How to Fix “Another Update is Currently in Progress” in WordPress

If you see the error “Another update is currently in progress” in WordPress, it usually means a previous update didn’t complete properly and left a lock in the database.

This prevents new updates from running until the lock is cleared.

Why This Happens

  • WordPress creates a temporary lock (core_updater.lock) during updates
  • This prevents multiple updates from running at the same time
  • If the update is interrupted (timeout, server issue, or connection drop), the lock may remain

Normally, WordPress removes this lock automatically after a short time.

How to Fix It

1. Wait for a Few Minutes

In most cases, the lock clears itself within 15–30 minutes. If possible, wait and try again later.

2. Fix via phpMyAdmin (Recommended)

Before proceeding, make sure to back up your database.

  1. Log in to your hosting panel (e.g., cPanel)
  2. Open phpMyAdmin
  3. Select your WordPress database
  4. Open the wp_options table (prefix may vary)
  5. Find the row where option_name = 'core_updater.lock'
  6. Delete that row

Once removed, go back to your WordPress dashboard — the error should be resolved.

3. Fix Using WP-CLI (Advanced)

If you have SSH access, you can remove the lock instantly using WP-CLI:

cd /path/to/wordpress
wp option delete core_updater.lock

4. Run SQL Query

You can also remove the lock using a direct SQL query:

  1. Go to cPanel → phpMyAdmin
  2. Select your database
  3. Open the SQL tab
DELETE FROM wp_options WHERE option_name = 'core_updater.lock';

Note: Update the table prefix if your site uses a custom one.

Conclusion

This error is common and easy to fix once you understand the cause. In most cases, simply removing the core_updater.lock entry resolves the issue immediately.

Keeping regular backups and ensuring stable updates can help prevent this problem in the future.

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