fix

Fix for RSS Error: WP HTTP Error: name lookup timed out

wordpressI’ve just had a minor hassle trying to sort out the RSS Error on a different site that I maintain, but after searching for a solution online and not finding one, I had to figure out something myself – so I’ve posted my solution here. It’s actually really simple too… so that’s a bonus.

If you use sub-domains with the latest version of WordPress v3.x – and try to use RSS feeds to cross populate them, for some reason, all of a sudden you may start getting this WP HTTP Error. I followed all of the advice online, from consulting with my host, deactivating and re-activating plugins, and re-installing WordPress. Nothing worked.

So, the simple solution is pass to the feeds through an external feed generator/management provider, such as Feedburner. You can still use exactly the same feeds, but as they’re now routed through an external service, WordPress doesn’t seem to have a fit about the redirects any more… and, hey presto, you’re back up and running again.

Interrupted plugin update solution

wordpressI’ve just had a mini heart attack after accidentally interrupting a plugin update in wordpress and being presented with “Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute” whenever I try and access the front or back end of my WordPress site. After much frantic searching online, I found a simple solution – just delete the .maintenance file from the root folder of your WordPress installation. You can do this easily with your FTP client, or if like me you’re just using the Cpanel file manager, then make sure that when you start up the file manager – you select to show the hidden files (it’s a tick box otpion), so that you can see the .maintenance file in the first place.