Have you ever encountered the error message “your PHP installation appears to be missing the MySQL extension which is required by WordPress”while installing or using WordPress? If so, I’d love to hear about your experience with this issue. Did you know what was causing the error and how to fix it, or did you have to seek help from a server administrator or hosting provider?
I have encountered the same issue –Your PHP Installation Appears To Be Missing The MySQL Extension Which is Required By WordPress. From my Point of view, it’s easy to solve this.Â
What Causes “Your PHP Installation Appears To Be Missing The MySQL Extension Which is Required By WordPress” ?
There are several possible reasons why you might be experiencing this issue with the missing MySQL extension in your PHP installation:
• The MySQL extension for PHP has not been installed: The most common cause of this issue is that the MySQL extension for PHP is not installed on your system. This can happen if you installed PHP from a package that does not include the MySQL extension, or if you manually compiled PHP without enabling the MySQL extension.
• The MySQL extension for PHP is not enabled: Even if the MySQL extension for PHP is installed on your system, it might not be enabled in your PHP configuration. To fix this issue, you will need to edit the php.ini file and remove the semicolon from the line that says extension=mysql.
• Incorrect PHP version: If you are using an older version of WordPress, it might be using a version of PHP that is not compatible with the MySQL extension. In this case, you will need to update WordPress to a newer version or upgrade to a newer version of PHP.
• Incorrect MySQL version: If you are using an older version of MySQL, it might not be compatible with the version of PHP that you are using. In this case, you will need to upgrade to a newer version of MySQL.
• Incorrect MySQL library: If you are using a different MySQL library (such as MariaDB), it might not be compatible with the MySQL extension for PHP. In this case, you will need to switch to a different MySQL library or install the correct MySQL library for your PHP installation.
To fix this issue, you will need to install the MySQL extension for PHP.Â
Here are the steps you can follow to do this:
Verify your system to see if MySQL is installed:
Open a terminal window and type the command MySQL –version. If MySQL is installed, you should see the version number displayed. If you don’t see a version number, it means MySQL is not installed.
Install the MySQL extension for PHP:
If you are using a Linux or Mac operating system, you can install the MySQL extension for PHP using the package manager for your system. For example, on a Debian-based system, you can use the command Sudo apt-get install php-mysql to install the extension.
If you are using a Windows operating system, you can download the PHP MySQL extension from the PHP website (https://www.php.net/downloads.php). You will need to select the version of PHP that you are using and then click on the link for the MySQL extension to download it.
Enable the MySQL extension for PHP:
Once you have installed the MySQL extension for PHP, you will need to enable it in your PHP configuration. To do this, you will need to edit the php.ini file that is used by your PHP installation.
The location of the php.ini file will depend on your system. On a Linux or Mac system, it is typically located in the /etc/PHP/ directory. On a Windows system, it is usually located in the C:\php directory.
Open the php.ini file in a text editor and search for the line that says extension=mysql.Â
If the line is commented out (starts with a semicolon), remove the semicolon to uncomment the line. If the line is not present in the php.ini file, you can add it to the end of the file.
Restart your web server after saving the php.ini file. This will enable the MySQL extension for PHP.
Test the MySQL extension:
To test that the MySQL extension is working correctly, you can create a PHP file with the following code:
<?Php
  if (!function_exists(‘mysql_connect’)) {
    die(‘MySQL extension not found’);
  }
  echo ‘MySQL extension is installed and working’;
?>
Save the file as test.php and place it in your web server’s document root directory.
Open a web browser and navigate to :
http://localhost/test.php. If the MySQL extension is working correctly, you should see the message “MySQL extension is installed and working”. If you see an error message instead, it means that the MySQL extension is not working properly.
I hope these steps will help you fix the issue with the missing MySQL extension in your PHP installation. Please let me know if you have any questions or require any additional help.
Â
Method 2 to fix – Your PHP Installation Appears To Be Missing The MySQL Extension Which is Required By WordPress.
Â
The message “your PHP installation appears to be missing the MySQL extension which is required by WordPress” means that the server where WordPress is installed does not have the MySQL extension for PHP enabled. This extension is required for WordPress to connect to a MySQL database and function properly.
To resolve this issue, you will need to install and enable the MySQL extension for PHP on your server. This can usually be done by following these steps:
Locate the PHP configuration file (php.ini) on your server.
Open the PHP configuration file in a text editor.
Search for the following line: ;extension=mysql
Remove the semi-colon (;) at the beginning of the line to uncomment the extension. It should now look like this: extension=mysql
Save the PHP configuration file and close the text editor.
Restart the webserver to apply the changes.
After completing these steps, the MySQL extension for PHP should be installed and enabled on your server. You should then be able to access your WordPress site without encountering the error message.
If you are not familiar with editing server configurations or do not have access to the PHP configuration file, you may need to contact your hosting provider or a server administrator for assistance.
Read more : how to fix discovered – not Indexed
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does this error message mean?
A: This error message means that the server where WordPress is installed does not have the MySQL extension for PHP enabled. The MySQL extension is required for WordPress to connect to a MySQL database and function properly.
Q: How do I fix this error? “Your PHP Installation Appears To Be Missing The MySQL Extension Which is Required By WordPress”
A: To fix this error, you will need to install and enable the MySQL extension for PHP on your server. This can usually be done by following these steps: (1) locate the PHP configuration file (php.ini) on your server, (2) open the PHP configuration file in a text editor, (3) search for the line ;extension=mysql and remove the semi-colon (;) at the beginning of the line, (4) save the PHP configuration file and close the text editor, and (5) restart the web server to apply the changes.
Q: I am not familiar with editing server configurations. Can I still fix this error?
A: If you are not familiar with editing server configurations or do not have access to the PHP configuration file, you may need to contact your hosting provider or a server administrator for assistance. They should be able to help you install and enable the MySQL extension for PHP on your server.
Q: Can I install the MySQL extension for PHP manually?
A: It is generally not recommended to install the MySQL extension for PHP manually. Instead, you should use the package manager provided by your operating system to install the extension. For example, on a server running Ubuntu, you can use the apt-get command to install the MySQL extension for PHP: sudo apt-get install php-mysql
Q: Will this error affect my WordPress site’s performance?
A: Yes, this error can affect the performance of your WordPress site. Without the MySQL extension for PHP, WordPress will not be able to connect to the database and retrieve the necessary data to display your site’s pages and posts. This can lead to slow page loading times and other performance issues. It is important to resolve this error as soon as possible to ensure that your WordPress site is functioning properly.