What is White Screen Error In Joomla!?

When using a software application on your computer system, or any other device for that matter, there are cases where you might endure various unexpected problems. Similar is the case with the Joomla! CMS platform.

Since, the Joomla! CMS platform is basically and popularly used for creating websites, it also includes different levels of operations, both in the front-end as well as at the back-end. As such, getting issues or errors is somewhat unpredictable, unless if you are professional coder or developer and knows the outcome of every code execution.

White Screen in Joomla! may sometimes become a very annoying issue, especially for users who are novice in the Joomla! CMS platform.

However, there is no need to panic if you overcome such error, because there are possible solutions available to fix this issue. We have included a few methods that might help you repair the White Screen error in your Joomla! website or, you may seek further support from our experts at Code XOXO to help you get rid of the error quickly and effectively.

We can be reached via our support desk phone number <enter_phone_number> 24 hours a day. Simply dial our toll-free help line number and get in touch with our experts to help you right away.

What Causes the Joomla! White Screen Error?

White Screen occurs when there is a PHP error in the code that is used for the creation of your Joomla! website. There is no error message displayed on the user’s screen describing the error whatsoever. Thus, this makes it very complicated to find the relevant solution instantly in order to fix the issue without affecting any of the dependencies which the PHP code relies on.

There could be several reasons as to how the White Screen error is caused in Joomla! and what are the measures that needs to be undertaken in order to rectify the problem for good.

However, some of the causes of the error could be due to:

Corrupt files
Incorrect or missing code
Bad configuration

How Do You Fix The Joomla! White Screen Error?

The following methods used for resolving the White Screen error on Joomla! applies to different operating system platforms:

Operating System: Windows, macOS, Linux (supported distros)

Use the methods given below to diagnose and troubleshoot the White Screen or Blank Page error/issue in your Joomla! CMS:

Method#1: View Server Error Logs

Access the logs folder from your Joomla! admin panel. If you are using another admin panel such as cPanel File Manager, open the server error logs folder which is located in the installation directory of your Joomla!.

You will need administrator privileges in order to access the server log files.

Method#2: Configure Error Reporting in Joomla! Admin Control Panel

Login to your Joomla! administrator control panel and navigate to Global Configuration → Server. Under Server Settings, set the Error Reporting option to Maximum from the list box.

It is also required to enable the Site Debugging option and then refresh your website. Now, make a right-click on your website and select View Source from the context menu. This will display the code that has been used in creating your website.

Please make sure to disable the Site Debugging option after you have completed making the necessary changes.

Method#3: Edit the Configuration.PHP File

You can edit the configuration.PHP file to allow Error Reporting to be set to maximum. To do this, you will need to open the configuration.PHP file in a text editor in order to change values and elements.

If the problem is not resolved and you still see the White Screen when loading your website, the next thing you can do is to embed a small piece of code into the configuration.PHP file. Insert the code as given below:

ini_set( ‘display_errors’, true );

error_reporting( E_ALL );

Simply input the code at the end of the file and do not forget to save it.

Method#4: Delete the .htaccess File

When getting the White Screen error on your Joomla! website and trying out several solutions to fix the issue, there is another method which can be duly followed.

The method is to delete or remove the .htaccess file from your Joomla!. To do this, you will require administrator privileges. The .htaccess file is a configuration file that is applied to your web server in order to improve website security.

However, please not that before you delete the .htaccess file, it is important that you make a backup of the file and store it somewhere, in case you may need it back if things does not go right.

Method#5: Check the Directory Structure

At times, when you migrate from other CMS platforms to Joomla!, chances are that you may encounter the White Screen error on your website. The error perhaps, may also occur when switching between different hosting providers.

Since, different web servers adopt different directory structures, it is also important to ensure that all the third-party plug-ins and components that you have integrated into your website must all point to the right directory. This will help in preventing the White Screen error from occurring on your website.

Method#6: Update Joomla! to the Latest Version

The White Screen error in Joomla! may also occur if some core files gets corrupt, overwritten or deleted accidentally. If such things occur to you, you can resolve it by running a proper update of your Joomla! CMS.

When you update your Joomla!, it retrieves all the important files and configurations that are required for the CMS to function properly and avoid displaying error messages on your website.

Get Help From Code XOXO

If you have tried all the above methods and still can’t fix the error, do not worry. Our support experts at Code XOXO can assist you in fixing the issue.

Contact us whenever you need assistance. Our support experts will help you fix the problems which occur on your Joomla! Website. Our experts can also guide you through codes and performing actions which requires you to make certain important changes in settings.

Get in touch with us right away!