WP Assistant
By Atiba

How to Restore WP-Admin After Duplicator Clone

This Q&A looks at solving a blank wp-admin page when you clone a site with Duplicator Pro. The user sees a white screen at wp-admin without any error message. You’ll review environment checks, debugging settings, plugin and theme tests to get the dashboard back.

I just took a duplicate of a WordPress website using Duplicator Pro. When I go to wp-admin it just gives me a white screen. No error messages.

Seeing a blank page after cloning a WordPress site with Duplicator Pro can be exasperating. Let’s walk through steps to track down the cause:

1. Verify Environment Requirements

  • PHP Version: Check that your server runs a PHP release supported by your WordPress version.
  • Memory Limits: Increase limits in wp-config.php if needed: 
    define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
define('WP_MAX_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M');

2. Turn on Debugging

Edit wp-config.php to write errors to a log rather than showing them on screen:

define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);
@ini_set('display_errors', 0);

Then revisit wp-admin and open wp-content/debug.log.

3. Common Troubleshooters

  • Plugins: Rename wp-content/plugins to plugins_old. If wp-admin loads, restore and reactivate them one at a time.
  • Themes: Rename the active theme folder in wp-content/themes. WordPress will fall back to a default theme.
  • .htaccess: Rename it to .htaccess_old so WordPress can rebuild it.
  • Database: Double-check credentials in wp-config.php and confirm the database server is up.
  • Permissions: Directories usually 755, files 644. Adjust via FTP or your host’s file manager.
  • Incomplete Copy: If files or the database were cut off, run the Duplicator procedure again.

4. Duplicator Pro Notes

  • Installer: Make sure you followed each step in the Duplicator Pro installer.
  • Archive Integrity: Regenerate the package if the extraction failed.

If none of this clears the blank screen, check the WordPress support forums or consider contacting Duplicator Pro’s help desk.

Need human WordPress help?

WP Assistant is a free tool created by Atiba Software, a WordPress design and development company located in Nashville, TN. If you need more personalized WordPress assistance let us know, and we’ll get back to you ASAP!

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