Your PHP Installation Appears to Be Missing the MySQL Extension Which Is Required by WordPress
What does it mean? The error message “Your PHP installation appears to be missing the MySQL extension which is required by WordPress” indicates that your PHP installation does not include the required MySQL extension, which is needed in order to use WordPress.
This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as having an outdated or incorrect PHP configuration on your server, or accidentally removing the MySQL extension from your PHP installation. However, the good news is that this issue is fairly easy to resolve, typically by updating your PHP configuration or reinstalling the MySQL extension if it has been removed.
When Can This Error Occur?
“Your PHP installation appears to be missing the MySQL extension which is required by WordPress.” There are a few different scenarios that can result in this error message, including:
- Your PHP installation may be out of date or configured incorrectly.
- Your server may not have the MySQL extension installed at all.
- You may have accidentally removed the MySQL extension from your PHP installation.
How Can I Resolve This Issue?
If you are encountering this error and are unsure why, there are a few possible steps you can take to resolve it, which include: updating your PHP configuration; reinstalling the MySQL extension if it is missing, or installing it if it has never been included on your server; or contacting your web hosting provider to seek help with resolving the issue. Ultimately, the specific steps needed to resolve this error will depend on what is causing it and where you encounter it.
Check Your PHP Version
If the PHP in your site is not compatible with the version of PHP your site is using, you may encounter this error. The problem is with an outdated MySQL extension that was removed with PHP 7.0 specifically.
If you’re on any version of PHP older than 7.0, this error is being caused by outdated code. You’ll need to update WordPress as well as your plugins to their most recent versions.
How to Check Your PHP Version?
First, connect to the server of your WordPress site using FTP. If you don’t have your FTP credentials, you can get them from your web host.
After you connect to your server, create a phpinfo.php file in the root directory of WordPress. This is the folder that has wp-config.php.
Then you will need to edit the file by adding the following code:
<?php
phpinfo();
?>
Save the file, then go to yoursite.com/phpinfo.php, replacing yoursite.com with your actual domain name.
After you follow the steps above, you should see a screen with loads of information about PHP configuration on your server. Head to the Core section and look for the item ‘PHP Version.’ The numbers next to it will tell you which PHP version you have. It should look something like this: x.x.x. (for example 7.2.25).
Update Your WordPress Version
“Your PHP installation appears to be missing the MySQL extension which is required by WordPress.” What else can be the cause? If your server is running PHP 7 or newer, the most common reason for this problem is that you’re using an out-of-date version of WordPress. If you’re using WordPress version 3.9 or earlier, you might see this message.
Because of this, the remedy is to upgrade your WordPress software, which will also include a slew of additional features, security, and performance enhancements.
First, verify that you have a saved copy of your site. Then, go to WordPress page. From here you can download the most up-to-date version of their software.
Once the file uploads are completed, check to see that your WordPress site is now running the most recent version. If it is, then your issue has been fixed.
You Are Missing MySQL Extension
The MySQL extension is necessary for WordPress, and if your server is using PHP 5.6 or lower, your server might not have it. In order to check if this is the problem, return to the phpinfo.php file and upload it onto your server once again like you did in step number one.
Find a section named either mysql or mysqli. If you have the MySQL extension installed, you should see a version number next to Client API library versions.
If the MySQL extension is not installed, this information cannot be found. The best solution is to contact your host’s support staff and request they install it.
PHP Extension Is Not Configured Properly
Another common problem might be that you’re either not using the correct PHP version or the extension isn’t being configured properly. Here are two common issues:
- Uploading a php.ini file to your Windows server when you’re using a Linux server.
- The file paths are incorrect.
Refer to the phpinfo.php file you created earlier to locate your php.ini file. Backup your current file by downloading it to a storage device or your computer. Afterwards, delete the php.ini file and see if that solves the errors you were having.
Summary
“Your PHP installation appears to be missing the MySQL extension which is required by WordPress.” This error is caused by outdated code in your WordPress installation and/or by using an out-of-date version of MySQL. To fix it, you need to update your plugins and WordPress software, as well as check the PHP version on your server.
If this article helped you solve the problem with the missing MySQL extension that is required by WordPress, please share it with others. Leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions to make this tutorial better. Thanks for reading!
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