Nothing is more frustrating than facing that Error 404 page on wp-admin.

We get it.

It simply means you can’t assess your own websites.

Now Let us take a wild guess…..

You have encountered this situation just now and get puzzled about what to do. Why is my WP admin username and password not working? And how do I regain admin access to my WordPress site?

Is this going on in your mind?

Well, first of all, don’t stress too much. You’re not the only one facing this “Can’t access WordPress admin” drama.

Every developer and marketer handles this at least once in their life. Rather than dwelling on the problem, we believe in trying to find a solution.

Sounds good to you? Then let’s try to solve your Wp-admin issue.

Wondering Why is my WordPress admin dashboard not working? And How do I enable admin login?

Wp-admin is like the key to the front door of your house. As you can’t enter the house without the main key, the dashboard login is the main key of your website.

Dashboard locked out means you literally can’t do anything on the site.

But the good news is it’s not the end of the world. We can overcome this. Let’s see why is admin account locked out and how we fix WordPress 404 error.

But before anything else……Clear the cache of your browser first. And, the cookies section too.

Sounds silly?

Well, it’s not. 

The thing is cookies and temporary data are already stored on your computer and make a security gap. So, try this first and foremost.

And guess what?

60% of the time it works. If that doesn’t bring results for you then we can go some advanced level tricks. At the same time, let’s dive deep into the problem.

Reason #1: You enter the incorrect Password or email (too many times!!!)

You can’t blame WordPress for this.

Let’s face it- A user pass is a credential and it’s Word press’s responsibility to give the site owner this protection. They do this for your good.

The Solution…..

Try with the right password and email.

Still not working?

We presume you just forgot (or lost????) the password. Don’t worry, it has a solution too. Below the login box, there is a text like “Lost your Password?”.

Click that feature. Hopefully, you will get an email to reset that password.

Still, seeing that grumpy 404 error?

Oops!!!

Then you need to reset the password manually from the database. Let us show you the step-by-step process…..

  • Step 1: Access phpMyAdmin
  • Step 2: Find Your Database
  • Step 3: Locate the wp_users File
  • Step 4: Click on Edit
  • Step 5: Change Your Password

Reason #2: You changed the URL by yourself and then forget it

Believe it or not- It happens.

Most of cases, your wp-admin login looks like this…….

  • yourwebsite.com/wp-admin
  • yourwebsite.com/wp-login

It’s the default setting by WordPress. And hackers know it very well. That’s why people change the URL for security purposes. And we could say it’s a smart move. But the problem? When we set it, and then forget.

The Solution………

This happens when the admin tries to wipe out multiple files and deleted admin.php accidentally. 

Not a common case, they do happen.

We always suggest to Update Bookmarks and if have a Team, Share with them. Apart from that, you have 2 options at hand…..

  • Temporarily disable the plugin (via SFTP.)
  • Go WordPress login URL in the database

Reason #3: Security plugins are the culprit (in most of cases blessing though)

Security plugins like JetPack, Malcare security, WP Security Audit Log, etc control the login attempts for high-end security. If you get blocked then there is a high chance that you try to log in too many times that plugins consider you a threat.

And the result? Blocked you.

The Solution…..

Usually, the plugin blocked such attempts for a limited time. So, try after a while (at least 2 hours recommended) and see if that works for you.

If that’s not fruitful for you, disable those plugins and switch to the default WordPress theme. You can also deactivate the plugin manually using the FTP or cPanel.

Reason #4: PHP error

 “WordPress 500 Internal Server Error”-Does this display whenever you try to access it?

Then it’s PHP error. People also face the White screen of death. It could be caused for various reasons like-

  • Plugin/theme issues
  • htaccess file,
  • Database corrupted
  • Caching issues,
  • Hosting issues
  • PHP memory limit.

The Solution…..

Yes, this could happen for a bunch of reasons. But 80% time this happens due to the memory limit.

And you already guess the solution, right?

Yup, Increase the PHP memory limit. Let us show you how to Increase PHP Memory Limits by scripting the code to your wp-config.php file.

  1. Log in to your account Hosting Summary.
  2. You will see the Scripting Config. The link is in the left corner. click on Manage PHP Scripting.
  3. Now Click on Manage php.ini.
  4. In the box, you will locate memory_limit=. If this is 64M(or whatever the number), make it double. Here it’s 128M.
  5. And then just save it.
  6. An instant message will pop up once it’s updated successfully.

Another thing that could happen is that you are an outdated version of WordPress. Manually update the latest version of WordPress to avoid PHP issues.

The above steps didn’t work?

Well, then you have to reinstall WordPress. Download a fresh copy of WordPress and then replace your existing WordPress files. Oh one thing, always download WordPress from the official website only.

Reason #5: Your site is going through Malware Infections (aka Hack)

In the worst case scenario……

Hackers have broken the code and withdrawn your admin privileges. This is because they want some time to do their malicious activities.

The Solution…..

  • Step #1 Scan the site:

There are free malware scanners like TotalAV or Malware Scanner to scan your website for malware. Scan the site first and see if it detects any malicious code on your website.

  • Step #2 Remove infected files:

Identified the infected files? Now you need to remove them from your website. Just delete all the files and code related to the malware.

  • Step #3 Request a malware review on Google Console:

Use Google Search Console to cross-check if your site is safe now.

Bonus Tips to keep your WordPress login admin secure:

  • Update the website regularly (plugins, themes, and even the CMS). Keep in mind that Hackers love the outdated site because it’s their favorite key to enter your websites.
  • Simple security measures (like strong passwords, limiting login attempts, and installing security plugins) can save your site from future malware attacks.
Disclaimer:
Before stepping into any internal changes with websites, Please create a backup of your website files to prevent any data loss.