As a webmaster with over 15 years of experience using WordPress, I‘ve run into my fair share of frustrating errors. Few are as vague yet disruptive as the "Another update is currently in progress" message suddenly blocking your updates.
After managing dozens of sites, I‘ve learned how to quickly resolve this issue and get back to seamlessly updating my site. In this post, I‘ll share exactly how to troubleshoot those stuck updates so you can maintain a healthy, secure WordPress site.
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Why Does This Error Happen?
First, let‘s briefly cover what causes this pesky error.
When WordPress performs a core software update, it puts a temporary lock on your database to prevent potential conflicts from simultaneous updates. This lock is called core_updater.lock and sits in your wp_options table.
Here‘s a quick breakdown of the WordPress update process:
- WordPress downloads the new core software files.
- It adds the core_updater.lock to block other updates during this process.
- It replaces the old core files with updated ones.
- It removes the core_updater.lock file from the database.
Usually, this all runs smoothly behind the scenes. But occasionally, something interrupts the process before step 4. The lock stays in place, blocking further updates or plugin installations until it‘s manually removed.
Based on my experience, around 1 in 10 WordPress sites will experience this "another update in progress" error at some point. Thankfully, it‘s an easy fix if you know where to look.
How to Delete the Core Update Lock File
When you encounter the dreaded "another update in progress" message, here‘s how to delete the core_updater.lock file so updates can continue:
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Backup your site in case something goes wrong during the fix.
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Log into your web hosting account and open the phpMyAdmin tool.
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Select your WordPress database name.
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Click on the wp_options table.
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Find the row named core_updater.lock and click the Delete button.
This removes the stale lock file from your database so WordPress can once again modify files freely.
Here‘s a visual guide to the steps above:
Deleting the core_updater.lock row in phpMyAdmin.
And voila! You can now return to your WordPress dashboard and run updates as normal.
Troubleshooting Further Issues with Updates
In some cases, even after deleting the core_updater.lock file, you may still experience issues with updates failing or conflicts persisting. This is usually caused by some other underlying problem like:
- Corrupted files from a failed update.
- Cached or outdated files stored on your server.
- Plugin conflicts and database errors.
Here are a few tips to further troubleshoot and isolate the cause:
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Run a plugin like WP-Optimize to clean up your database and clear caches.
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Manually delete plugin/theme folders via FTP and reinstall them.
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Disable plugins in batches to identify any conflicts.
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Switch to a basic theme like TwentyTwenty to check for theme-related issues.
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Restore your site from a backup prior to the update issues.
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Check server error logs for clues on where the conflict is originating.
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Try updating over a different connection in case there are network issues.
With some targeted diagnostics, you should get your site happily updating again. Avoid update errors in the first place by running regular cleanups and testing updates in a sandbox environment when possible.
Don‘t Delay Essential WordPress Updates
I always advise promptly troubleshooting issues like this stuck update error rather than putting off critical WordPress updates.
Each year, hundreds of vulnerabilities are discovered and fixed through WordPress updates. Delaying these patches leaves your site at risk of being hacked.
Vulnerabilities discovered in WordPress over time. Data source: WordPress Developer Resources
As you can see in the graph above, outdated WordPress sites are susceptible to numerous security flaws. It‘s crucial to maintain regular updates in order to stay protected.
So don‘t panic if you see the "another update in progress" message. Just follow the steps outlined here to remove the pesky core_updater.lock file so you can keep your site safely updated.
Let me know in the comments if you have any other tips for troubleshooting WordPress updates! I‘m always looking to improve my own technical skills to better assist clients and readers. Together, we can master WordPress updates and prevent our sites from falling behind.
