When working with WordPress, you will find out fairly quick that it can be pretty sensitive during updates and host transfers. This may create tension with the main reasons why you chose to use WordPress for your website in the first place, for example our issue being the Media Library. Our problems occurred during a server transfer for one of our clients. We realized that a lot of people were having this same issue, but no one had truly addressed it. Below are the steps to take when you find the WordPress Media Library not working correctly.

Problem | When trying to upload a new image to the WordPress Media Library it does not work.

Steps we take to solve this problem: These steps were taken and could potentially work at any given step so, you need to see if your Media Library works after each one.

Step 1: Disable all of your plugins and test to see if your media library is working.

Now test to see if your Media Library is now functioning:

(If it is working then go through and activate each plugin one at a time and see which one it is breaking your media library, then do not use it. Likewise if this does not solve the problem go to the next step)

Step 2: Log into your admin panel.

Step 3: Go to Settings > Media

Step 4: In the first writable field (Store uploads in this folder) it will state that the Default is wp-content/uploads but, it will not register this as “True”.

Step 5: Type “wp-content/uploads” within the field. (Also, make sure that “Full URL path to files” is blank.)

Step 6: Click, Save Changes.

Now test to see if your Media Library is now functioning if not go to the next steps:

Step 7: Open up your File Transfer Protocol or (FTP).

Step 8: Go to your wp-content section.

Step 9: Right click or highlight your “uploads” folder.

If you do not have one then create one and test to see if your Media Library is now functioning.

Step 10: Select “File Permissions”.

Step 11: Set the Numeric Value to 777.

Now test to see if your Media Library is now functioning if not go to the next steps:

Step 12: Go back into WordPress.

Step 13: Go back into Go to Settings > Media

Step 14: Uncheck “Organize my uploads into month- and year-based folders”.

Step 15: Click, Save Changes.

Now test to see if your Media Library is now functioning if not go to the next steps:

Step 16: If your Media Library is still not working there is only one more step that I can fathom. Go back into your File Transfer Protocol or (FTP).

Step 17: Right click or highlight your “wp-content” folder.

Step 18: Select “File Permissions”.

Step 19: Set the Numeric Value to 777.

Now test to see if your Media Library is now functioning and hopefully it is by now.

Please note if your website is still down, it could potentially one of two things. The first being a plugin that you chose or created. Most free plugins do not take in consideration that your site matters. It is a pain, but do some research on the person who uploaded the theme and be sure that you check their reviews. The second reason could be due to some of your folder permissions — they might have been lost during a host transfer. Try re-installing WordPress again, and re-importing your themes and plugins. If these solutions still do not work, feel free to contact us and we will try to help.

Be Cautious: Doing some of these steps could potentially open up your website to a security breach, mainly by changing the directories to 777 if you went all the way to step 19 to get your Media Library to function. Don’t worry your head off; if you had that much trouble getting it to work your server obviously has a great deal of security within it.

The reason 777 could potentially create a security breach is because the CHMOD 777 means that everybody has access to the folder and can write/read the files. Violators sometimes may take advantage of this.

We highly suggest that if you did change the folders to CHMOD 777, to contact your host provider and see if there is any way around this. Keep in mind that most host servers have your website compiled on a server, with up to 100+ other customer websites. If they had to create any changes to that server for another client, your website will be affected too. If you mention this error to them they should be able to fix this issue or migrate your website to a different server. This will ensure that your new server will contain different site restrictions or security options allowing you to not use CHMOD 777.

Feel free to comment if you find any other suggestions that can be taken to solve the WordPress Media Library to work properly.

Update: This issue also occurs when using WordPress on a MediaTemple dedicated-virtual server. Here is an article we wrote on how to correct this issue on MediaTemple servers.