Title: Parse Error Last modified: August 19, 2016 --- # Parse Error * Resolved [rvthereyet](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rvthereyet/) * (@rvthereyet) * [17 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/parse-error-24/) * Last night after I posted a new post to my blog, I got the following error – Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STRING in /home/rvther2/public_html/wp- blog-header.php on line 5 * There was nothing unusual about my post pretty standard travel/adventure stuff with several photos (flickr). No fancy html. * I am running an old version of WordPress – I don’t think I’ve updated it since I started my blog – 2004! Yikes. But I’ve never had any problems. HELP!!! (oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!) Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 15 total) * [whooami](https://wordpress.org/support/users/whooami/) * (@whooami) * [17 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/parse-error-24/#post-911699) * > Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STRING in /home/rvther2/public_html/ > wp-blog-header.php on line 5 * and whats on lines 4-6 of that file? * Thread Starter [rvthereyet](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rvthereyet/) * (@rvthereyet) * [17 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/parse-error-24/#post-911700) * Um….how would I find that information? * [whooami](https://wordpress.org/support/users/whooami/) * (@whooami) * [17 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/parse-error-24/#post-911701) * open the file and read it? * you either need to use your host’s control panel, and figure out where whatever they use as a file manager is, OR you can use an ftp client, and just download it to your trusty little desktop. * Thread Starter [rvthereyet](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rvthereyet/) * (@rvthereyet) * [17 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/parse-error-24/#post-911703) * OK – I think this is the first several lines of the wp-blog-header.php (found from my control panel). * 404 Not Found

404 Not Found

nginx/ 0.5.37
* Does that help? * [Andreas B. Melin](https://wordpress.org/support/users/herr-morris/) * (@herr-morris) * [17 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/parse-error-24/#post-911712) * It happened to a few of us, look here: [http://wordpress.org/support/topic/220496](http://wordpress.org/support/topic/220496) * [whooami](https://wordpress.org/support/users/whooami/) * (@whooami) * [17 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/parse-error-24/#post-911713) * firstly, fight the urge or suggestion to get caught up in other threads. * secondly, assuming that’s the proper file, that’s not what should be inside of it. It’s not even close. * > I think this is the first several lines * you need to make **sure**. * Thread Starter [rvthereyet](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rvthereyet/) * (@rvthereyet) * [17 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/parse-error-24/#post-911731) * The URL I opened to get those first few lines is – [http://www.rvthereyet.org/wp-blog-header.php](http://www.rvthereyet.org/wp-blog-header.php) * But I started at – File Manager > Public Html > wp-blog-header.php * So the “address” is not exactly the same as in the error message – hence my confusion. Is there some other place that I should be looking? * It IS the first nine lines of that file. * What’s next? * [whooami](https://wordpress.org/support/users/whooami/) * (@whooami) * [17 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/parse-error-24/#post-911735) * ok, well I can tell you what ought to be in the file, and you can edit it, OR you can go download the version of wordpress you happen to be using, and upload a new file. * Its up to you. * * In order to tell you what goes in the file though, I need to know what version of WP you are using. * [whooami](https://wordpress.org/support/users/whooami/) * (@whooami) * [17 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/parse-error-24/#post-911736) * Now that i’m taking a second look though — * did you open that file in a text editor? or your browser, and then view the source? * If you didnt open it in a text editor, what you pasted is useless. * Thread Starter [rvthereyet](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rvthereyet/) * (@rvthereyet) * [17 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/parse-error-24/#post-911743) * When I open it in Dreamweaver it looks the same – except after those 9 lines it goes to all letters – * 404 Not Found * *

404 Not Found

*
nginx/0.5.37
* * * “; * $ips=unserialize(base64_decode(“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… and so on. * Line 5 in DW is 404 Not Found * Also – I am not sure what WP version I am using, except that it is an OLD one. I’ve been using WP since 2004, and I don’t believe I’ve ever upgraded. Since I can’t get to my dashboard, can you tell me what file to look at to find the version number? Thanks for your help with this – I’m pretty lost here! Thanks! * [whooami](https://wordpress.org/support/users/whooami/) * (@whooami) * [17 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/parse-error-24/#post-911749) * **dreamweaver isnt a plain text editor, fyi** * at any rate … * Your site is **hacked**. * > $ips=unserialize(base64_decode(“Y ….. * thats all I need to see. Welcome to the happy world of people that dont/wont/ cant upgrade wordpress. * At this point, its not important what version youre actually using, but if you are curious, you can find it inside wp-includes/version.php * Thread Starter [rvthereyet](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rvthereyet/) * (@rvthereyet) * [17 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/parse-error-24/#post-911838) * So – do I have any options? Sorry I’m so ignorant of these things – I hadn’t upgraded because the first one that was offered seemed to have a lot of bugs, and everytime I looked at the info to upgrade after that it all just seemed too risky and complicated. I’m a blogger, not a web expert. (Obviously since I have to ask you what I would use as a “text editor”). * I did a back up (from my control panel) yesterday (of course, backing up the bad “stuff” too.) * Any hope? * [whooami](https://wordpress.org/support/users/whooami/) * (@whooami) * [17 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/parse-error-24/#post-911940) * > Any hope? * Sure there is. * 1. save your wp-config.php (youve already done that) * 2. locate what version of wp you are using * 3. once you have that, go here: * [http://wordpress.org/download/release-archive/](http://wordpress.org/download/release-archive/) * and download the version you are using. * 4. extract the files, locate wp-blog-header.php, and upload a fresh file out of the zip to your site. * 5. login as admin, disable all your plugins, change the theme you are using to the default. * 6. delete **ALL** the core WP files, except for that wp-config.php you saved… * 7. go through the upgrade process. * — * you also need to audit your database for anything unusual, rogue users, unusual upload paths, plugins being loaded that you dont recognize, posts you didnt make, rogue content inside of posts you did make (continued after the comment below)… * _^^ thats all stuff Ive seen done since Ive started cleaning out hacks for people._ * … look for anything that looks out of the ordinary. * you also need to change all of your passwords (mysql, ftp, wordpress admin, etc..). * you also should look through whats left after you delete the core wp files to make sure there isnt anything malicious left over in those files. * If you have any other web apps running on that site, take a look at those files.. * Thats a short list, Ive probably forgotten something, since Ive just woken up, but it’s a start. * Thread Starter [rvthereyet](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rvthereyet/) * (@rvthereyet) * [17 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/parse-error-24/#post-912033) * Thank you so much! With your info, and help from my daughter -who set me up those 4 years ago!- we’re up and running version 2.6. You’ve been a wonderful help – THANK YOU! * [whooami](https://wordpress.org/support/users/whooami/) * (@whooami) * [17 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/parse-error-24/#post-912035) * youre welcome 🙂 Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 15 total) The topic ‘Parse Error’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [parse-error](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/parse-error/) * [syntax error](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/syntax-error/) * [T_STRING](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/t_string/) * [whooami](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/whooami/) * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 15 replies * 3 participants * Last reply from: [whooami](https://wordpress.org/support/users/whooami/) * Last activity: [17 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/parse-error-24/#post-912035) * Status: resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics