How do I view Internal Server Error 500 messages?

Anyone who loads a page and sees an internal server error often sees the error code '500' or '501'. This code means that an error has occurred on the website. Therefore, we call this error message an internal server error. Unfortunately, the code does not describe exactly what is going wrong.

What is an internal server error 500?

When seeing such an error message, alarm bells often start ringing: an error message that seems irreparable, and also indicates that there is something wrong with the server. Basically, this is not true: there is nothing wrong with the server, but rather with the application (the website) being loaded. Such a problem often occurs when an error has occurred in a script or a specific file.

You can solve this problem by tracking down the error message and reading it carefully. We explain how to do this further on in this article.

Finding the error: reading errors

Before you start fixing the error, it is important to find and view the log file. mijn.host has its own online panel, which includes a log system. Here you can read and trace all error messages generated by the website.

You can find the log file by logging into the mijn.host control panel. You can do this with your username and password. Enter your username and password and click on 'Login'.

On the left side of the page, you can choose from 'Domain names', 'Webhosting', 'Virtual Private Server', 'Dedicated servers', 'Office 365', and 'SSL Certificates'. Click on 'Hosting'.

All hosting packages, and their corresponding domain names, will now appear.

Choose the package associated with the domain name that is throwing an error.

You will now see general information about the package, such as data traffic and storage.

At the top, below the package name, you will see a new menu. On the far right is the option 'Advanced'. Click on this. The options 'Apache logs', 'PHP settings', and SSH access will now appear. Click on 'Apache logs'. At the top, click on 'Error log'. The error messages will now appear. These error messages will provide you with clues to solve the problem.

Solving the error: a step-by-step plan

Now that you know which files are causing problems, it is time to solve the issue. This can be done in a few steps. Follow this step-by-step plan to resolve the most common problems.

Step 1: Refresh the page and read the error message

Still none the wiser from all the errors? Reload the website page once more. In the error log, you will now see the specific clue for this error. You will see exactly which line number in the script contains the error. Fix this problem and your website will work again. Have no idea how to fix this? Then step 3 might offer a solution.

Step 2: Fixing the error message

Now that you know what the error message is, you can choose to disable certain elements or improve the script by adjusting the code. It is also possible that you updated the system (such as WordPress) and a file became corrupted.

Step 3: Disabling plugins and themes

Do you use a CMS with plugins and themes? Disable these plugins one by one and reload the website each time. You can then check the log files to see if the error message has changed. It is, of course, also possible that the problem gets solved this way: then you will know which plugin or theme is causing the malfunction.
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Is nothing working at all? Then revert the theme back to the default theme. You can do this by changing the name of the theme in the folder where your themes are loaded. In the case of WordPress, you will then switch to the default theme. Is the problem in the theme? Then contact the developer.

An internal server error 500 in WordPress: what now?

Chances are you ended up on this page because you have an error message with WordPress. This occurs quite often with WordPress. Often the problem lies in a malfunctioning plugin or a theme that is not installed correctly. The installation may have become corrupted.

In these cases too, we recommend checking the logs first. Do you see the name of a plugin or theme causing an error message? Then temporarily deactivate this plugin or theme. If the problem reoccurs after reactivating the plugin or theme, reinstall the plugin or theme again. Does it still not work? Then use the default WordPress theme and you will see that the error message has disappeared.

I really can't figure it out

Can't figure it out? Don't panic! Ask our skilled colleagues from the helpdesk for help. For example, you can live chat with our helpdesk heroes. Go to the 'Customer service' page and click on 'Contact us'.

You will now see the box: 'Ask your question'. Type your question here and fill in your name and email address. Then click on Send and we will answer your question as soon as possible.