How to Fix “Your PHP Installation Appears to Be Missing the MySQL Extension Which Is Required by WordPress”

Introduction

WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS) that operates using PHP and MySQL. However, sometimes users encounter an error message:

“Your PHP installation appears to be missing the MySQL extension which is required by WordPress.”

If you see this error, it means that either the MySQL extension is not installed on your server or there is a compatibility issue between your PHP version and WordPress.

In this article, we will go through step-by-step solutions to fix this error while also promoting your Software Development Company services, which provide technical solutions for such issues.

Causes of the Error

This error can occur due to multiple reasons:

1. PHP Version Compatibility Issue – Newer versions of WordPress support PHP 7.0 and above, where the MySQL extension is not available by default.
2. Missing MySQL Extension – If the MySQL extension is missing from your PHP installation, this error will appear.
3. Incorrect php.ini Configuration – If the MySQL extension is not enabled in the php.ini file, the issue can arise.
4. Corrupt or Outdated WordPress Installation – An outdated or corrupted WordPress installation can also be a cause of this error.

How to Fix the Error?

Below are step-by-step solutions to resolve this issue.

Step 1: Check Your PHP Version

First, check which PHP version is running on your server. Run the following command in the command prompt or terminal:

php -v

If you are using cPanel, you can check this in Software > MultiPHP Manager.

• If your PHP version is 7.0 or higher, the MySQL extension is not available as it has been replaced by mysqli and PDO_MySQL.
• If your PHP version is 5.6 or lower, you need to update your server.

Step 2: Install or Enable MySQL Extension

If the MySQL extension is missing on your server, install it manually.

For Linux Servers (Ubuntu/Debian)

If you are using Ubuntu or Debian, run:

sudo apt-get install php-mysql
sudo systemctl restart apache2

For CentOS Servers

sudo yum install php-mysqlnd
sudo systemctl restart httpd

For Windows Servers (XAMPP/WAMP)

If you are using XAMPP or WAMP on Windows:

1. Open the php.ini file.
2. Remove the comment (;) from extension=mysqli and extension=pdo_mysql.
3. Restart Apache.

Step 3: Check and Update php.ini File

Sometimes, the php.ini file does not have the necessary extensions enabled. To manually enable them:

1. Open the php.ini file.
2. Uncomment (or add) the following lines:

extension=mysqli
extension=pdo_mysql

3. Restart PHP and the web server.

Step 4: Verify WordPress Configuration

If you have recently migrated WordPress, the wp-config.php file may have incorrect database settings.

Open wp-config.php and check the following details:

define('DB_NAME', 'your_database_name');
define('DB_USER', 'your_database_user');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'your_database_password');
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

Step 5: Upgrade WordPress and PHP

If the issue persists, update WordPress and PHP to their latest versions.

Update WordPress

1. Go to the WordPress dashboard and navigate to Dashboard > Updates.
2. Click “Update Now”.

Update PHP Version

If you are using shared hosting, go to cPanel > MultiPHP Manager and update the PHP version.

For VPS or dedicated servers, run:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade php

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Conclusion

If you encounter the “Your PHP installation appears to be missing the MySQL extension which is required by WordPress” error, follow the steps mentioned above to fix it.

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Hope this article helps! If you have any questions, feel free to ask or seek expert assistance!