Title: Dashboard items missing Last modified: August 22, 2016 --- # Dashboard items missing * [annelou](https://wordpress.org/support/users/annelou/) * (@annelou) * [11 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/) * For no obvious reason, many of the controls on my dashboard stopped appearing. including the plugins tab. I tried deactivating the plugins by renaming the plugins file to “plugins.old”. That merely hid more of the dashboard items. When I changed it back to “plugins”, The same items were hidden. * Many of the hidden options are on a dropdown menu across the top of the dashboard, but when I click those options, I am told I do not have the credentials to use them. And not all options are included there. * Website: [http://www.lifeunderwritergroup.com](http://www.lifeunderwritergroup.com) Screenshot of current dashboard: Cannot paste copy of lightshot image Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 17 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/page/2/?output_format=md) * [Michele Butcher-Jones](https://wordpress.org/support/users/m_butcher/) * (@m_butcher) * [11 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/#post-5709833) * 1. Are you using an admin role user? * 2. If the options still keep being wonky, I would do a reinstall of the WordPress core files. That should straighten them out. * Thread Starter [annelou](https://wordpress.org/support/users/annelou/) * (@annelou) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/#post-5710076) * Ok, I do have am using the admin role. * My host said they reinstalled the core files. That changed nothing. * But I want to check that myself. What are the core files and how do I reinstall them? Does that require a complete reinstall? I found the instructions for that. But I am hoping these is a solution short of that. * I am not techy, but want to learn how to be self-sufficient. * [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * (@wpyogi) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/#post-5710077) * Try deactivating ALL plugins and switching to a default theme first. * Is this your site? * [http://www.lifeunderwritergroup.com/](http://www.lifeunderwritergroup.com/) * it seems to be working fine for me. * Thread Starter [annelou](https://wordpress.org/support/users/annelou/) * (@annelou) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/#post-5710078) * Site works fine. Problem is on dashboard. The menu items to access my plugins does not show. “Appearance” menu item does not show either. * Therefore I cannot add plugins, deactivate then or see them at all. Likewise for Appearance. I have no access to that menu iten or to its sub-menus, including no access to my themes. * I need ability to modify plkugins and to add a theme right now. I cannot. * thanks * [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * (@wpyogi) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/#post-5710079) * You’ll need to do that manually – using FTP or Cpanel to rename the plugins folder to `plugins.HOLD` on the server. * Ask your hosts if you don’t know how to use FTP or Cpanel. * Thread Starter [annelou](https://wordpress.org/support/users/annelou/) * (@annelou) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/#post-5710080) * I deactivated plugins as above. Even Fewer Menu items show on dashboard, perhaps because some of plugins were menu items. “Plug-ins” and “Appearance” still do not show * Do I deactivate “themes”, too? How then do I activate the default theme (2015)? * Thanks * [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * (@wpyogi) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/#post-5710081) * Rename your current active theme in a similar way – that will force WP to use a default theme. Then see if your site shows those missing items. * Thread Starter [annelou](https://wordpress.org/support/users/annelou/) * (@annelou) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/#post-5710082) * With both plugins and themes deactivated, my site disappears–a perfectly blank white screen. * [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * (@wpyogi) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/#post-5710086) * Do you have a default theme in the themes folder – i.e. here: * ``` wp-content themes twentyfifteen twentyfourteen ``` * If not, download one of those and put it in that folder. * Thread Starter [annelou](https://wordpress.org/support/users/annelou/) * (@annelou) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/#post-5710087) * Twenty Fifteen is installed on my site. * But when I looked for the theme, I discovered a “plugin” File residing within my “themes” folder. This plugins file doplicates the stand-alone plugins file. I will try disablind the “themes”–>”plugin” file to see if that helps. * Will report result. * Thread Starter [annelou](https://wordpress.org/support/users/annelou/) * (@annelou) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/#post-5710088) * That changed nothing. * Thread Starter [annelou](https://wordpress.org/support/users/annelou/) * (@annelou) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/#post-5710089) * That is, a “plugin: folder and “themes” folder. (Not File) * [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * (@wpyogi) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/#post-5710090) * > I discovered a “plugin” File residing within my “themes” folder. This plugins > file doplicates the stand-alone plugins file. I will try disablind the “themes”– > >”plugin” file to see if that helps. * That shouldn’t be there – raises the question as to whether your site may have been hacked. * BUT, I still see your old theme and many plugins active – can’t do much to troubleshoot with it that way. * Make sure you’ve cleared your caching plugin. * Then you’ll need to rename that plugins folder and rename your active theme folder. WP should then default to twentyfifteen. * Thread Starter [annelou](https://wordpress.org/support/users/annelou/) * (@annelou) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/#post-5710091) * Don’t worry. I tested Deactiovating theme and plugins when I said I did. Just reactivated to have a site up. * But Twenty fifteen theme is inside theme folder. Could that explain why it did not activate when plugin AND theme folders deactivated? * If so, how do I allow it to be activatewd? * [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * (@wpyogi) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/#post-5710092) * > AND theme folders deactivated? * Only rename (deactivate) your active theme – whichever one your site is currently using. Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 17 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/page/2/?output_format=md) The topic ‘Dashboard items missing’ is closed to new replies. * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 17 replies * 3 participants * Last reply from: [annelou](https://wordpress.org/support/users/annelou/) * Last activity: [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dashboard-items-missing-1/page/2/#post-5710094) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics