[SOLVED] WordPress 6.1 and WPML – There has been a critical error on this website.

Andrei Iordache

Andrei Iordache

WordPress Developer

🚀 I Help People Get Found Online | WordPress Development, Core Web Vitals, Security&Maintenance

There has been a critical error on this website | November 2nd, 2022

Nothing is worse than seeing your WordPress site down. Been there, I know the feeling. So, today, while I was duing my routine, I checked one of my sites, and BAM: “There has been a critical error on this website.”.

The 1st instinct, knowing that the WordPress version auto-updated to the 6.1 “Misha” version, was to downgrade the PHP from 8.1 to 8.0. Nothing solved… I tried to downgrade to PHP 7.4 version…Again, nothing happened. The error was still there, and the site was still down.

So, I start to investigate the issue. I enabled the “WordPress debug” mode, and find this message:

Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined method WP_Textdomain_Registry::reset() in /public_html/wp-content/plugins/wpml-string-translation/classes/MO/Hooks/LanguageSwitch.php:139 Stack trace: #0 /public_html/wp-content/plugins/wpml-string-translation/classes/MO/Hooks/LanguageSwitch.php(119): WPML\ST\MO\Hooks\LanguageSwitch->resetTranslationAvailabilityInformation() 
#1 /public_html/wp-content/plugins/wpml-string-translation/classes/MO/Hooks/LanguageSwitch.php(73): WPML\ST\MO\Hooks\LanguageSwitch->changeMoObjects() 
#2 /public_html/wp-content/plugins/wpml-string-translation/classes/MO/Hooks/LanguageSwitch.php(48): WPML\ST\MO\Hooks\LanguageSwitch->switchToLocale() 
#3 /public_html/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php(310): WPML\ST\MO\Hooks\LanguageSwitch->languageHasSwitched() 
#4 public_html/wp-content/plugins/wpml-string-translation/classes/MO/Hooks/LanguageSwitch.php on line 139"

So, if you get the “There has been a critical error on this website.”  WordPress error these days, and you are using the WPML plugin, this is because of the last WordPress 6.1 update. It is a known issue right now, and the WPML’s team is trying to solve it.

What exactly is this error and how can I solve it?

The “There has been a critical error on this website.” is generated due to an internal conflict between WPML (4.5.11 version), String Translation (3.2.2) and the last WordPress version (6.1, “Misha).

So, how to solve it?

Fortunately, there are a few ways to solve this issue:

1. If you can access the WordPress Admin dashboard, try to update both the WMPL, to the last version (4.5.12) and String Translation, to the last version (3.2.3). You have to follow the steps mentioned in the WPML official article about this issue.

2. If you cannot access the admin dashboard, go to your hosting server and try to restore a backup made on November 1st (the WordPress autoupdate to 6.1 arrived this morning, on November 2nd). Depending on your hosting provider, there are many backup features. In my case, I used JetBackup 5.

After that:

  • deactivate the auto-update feature.
  • make the required updates. If you cannot update the String Translation plugin, simply delete it and re-upload the newest version (I posted below the source from where you can get it).
  • update the WordPress version to the last one and test your site. Everything should be working fine.

3. If you don’t have a recent backup, you can also try this:

DO A BACKUP BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGE!

  • Access your site through FTP, or through the cPanel’s Site File Manager.
  • Go to wp-content/plugins/ and rename the String Translation plugin folder name.
  • Do the same thing with the WPML plugin (rename the plugin folder name).

NOTE: You can also entire delete the plugins and reinstall the latest version of them. BUT DO A BACKUP BEFORE IT!

After that, download the fresh plugins from the official source: WPML Downloads
Your site should be fine right now.


If you need help, I can solve the issue for $80.

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7 Comments.

  • Thank you so much. I solved the issue! I was like oh no, my site got hacked, but the error was due Wpml and the last wordpress update. Thank you again.

  • Thank you so much! WPML was the last plugin I was thinking about. My site is up again just because of this post.

  • Thank you very much for your help. But there is a problem, if I do a Restore, the plugins are always in auto update and I come back with the same problem, because the updates have been done.

  • Hello Patrik. I also had this problem yesterday (after I restored the full backup, everything was updated in seconds, and the site quickly went down). Just remove the plugins entirely, and reupload the right versions (you can download them from the WPML downloads page, mentioned in the article).

  • Happy to help, Lisa!

  • I know the feeling 😀 Happy to help, Oliver!

  • My issue is resolved now. Thank you!

Comments are closed.

Lusi StudiosLusi Studios
15:32 22 Jun 22
Andrei did an amazing job! He helped in a very rushed time and he excelled at everything. Thanks again!
I am grateful and I would to thank Websites Seller for their support in site recovery and site transfer. Websites Seller just saved my business. Thank you!
Wouter GhysensWouter Ghysens
11:52 10 Sep 21
Looking for a Wordpress transfer from site A to site B, I found back Andrei from Wesites Seller on Google.He was very proactive in his approach, came with hundreds of ideas and lifetime experiences from other migrations. He knows the wordpress, the hosting and php database as the back of his pocket.And we worked out this migration very smooth. Together we solved it, and myself and my business are very pleased with his approach.100% recommendation & kudo's from out of Belgium!
Ioachim CiobanuIoachim Ciobanu
18:39 14 Jul 21
Websites Seller built my resume site. Deliverables were quickly completed, and I was asked for my feedback at each stage of development. All feedback I gave was implemented in a short time.Another great thing is that he comes with smart solutions, regarding stuff which I didn't initially think of (site security, Google site speed optimization and so on). Basically, he was great, staying in touch, keeping me updated and paid attention to what was most important for my site.Overall, I am very happy with the work done. I highly recommend this developer!
K CollinsK Collins
09:11 19 May 21
I needed help with website speed - to improve my core web vitals - without compromising the usability of my site. Andrei was extremely responsive, proactive and fast. And more importantly, he increased by website speed. Highly recommend him, and I will be using him going forward on all my projects.
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