How to Resolve 500 Internal Server Error

500 Internal Server Error

For every request from a web browser the server responds with a status code . Out of various status code, 5xx are the codes related to Web Server. A first digit of 5 represents a server side error, with the most common codes in the range of 500 to 510. They indicate that the server failed to complete the request because server encountered an error. When you try to visit a website and see error "500 Internal Server Error" message, it means something has gone wrong with the website. This is a "catch all" status for unexpected errors. The error is particularly frustrating because it gives you no information about what specifically caused the server error. This isn't a problem with your browser, your computer, or your internet connection. It's a problem with the site you're trying to visit.

The first thing you need to know about an "Internal Server Error" is that the error can only be resolved by fixes to the Web server software. It is not a client-side problem meaning that the problem is not with your browser, your computer, or your internet connection. There are a number of causes for a 500 Internal Server Error to display in a web browser. The 500 Internal Server Error message might be seen in any number of ways because each website is allowed to customize the message. Here are some common ways you might see this error:

1. 500 Internal Server Error
2. HTTP 500 - Internal Server Error
3. Internal Server Error
4. HTTP 500 Internal Error
5. 500 Error
6. HTTP Error 500

What causes a 500 Internal Server error

This error means there is a problem on the server side. A server error can be caused by any number of things from uploading the incorrect file to as bug in a piece of code. This error response is a generic "catch-all" response. The web server is telling you that something went wrong, but it's not sure exactly what that is. If you have root access, you should review your web server’s error logs to get more information about this. If you are using shared hosting plan, you should contact your host to get more information. The best way to debug the error depends upon the server and what's actually running at the time. Consider some debugging tips to help diagnose and fix common causes of this problem.

How to Fix the 500 Internal Server Error

When you hit an internal server error it usually means some parts of your web server is not configured correctly or the application is trying to do something and the server is failing to carry out the request due to a conflict or restriction. This error can only be resolved by fixes to the Web server software . It is up to the administrators of the Web server site to locate and analyse the logs which should give further information about the error. However, there are often ways to quickly get around the problem:

Backing Up Your Site

These solutions require making a lot of changes in your site's root directory . It's highly recommended that you backup your site prior to trying any of these solutions in case something goes wrong.

Server permission

Very commonly, incorrect permissions on a file or folder that contains one of the scripts causes this this error. The script isn't throwing the error because the server can't even run the script. Check to see what the permissions should be and ensure that's how they are set on the server.

Server timeout

Sometimes the 500 Internal Server error is because the server timed out, or a script you're running timed out . You can increase the Apache server timeout in httpd.conf by changing TimeOut 600. If the server was busy, needed to be rebooted, or the connection was lost, the script might still report a 500 Internal Server Error.

Script timeout

Sometimes the 500 Internal Server error is because the script you're running timed out . If your website relies on scripts (such as Perl or CGI files), there are a number of things that can go wrong. A PHP or other server-side script may have timed out. This could be because of a programming error that put the script in an endless loop or a resource that wasn't available. If you're running a script, like PHP for example, you can increase the time out of this as well. For PHP this would mean changing the max_execution_time from the default of 30 (seconds) to something longer:

If a script times out during testing, it's likely to do it again during production when it’s accessed by more users.

Errors in .htaccess files

Occasionally, an error in the coding of an .htaccess file may cause this error. The .htaccess on your site might interfere with the web page that you are tying to load. Please double check the .htaccess configuration for any possible syntax error that could render a 500 Internal Server Error. To confirm whether a misconfiguration .htaccess is the cause of the 500 Internal Server error , either remove or rename the .htaccess file temporarily and then try to reload the page.

Check the Error Logs

You should check Apache and PHP error logs for your server. It will provide valuable information regarding any code failures or reasons for a site failure.

If you are a web visitor and want to rule out whether the problem is on your end:

Clear your browser cookies and cache

This is the one of the first things and tech support will advise, and while the server errors are not caused by either cookies or the cache , it might be that the error has been fixed and you are viewing the wrong version of the site because of them. It's worth doing as it only takes a few minutes in your browser's settings.

Reload or Refresh the Webpage

Most of the time, the issue is only temporarily and can be corrected by trying the page again. You can use the refresh/reload button, pressing F5 , or by trying the URL again from the address bar. Sometimes this error is caused when a service restarts, and you happen to catch it at exactly the wrong time.

Not Yet?

If you've tried to troubleshoot your 500 server error and still can't fix it, then you may need to speak to your web host and see if they are able to find what process or script is causing the error. If you are using a commercial web hosting company their customer support should be able to provide information on how to fix the error and in many cases they will apply the fix for you at no cost .