Title: Random Syntax Error Last modified: August 30, 2016 --- # Random Syntax Error * [norproblem](https://wordpress.org/support/users/norproblem/) * (@norproblem) * [10 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/random-syntax-error/) * I have a website for the school newspaper and sometime over the weekend it changed so now when you go to the home page all that comes up is: Parse error: syntax error, unexpected ‘/’ in /home2/svennard/public_html/wp-blog-header.php on line 12 How can I fix this? Preferably without deleting all the posts on the website as it hasn’t been backed up in years. Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total) * [mccordgolf](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mccordgolf/) * (@mccordgolf) * [10 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/random-syntax-error/#post-6523822) * Same problem here except slightly different error message… * Parse error: syntax error, unexpected ‘/’ in /home/content/61/10074161/html/wp- blog-header.php on line 12 * GoDaddy tech said it was a corrupted theme but he couldn’t figure out what was wrong. He changed the theme and deactivated a plugin but neither helped. * This is way over my head and I can’t reach my developer. Help please. * Thread Starter [norproblem](https://wordpress.org/support/users/norproblem/) * (@norproblem) * [10 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/random-syntax-error/#post-6524213) * Yeah my site got worse- it went from difficulties logging in to having a malware warning pop up when you went to the url, to now just being gone. * [jack randall](https://wordpress.org/support/users/theotherlebowski/) * (@theotherlebowski) * [10 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/random-syntax-error/#post-6524214) * have you gone to in /home/content/61/10074161/html/wp-blog-header.php on line 12 and removed the random / that’s causing the problem? * Thread Starter [norproblem](https://wordpress.org/support/users/norproblem/) * (@norproblem) * [10 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/random-syntax-error/#post-6524215) * …I don’t think so? I remember looking through the code for the wp-blog-header but i couldnt find it And now I can’t log in to the admin page anymore because I have the white screen of death * [jack randall](https://wordpress.org/support/users/theotherlebowski/) * (@theotherlebowski) * [10 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/random-syntax-error/#post-6524216) * if you have access to the server go into the file manager and rename the plugins folder, that will get you back into the site (a quick fix). * once you’re back into your site dashboard, go to appearance -> editor and you’ll see your theme’s files listed on the right. select header.php and then count your way down to line 12 and see if there’s a random / that shouldn’t be there. * be aware though, it may need to be there but there might be a ‘ or ” that should come **after** it… * Thread Starter [norproblem](https://wordpress.org/support/users/norproblem/) * (@norproblem) * [10 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/random-syntax-error/#post-6524217) * What if I don’t have access to the server (I’m not even sure who the server is we set up the site years ago) * [jack randall](https://wordpress.org/support/users/theotherlebowski/) * (@theotherlebowski) * [10 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/random-syntax-error/#post-6524218) * when you set up the site and got hosting you would have received an email from the hosts with server details and log in information. search back through your emails to around the time you set up the account and see if you can find it there. * if you can’t find the server log in details then you won’t even be able to do the plugin folder trick via ftp client (filezilla or something else…). Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total) The topic ‘Random Syntax Error’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [errors](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/errors/) * [syntax error](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/syntax-error/) * [troubleshooting](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/troubleshooting/) * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 7 replies * 3 participants * Last reply from: [jack randall](https://wordpress.org/support/users/theotherlebowski/) * Last activity: [10 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/random-syntax-error/#post-6524218) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics