Mamp, Backupbuddy, WordPress and the dreaded (HTTP Error) 500 Internal Server Error

I have been battling this issue for weeks and I finally got it sorted due to a really helpful article.

If a site needs work, once its been launched, I like to create a local version to edit rather than risk making any change to a live site.

My workflow for this has been to install BackupBuddy (An AMAZING tool for migrating and backing up WordPress Sites), Download a complete copy of the site and install it locally using Mamp Pro.

Recently at the end of the process I have been running into this error:

HTTP Error 500 (Internal Server Error): An unexpected condition was encountered while the server was attempting to fulfill the request.

After a great deal of resetting and messing around in setting I found this great article over on Mamp’s official blog.

It turns out that it is a PHP Memory issue.

The article, Increase the PHP memory limit with MAMP PRO, runs you through the exact process needed update the memory_limit in the PHP.INI file and you will be back up and running in 5 minutes.

You should note that as the article was written in 2009 the names of your PHP.ini files maybe different, at the time of writing this mine are:

PHP 5.2.17 php.ini

PHP 5.3.6 php.ini

As I knew I have my sites set to run the latter I just edited that file, but you can edit them both to be sure.

  • Samuel Jesse

    Was this php.ini in the folder of the website dir /htdocs/website/php.ini or mamp/bin/php/php5.3.6/conf ? I’ve tried this method and not getting it to work. Very painful problem, as you say BB and Mamp usually works a charm.

    • http://aussietheatre.com.au/ Matt Edwards

      Hi Samuel,

      You actually access them through the file menu.

      FILE > EDIT TEMPLATE > PHP > Then choose the appropriate file.

      Let me know how you go.