How to Fix the WordPress Failed to Open Stream Error

Are you seeing the ‘failed to open stream’ error on your WordPress site? Don’t panic. We sometimes encounter this error quite when testing new plugins and themes, and we’ve developed several reliable ways to fix it quickly.

While this error message might look technical and intimidating, it’s actually WordPress trying to tell you exactly what’s wrong. We’ll break down what this error means and show you how to solve it, even if you’re not technically inclined.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to fix the ‘failed to open stream’ error in WordPress.

What Causes the ‘Failed to Open Stream’ Error in WordPress?

The ‘failed to open stream’ error occurs when WordPress.org is unable to load a file or resource mentioned in the website’s code.

When this happens, sometimes WordPress will continue loading your website and only show a warning message in the place where the error occurs. Other times, WordPress will show a fatal error and will not load anything else.

The message phrasing will be different depending on where the error occurs in the code and the reason for failure. It will also give you clues about what needs to be fixed.

Typically, the failure to open stream message will look something like this:

Warning: require(/home/website/wp-includes/load.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/website/wp-settings.php on line 19

Fatal error: require(): Failed opening required ‘/home/website/wp-includes/load.php’ (include_path=’.:/usr/share/php/:/usr/share/php5/’) in /home/website/wp-settings.php on line 19

Here is another example:

Last Error: 2023-04-04 14:52:13: (2) HTTP Error: Unable to connect: ‘fopen(compress.zlib://https://www.googleapis.com/analytics/v3/management/accounts/~all
/webproperties/~all/profiles?start-index=1): failed to open stream: operation failed’

Having said that, let’s take a look at how to troubleshoot and fix the ‘failed to open stream’ error in your WordPress website based on the error message. You can use these quick links to skip to a specific section:

How to Fix ‘No Such File or Directory’ Error Message

If the error message contains ‘no such file or directory,’ then you need to look in the code to figure out which file is mentioned on that particular line.

If it is a media file, then you can try reuploading it to the media library.

If it is a plugin or theme file, then this means that the plugin or theme files were either deleted or not installed correctly.

You will simply need to deactivate and reinstall the theme or plugin in question to fix the error. If it is a plugin, please see our guides on how to deactivate WordPress plugins and how to install a WordPress plugin.

You can also read our guide on how to deactivate WordPress plugins when you’re unable to access wp-admin if you cannot log in to WordPress.

If it is a theme, please see our guides on how to delete a WordPress theme and how to install a WordPress theme.

However, WordPress may also be unable to locate the files because of a missing .htaccess file in your root folder.

In this case, you need to go to the Settings » Permalinks page in your WordPress dashboard and just click on the ‘Save Changes’ button to regenerate the .htaccess file.

How to Fix ‘Permission Denied’ Error Message

If the error message is followed by ‘permission denied,’ then this means that WordPress does not have the right permission to access the file or directory referenced in the code.

To fix this, you need to check WordPress file and folder permissions and correct them if needed. You may also want to see if your temporary folder is missing and if it’s causing this error.

How to Fix ‘Operation Failed’ Error Message

Finally, some WordPress plugins load scripts from third-party sources like Google Analytics, Facebook APIs, Google Maps, and more.

Some of these third-party APIs may require authentication or might have changed the way developers can access them. A failure to authenticate or an incorrect access method will result in WordPress failing to open the required files.

To fix this, you will need to contact the plugin author for support. They should be able to help you fix the error.

Other Ways to Fix WordPress ‘Failed to Open Stream Error’

If the ‘failed to open stream’ still occurs, then you can try a few additional methods.

At times, loading files that exceed the available memory can lead to the ‘failed to open stream’ error. You can try increasing the PHP memory limit in your wp-config.php file to see if it solves the problem.

Occasionally, a plugin or theme can conflict with WordPress core files and cause this error. To troubleshoot, temporarily deactivate all plugins and switch to a default theme like Twenty Twenty-Four.

If the error disappears, then you can start reactivating plugins one by one to pinpoint the culprit.

Additionally, try using WordPress debug mode and error logs to gather more information about the error and pinpoint the location in the code where it occurs.

In rare cases, corrupted WordPress core files themselves might be causing the error. If you’ve tried all the previous solutions and the error persists, consider reinstalling your WordPress software.

You can also read our WordPress troubleshooting guide. This step-by-step guide will help you pinpoint the issue and easily find the solution.

Need professional help? Consider hiring WordPress maintenance experts from WPBeginner Pro Services. Our team can look into what’s going on with your website, find the root cause of the issue, and figure out a solution that best suits the problem.

Our WordPress maintenance services cover everything from WordPress updates and malware removal to regular backups. You can also get emergency WordPress support in case you need an urgent fix.

Feel free to book an appointment with our team today. Let’s work together to figure out the best solution for you.

Get Your Site Back on Track With These Guides

The ‘failed to open stream’ error is just one hurdle you might face on your WordPress journey. Here are some helpful guides to address other common WordPress errors:

• How to Fix the WordPress White Screen of Death (Step by Step)
• How to Fix the 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress
• How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress
• How to Fix WordPress Posts Returning 404 Error (Step by Step)
• How to Fix the HTTP Image Upload Error in WordPress
• How to Fix ‘Cookies Are Blocked Due to Unexpected Output’ Error in WordPress

We hope this article helped you fix the WordPress ‘failed to open stream’ error. You may also want to bookmark our list of the most common WordPress errors and our guide on how to fix the critical error in WordPress.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.