.
If you don’t have access to your WordPress dashboard due to the Error 500, you can deactivate all plugins via the file system. Head back to your website’s directory in MAMP and open the wp-content folder. Inside you’ll find a folder called plugins:
Rename this folder to something like “plugins-disabled”, which will effectively deactivate everything inside. You should now have access to your WordPress dashboard.
Go ahead and log in there, and then rename the folder back to “plugins” while the dashboard is still open. They should appear in the Plugins list on your dashboard, and you can proceed to deactivate them all and test them one at a time as outlined above.
Summary
An Error 500 message can bring your WordPress testing to a screeching halt. This error can be frustrating, but it doesn’t have to slow you down. While the message itself is cryptic, the actual culprit is usually easy to find and address.
To troubleshoot and fix an HTTP Error 500 in MAMP, you can try the following steps:
- Check MAMP’s error log and resolve any code problems that appear.
- Generate a fresh .htaccess file.
- Deactivate all of your WordPress plugins and test each one for problems.
If you want to extend the error-free experience to your live site, consider hosting it with Kinsta. Our Application Hosting, Database Hosting, and Managed WordPress hosting plans ensure that your website is always available when your users need it.
And don’t forget to check out DevKinsta as a powerful alternative to MAMP for local testing!
The 500 Error is a warning that appears when you try to load a page using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
Even though all the major WordPress errors are hectic, including 500 Internal Server Error, 504 Gateway Timeout Error, 502 Bad Gateway error, etc. the HTTP Error 500 is especially aggravating as it does not provide any relevant details generally as to the source of the problem.
The appearance of the error varies depending on the browser being used, and some websites have their own specialized error pages. So, while your screen may not look exactly like the one above, the fundamentals remain the same.
This is an annoying error, owing to its ambiguity. It’s considerably difficult if it happens on a MAMP installation because there are more probable causes. In general, plugin incompatibility and a damaged or missing .htaccess file are the most prevalent causes of an HTTP 500 error in WordPress. Because this file is responsible for server setup, errors in it can result in a number of issues.
When your site suffers a PHP fatal error, another probable source of MAMP issues comes into play. This is frequently caused by faulty code or misconfigured files. In these circumstances, looking through your installation’s PHP error logs will usually disclose the file that’s causing the problem, as well as the precise fault with the code.
Fix 1: Turn on the debugging mode of the website.
It is recommended to turn on debugging if WordPress gives you a white screen or a server error. While this might not resolve the error causing the problem, it will surely provide you with more information about what is going on.
You can easily enable the debugging by slightly modifying the wp-config.php file of your site.
Step 1: Look for WP_DEBUG in this file once you’ve accessed it. You should be able to set it to “true” if you discover it. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, you’ll have to make it yourself.
Step 2: In any case, you should have a line that looks like this at the end of the day:
define( “WP_DEBUG”, true );
Step 3: Reload your site after saving to see if anything has changed.
If you’re lucky, the server error will go away and be replaced by a new message that will tell you exactly where the problem is. If this happens to be the case, investigate the error’s all the sources.
Even if enabling debugging does not yield positive results, it is a good idea to keep it on until the problem is remedied. It will provide you and any developers with a better understanding of what’s going on. Remember to switch off debugging once everything is in order and you’ve completed the maintenance!
Fix 2: Checking the .htaccess file.
If one exists, the .htaccess file contains a set of rules that inform the server what to do in specific situations. It’s widely used to rewrite URLs or block malicious users from accessing your site.
Step 1: Check your WordPress root folder using your FTP editor to see if you have a .htaccess file. Before moving on to this, ensure that your FTP editor lets you see all the hidden files.
Step 2: If a .htaccess file exists, make a backup before deleting all of the contents of the entire file. This may eliminate some vital rules, but it will tell you if the error was caused by a file error.
If the error is no longer there, the problem was most likely with the .htaccess file. Attempt to restore the file and then delete sections of it. If the site starts operating again, you’ll know which block the problem is in. Usually, you may condense it to a single line like this. You can then remove that line or seek further advice from your developer or host.
Fix 3: Increasing the memory limit.
Boosting your memory limit can help resolve the error. To do so,
Step 1: look for WP_MEMORY_LIMIT in your wp-config.php file in the WordPress root directory.
Step 2: Change the value to something like “64M” if it exists. If it doesn’t, add the line below to the file:
Define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘64M’);
If this succeeds, you’ve just temporarily addressed the problem. Most likely, you have a malfunctioning piece of code (which could be a third-party plugin) that is using up all of your resources. Take a look at your resource use with various plugins on/off if your host offers monitoring to get a better understanding of what’s wasting those valuable megabytes.
Fix 4: Deactivating the plugins.
If neither of the preceding troubleshooting approaches works, disable all of your site’s plugins as a last resort. If this resolves the issue, you can activate them one at a time until the problem reappears. This will reveal which plugin is to blame, allowing you to search for alternatives or contact the plugin’s developer for help.
If you can access your WordPress dashboard,
Step 1: Go to Plugins and click on Installed Plugins to do so.
Step 2: Choose Deactivate from the Bulk actions dropdown menu at the top of the screen after selecting them all or deactivate them individually and check the website status.
Step 3: Reload the problematic page after they’ve been deactivated.
Step 4: If it works, go back to your plugin list and click on Activate to turn each one back on one at a time.
Refresh your page after reactivating each plugin individually. If it still loads, go to the next one and reactivate it. Repeat this method until the error reappears, and you’ll know which plugin is to blame.
You can deactivate all plugins via the file system if you can’t access your WordPress dashboard due to Error 500.
Step 1: Return to MAMP and open the wp-content folder in your website’s directory. Inside, you’ll see a plugins folder.
Step 2: Rename this folder to something like “plugins-disabled,” and everything inside will be turned off. Your WordPress dashboard should now be accessible.
Step 3: Log in there first, then rename the folder back to “plugins” while the dashboard is still open.
They should display in your dashboard’s Plugins section, where you can disable them all and test them one at a time.
Fix 5: Asking your web host provider
There are a few odd difficulties that can cause WordPress errors, but at this point, it’s probably better to contact your host. They can look into things like file permissions and other sources to see if the problem is a genuine server issue, which they can at least confirm.
Alternatively, you might simply choose to upgrade to a better host with WordPress-optimized servers. It isn’t necessary to spend a lot of money on this. For a low amount per month, you can get an adequate WordPress experience from the best web host providers.
Fix 6: Reinstalling WordPress again.
There are a few exceptions where a WordPress reinstall may help. Along the process, it might even fix file permission issues. It is recommended to follow the manual WordPress backup and setup instructions.
Conclusion
WordPress testing might be brought to a halt by an Error 500 notice. Although this issue is inconvenient, it does not have to slow you down. While the message may be enigmatic, the actual perpetrator is usually easy to track down and deal with. Also, following the above-mentioned steps and fixes will surely help you resolve the error.
Getting HTTP Error 500 on a local MAMP server when trying to execute a php file.
All my other pages will run however this one will not so I’m thinking that it maybe something to do with the php settings?
<?php
// User.class.php
require_once 'DB.class.php';
class User {
public $id;
public $username;
public $hashedPassword;
public $email;
public $joinDate;
// Takes an associative array with the DB row as an argument.
function __construct($data) {
$this->id = (isset($data['id'])) ? $data['id'] : "";
$this->username = (isset($data['username'])) ? $data['username'] : "";
$this->hashedPassword = (isset($data['password'])) ? $data['password'] : "";
$this->email = (isset($data['email'])) ? $data['email'] : "";
$this->joinDate = (isset($data['join_date'])) ? $data['join_date'] : "";
}
public function save($isNewUser = false) {
$db = new DB();
// Update already registered user.
if (!$isNewUser) {
$data = array(
"username" => "'$this->username'";
"password" => "'$this->hashedPassword'";
"email" => "'$this->email'";
);
$db->update($data, 'users', 'id = '.$this->id);
}
// Register new user.
else {
$data = array(
"username" => "'$this->username'";
"password" => "'$this->hashedPassword'";
"email" => "'$this->email'";
"join_date" => "'".date("Y-m-d H:i:s", time())."'"
);
$this->id = $db->insert($data, 'users');
$this->joinDate = time();
}
return true;
}
}
?>
PHP Error Log:
[13-May-2011 23:58:28] PHP Parse error: syntax error, unexpected ';', expecting ')' in /Applications/MAMP/htdocs/Project/classes/User.class.php on line 35
pnuts
58.4k11 gold badges87 silver badges140 bronze badges
asked May 13, 2011 at 23:03
1
Maybe because you have array values terminated with semi-colons when it should be commas:
$data = array(
"username" => "'$this->username'";
"password" => "'$this->hashedPassword'";
"email" => "'$this->email'";
"join_date" => "'".date("Y-m-d H:i:s", time())."'"
);
should be:
$data = array(
"username" => $this->username,
"password" => $this->hashedPassword,
"email" => $this->email,
"join_date" => date("Y-m-d H:i:s", time())
);
answered May 13, 2011 at 23:17
tradyblixtradyblix
7,4393 gold badges25 silver badges29 bronze badges
0
An array with semi-colons should cause a Fatal Error in PHP, not a 500 Internal Server error.
answered Dec 18, 2011 at 15:00
2
Stuck with HTTP Error 500 in MAMP? Our Apache Support team is here to help you with your questions and concerns.
Troubleshooting Tips: HTTP Error 500 in MAMP
HTTP Error 500 is a common error that often occurs due to an error in the server configuration. Our experts have put together these troubleshooting tips to help you out with the HTTP error 500:
- Check the PHP error log
According to our experts, the first troubleshooting step is to check the PHP error log for errors. This will give us further information about the error like which file it occurred in and so on.
The PHP error log file (php-error) can be found at :
- Windows: C:MAMP\logs
- Mac: /Applications/MAMP/logs
Once we locate the file, we have to open it and look for lines that start with “PHP Parse error”. This is often a clear indication of the problem and which file it is located in.
If the error log is empty, try the next troubleshooting tip.
- Generate a New .htaccess File
If the above tip did not help, it is time to create a fresh .htaccess file. We can locate the key WordPress file at the root of the website’s folder inside the MAMP directory.
After locating the file, we have to rename it with a different name. Now, if we are able to load the site successfully, the .htaccess file was the cause behind the error.
In that case, we have to generate a new .htaccess file. This is done by navigating to the WordPress dashboard and selecting Permalinks under Settings.
Once we have created a new .htaccess file, we can delete the one we renamed earlier.
- Deactivate and Test Plugins
The next option is to disable all the plugins on the site. If this resolves the error, we have to enable the plugins one by one to pinpoint the plugin that is causing the issue. Once we isolate the plugin behind the error, we can either find a replacement or contact the plugin developer for further assistance.
We can easily disable/enable the plugins on our site by going to Plugins > Installed Plugins in our WordPress dashboard.
Let us know in the comments which one of the above troubleshooting tips helped you resolve the HTTP Error 500 in MAMP.
[Need assistance with a different issue? Our team is available 24/7.]
Conclusion
In summary, our Support Techs demonstrated how to resolve the HTTP Error 500 in MAMP.
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