How many chickens can you spot in this pic?


If you're unable to access your WordPress admin dashboard and need to deactivate all plugins, here are two safe, reliable methods based on WordPress.org documentation and community best practices:

✅ Method 1: Rename the Plugins Folder (Recommended for Most Users)

This method preserves all plugin settings and is safer than editing the database.
Steps:
  1. Connect via FTP (e.g., FileZilla) or use your host’s File Manager (in cPanel/Plesk).
  2. Navigate to /wp-content/ in your WordPress root directory.
  3. Rename the plugins folder to plugins.hold (or plugins.deactivated).
  4. Visit your site or try logging into yoursite.com/wp-admin.
    → WordPress will automatically deactivate all plugins since it can’t find them.
  5. Once logged in, rename the folder back to plugins.
  6. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and reactivate plugins one by one to identify any causing issues.
💡 Why this works: WordPress checks for active plugins on every load. If the folder is missing, it deactivates them silently—but keeps settings intact in the database.

✅ Method 2: Clear Plugin Data in phpMyAdmin (For Advanced Users)

Use this only if you’re comfortable with databases.
Steps:
  1. Open phpMyAdmin (via your hosting control panel).
  2. Select your WordPress database.

     

  3. Find the wp_options table (prefix may vary, e.g., wp123_options).
  4. Look for the row where option_name = active_plugins.
  5. Edit that row and set option_value to:
    php
  6. Save. All plugins are now deactivated.