Error Messages

Common MyBB error messages and how to fix them.

Introduction

When using MyBB, you may encounter an Internal MyBB Error, an SQL error, or see a permissions error of some sort. These can limit what you can do with your forum, or may stop you using it altogether. This page will show you some of the common errors people encounter, along with how to fix the problem.

Enabling Error Logs

MyBB, depending on the board’s settings, may not always show error details. To enable error logging, in the Admin CP’s Configuration → Settings → Server and Optimization Options:

set Use Error Handling to Yes to show additional settings,
set Error Logging Medium to Log errors,
set Error Logging Location to e.g. ./error.log, a location that cannot be accessed through the web (see the Security Guide for server configuration instructions).

If the Admin CP cannot be accessed, these settings can be overridden manually by adding the following lines at the end of the inc/settings.php file:

// manual overrides
$settings['errorlogmedium'] = 'log';
$settings['errortypemedium'] = 'both';
$settings['errorloglocation'] = './error.log';

Note: Manual changes are temporary and will be lost when modifying settings using the Admin CP.

The configured file will contain information useful in identifying the cause.

Error Types

Internal MyBB Errors

MyBB Error (41)

Error Type: MyBB Error (41)

Error Message: Your board has not yet been installed and configured. Please do so before attempting to browse it.

Information: This occurs when the file inc/config.php is incorrectly configured. If you have not already installed your forum, you need to go to install/index.php and run through the installation process, including entering your database details. If you have already installed your forum, and you have data in your database, then you will need to open inc/config.php, use this sample inc/config.php text, and edit in your database information.
MyBB Error (43)

Error Type: MyBB Error (43)

Error Message: The install directory (install/) still exists on your server and is not locked. To access MyBB please either remove this directory or create an empty file in it called lock.

Information: This occurs when your install folder is still present, or has not been locked. To solve this error, either completely delete the install folder, or create an empty file called lock inside the folder. MyBB requires you to remove or lock this folder so that nobody can run the installation or upgrade script and corrupt or erase your database with it.
MyBB Error (42)

Error Type: MyBB Error (42)

Error Message: Your board has not yet been upgraded. Please do so before attempting to browse it.

Information: This occurs when you are attempting to do a major upgrade (e.g. 1.6.x to 1.8.x) and do not run the upgrade script after uploading the new files. To fix this, go to install/upgrade.php and choose your old version from the list and follow the directions given by the upgrader..
MyBB Error (44)

Error Type: MyBB Error (44)

Error Message: MyBB was unable to load the SQL extension. Please contact the MyBB Group for support. MyBB Website

Information: This occurs when the database type is incorrect in inc/config.php. To fix this, open inc/config.php and check the entry for $config['database']['type']. A common issue is having mysql instead of mysqli, or having mysqli instead of mysql. If you do not know what needs to be here, contact your host provider.

SQL Errors

MySQL Error 0 -

Database: MySQL

SQL Error: 0 -

Query: [READ] Unable to select database

Information: This occurs when you are using MySQL and the database name or database username is incorrect in inc/config.php. To fix this, open inc/config.php and check the entries for $config['database']['database'] and $config['database']['username']. If you do not know what needs to be here, contact your host provider.
MySQL Error 2005

Database: MySQL

SQL Error: 2005 - Unknown MySQL server host 'HOSTNAME' (11004)

Query: [READ] Unable to connect to MySQL server

Information: This occurs when you are using MySQL and the database host name is incorrect in inc/config.php. To fix this, open inc/config.php and check the entry for $config['database']['hostname']. If you do not know what needs to be here, contact your host provider.
MySQL Error 1045

Database: MySQL

SQL Error: 1045 - Access denied for user 'USERNAME'@'HOSTNAME' (using password: YES)

Query: [READ] Unable to connect to MySQL server

Information: This occurs when you are using MySQL and the database password is incorrect in inc/config.php. To fix this, open inc/config.php and check the entry for $config['database']['password']. If you do not know what needs to be here, contact your host provider.
MySQL Error 1146

Database: MySQL

SQL Error: 1146 - Table 'forum_mybb14x.test_datacache' doesn't exist

Query: SELECT title,cache FROM test_datacache

Information: This occurs when you are using MySQL and the database table prefix is incorrect in inc/config.php. To fix this, open inc/config.php and check the entry for $config['database']['table_prefix']. If you do not know what needs to be here, contact your host provider.
MySQL Error 2013

Database: MySQL

SQL Error: 2013 - Lost connection to MySQL server during query

Query: SELECT title,cache FROM mybb_datacache

Information: *This is an issue with the connection to your database, your host will have to solve this issue for you.
SQLite Error 1

Database: SQLite

SQL Error: 1 - no such table: test_datacache

Query: *SELECT title,cache FROM test_datacache

Information: This occurs when you are using SQLite and the database table prefix is incorrect in inc/config.php. To fix this, open inc/config.php and check the entry for $config['database']['table_prefix']. If you do not know what needs to be here, contact your host provider. This error also shows when the database path is incorrect in $config['database']['database']. To fix this, make sure the path points to where your database is stored.
MySQL Error 2002

Database: MySQL

SQL Error: 2002 - Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock'

Query: [READ] Unable to connect to MySQL server

Information: This occurs when your MySQL server is down or experiencing an issue and MyBB cannot connect to it. You will have to contact your host with this error message.
MySQL Error 1054

Database: MySQL

SQL Error: 1054 - Unknown column 'loginattempts' in 'field list'

Query: SELECT loginattempts FROM mybb_users WHERE LOWER(username)='username' LIMIT 1

Information: Note: this fix does not apply to all unknown column errors, it is specifically for the above specific query (with a different username/table prefix etc of course). Please do not suggest this fix when someone has any other unknown column error.

This occurs when you are using MySQL and you attempt to upgrade from 1.4.3 to 1.4.4, after you upload all the new files, but do not run the upgrade script. In 1.4.4, a new column, loginattempts, was added to the users table for a new security feature. The error shows as the 1.4.4 member.php file is trying to find the loginattempts column in a 1.4.3 database, where it doesn’t exist. To fix this issue, go to install/upgrade.php and choose 1.4.2/1.4.3 from the list.

Other Error Messages

The installer is currently locked

The installer is currently locked, please remove lock from the install directory to continue

Information: This happens when you try to run the installation or upgrade script, but your install/ folder is locked. Simply remove the lock file from the install/ folder to continue.
403 Forbidden

You don’t have permission to access admin/index.php on this server.

Information: This is nearly always a problem with mod_security. mod_security is an Apache extension that is used for security. In MyBB 1.4, mod_security treats the way the URLs are set out in the ACP as a security threat, so it will deny you access.

You should contact your host provider and ask them to whitelist your domain or hosting account against mod_security - basically so that it doesn’t affect you anymore.
404 Not Found for Internal Links

Information: When following internal links (forums, threads, etc.) with Search Engine Friendly URLs enabled, a HTTP 404 error may appear when the URL redirects are not properly configured. Make sure the appropriate file or code fragment is used, or disable the Enable search engine friendly URLs setting.
Catchable Fatal Error (4096)

This error occurs when you upgrade your forum from MyBB 1.6.4 or older to MyBB 1.6.5 or newer, or when you install a theme that was not updated properly. The member_register template has to be updated.
1. Go to Admin CP > Templates > Your Theme’s Template Set > Member Templates > member_register.
2. Find:
  
  {$captcha}
3. Replace it with:
  
  {$hiddencaptcha}
Parser output validation failed

This error may be logged when the MyCode parser produces invalid XHTML code. Validation errors can also result in the content of some posts and messages appearing empty.

Invalid HTML is usually added to post content by customizations and extensions, like:
- MyCode Replacement values of custom MyCodes
- theme templates used for parsing MyCode:
  - MyCode Templates group (mycode_..)
  - Video MyCode Templates group (video_…)
  - postbit_gotopost template (Post Bit Templates)
  - smilie template (Ungrouped Templates)
- plugins related to post parsing
- HTML entered in the Admin CP (e.g. Forum Rules, user groups’ Username Style)
Identifying the Cause

To identify the problematic MyCode:
- isolate the content of the broken message (e.g. by copying it to a new thread), and remove custom MyCodes or other non-default features (embeds, mentions, etc.), or
- temporarily deactivate all or suspected plugins (you can use the Configuration → Setings → Disable All Plugins setting)
and see if the errors continue to occur.

If the errors are related to extensions, we recommend checking for new versions or contacting their authors. You can also ask for help in MyBB Support channels.

Correcting Validation Issues

Use the technical details of the error saved in the error log file to identify the cause. These include the original message, the resulting output, and detailed validation errors related to the HTML structure (usually, most entries in the array are not critical or result from previous errors, but are included for clarity).

You can use the Parser Validation Debug tool to inspect validation details of selected posts on the forum, or decode raw errors that were logged in the past (see usage instructions).

Disabling Validation

Parser output validation is a security feature added in MyBB 1.8.27, and can be temporarily disabled by modifying the inc/class_parser.php file, and changing the $output_validation_policy value from VALIDATION_REQUIRE to VALIDATION_REPORT_ONLY:
```
public $output_validation_policy = self::VALIDATION_REPORT_ONLY;
```
Once the underlying problems are resolved, restore the original value.

Useful links

Edit this page on GitHub

Introduction

Enabling Error Logs

Error Types

Internal MyBB Errors

MyBB Error (41)

MyBB Error (43)

MyBB Error (42)

MyBB Error (44)

SQL Errors

MySQL Error 0 -

MySQL Error 2005

MySQL Error 1045

MySQL Error 1146

MySQL Error 2013

SQLite Error 1

MySQL Error 2002

MySQL Error 1054

Other Error Messages

The installer is currently locked

403 Forbidden

404 Not Found for Internal Links

Catchable Fatal Error (4096)

Parser output validation failed

Identifying the Cause

Correcting Validation Issues

Disabling Validation

Useful links