How to Fix 'Another Update in Process' Error in WordPress

"Another update currently in process" error stops you from updating WordPress. Normally, it should automatically go away. But if it doesn't, then there are some easy methods for fix that. Here, I am going to show you how to fix 'Another update currently in process' error in WordPress.

Why 'Another Update in Process' Error Occurs?

This error message usually appears when a core WordPress update is running in the background and a user tries to initiate another update process.

During the core update process, WordPress automatically sets an update lock option in the database. This database option prevents your from running simultaneous updates on your website.

This error message is set to automatically disappear in 15 minutes or when the update process has finished. However, if you are stuck on that error or don't want to wait, then you can manually reset it.

Let's take a look at how to fix this error in WordPress.

Fixing Another Update in Process Error

To quickly get rid of 'another update in process' message, you need to delete the core_updater.lock option from your WordPress database. We will show you how to do that using two different methods. You can choose any method from following methods that works best for you.

Method 1: Fix Another Update in Process Error Using a Plugin

Firstly you need to do is install and activate the Fix Another Update In Progress plugin.

After activation, you need to visit Settings >> Fix Another Update In Progress page. If updates on your website are locked, then you will see a message with a button to fix it:

Simply click on 'Fix WordPress Update Lock' button to continue.

The plugin will delete the WordPress core update lock option from your database, and you will see a success message like this:

Method 2. Manually Fix Another Update in Process

This method requires you to use phpMyAdmin to directly run a query in your WordPress database.

First you need to open the cPanel dashboard of your WordPress hosting account. Under the database section, click on the phpMyAdmin icon.

After that you need to select your WordPress database in phpMyAdmin. This will show you all the tables inside your WordPress database. You now click on the Browse button next to the WordPress options table (wp_options).

This will show you all the rows inside the options table. You need to find the row with the option name 'core_updater.lock' and click on the delete button next to it.

PhpMyAdmin will now delete the row from your WordPress database.

You can switch back to your WordPress website and proceed with updating your WordPress website.

I hope this article helped you fix this error on your WordPress site.