Joomla 1.5 – 500 Internal Server Error

After installing Joomla on a Godaddy shared server (Deluxe plan which allow unlimited websites), I renamed htaccess.txt into .htaccess to allow url rewriting.

Home page is fine, but the first article created and linked to the main menu returned this error
Internal Server Error
The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.

Please contact the server administrator, support@supportwebsite.com and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error.

More information about this error may be available in the server error log.

The solution to the INTERNAL SERVER ERROR problem is uncommenting the following line in .htaccess (or in htaccess.txt if you didn’t already rename it).

# RewriteBase /

You must remove the # , thus having in your .htaccess

RewriteBase /

Reload the page and everything should be fine !

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31 Responses to “Joomla 1.5 – 500 Internal Server Error”

  1. Boomer Says:

    Thank you, Thank You, Thank you! I’ve looked all over the net for this fix and I found it on your blog. Keep up the good work.

    Boomer

  2. Noor Says:

    Cool,

    This seems to be working for me,

    I had been trying from long time and searching here and there,
    finally your solution worked for me.

    Thanks for blogging this info.

    noor

  3. Murphe981 Says:

    If the website is not your main root hosting plan do you use the

    RewriteBase /subfolder

    Or just

    RewriteBase /

  4. Murphe981 Says:

    I figured it out, it’s just the

    RewriteBase /

    other sites had mentioned the /subfolder this should NOT be used.

  5. sahil Says:

    i am still having the problem……will you bother to help me???

  6. majid Says:

    Hello Sahil!
    did you find any solution to ur problem???
    I m also facing the same problem. I am configuring the site on Godaddy. Some time like 1 out of 100 it runs but when i change something it shows error again. Help me!!!! if you can

  7. admin Says:

    Please post your .htaccess and we can try to find a solution!

  8. spyros Says:

    im still having the problem here is a copy of the htaccess file

    ##
    # @version $Id: htaccess.txt 13415 2009-11-03 15:53:25Z ian $
    # @package Joomla
    # @copyright Copyright (C) 2005 – 2008 Open Source Matters. All rights reserved.
    # @license http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU/GPL
    # Joomla! is Free Software
    ##

    #####################################################
    # READ THIS COMPLETELY IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE THIS FILE
    #
    # The line just below this section: ‘Options +FollowSymLinks’ may cause problems
    # with some server configurations. It is required for use of mod_rewrite, but may already
    # be set by your server administrator in a way that dissallows changing it in
    # your .htaccess file. If using it causes your server to error out, comment it out (add # to
    # beginning of line), reload your site in your browser and test your sef url’s. If they work,
    # it has been set by your server administrator and you do not need it set here.
    #
    #####################################################

    ## Can be commented out if causes errors, see notes above.
    Options +FollowSymLinks

    #
    # mod_rewrite in use

    RewriteEngine On

    ########## Begin – Rewrite rules to block out some common exploits
    ## If you experience problems on your site block out the operations listed below
    ## This attempts to block the most common type of exploit `attempts` to Joomla!
    #
    ## Deny access to extension xml files (uncomment out to activate)
    #
    #Order allow,deny
    #Deny from all
    #Satisfy all
    #
    ## End of deny access to extension xml files
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} mosConfig_[a-zA-Z_]{1,21}(=|\%3D) [OR]
    # Block out any script trying to base64_encode crap to send via URL
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} base64_encode.*\(.*\) [OR]
    # Block out any script that includes a tag in URL
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (\|%3E) [NC,OR]
    # Block out any script trying to set a PHP GLOBALS variable via URL
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} GLOBALS(=|\[|\%[0-9A-Z]{0,2}) [OR]
    # Block out any script trying to modify a _REQUEST variable via URL
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} _REQUEST(=|\[|\%[0-9A-Z]{0,2})
    # Send all blocked request to homepage with 403 Forbidden error!
    RewriteRule ^(.*)$ index.php [F,L]
    #
    ########## End – Rewrite rules to block out some common exploits

    # Uncomment following line if your webserver’s URL
    # is not directly related to physical file paths.
    # Update Your Joomla! Directory (just / for root)

    RewriteBase /

    ########## Begin – Joomla! core SEF Section
    #
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/index.php
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} (/|\.php|\.html|\.htm|\.feed|\.pdf|\.raw|/[^.]*)$ [NC]
    RewriteRule (.*) index.php
    RewriteRule .* – [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization},L]
    #
    ########## End – Joomla! core SEF Section

  9. Ricardo Says:

    Works a treat – nice work! You should spread the news on joomla forums too!

  10. euge Says:

    thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaankkksss!!! it works! You saved my life :D

  11. Rashmirathi Says:

    Hi,

    Thanks for a solution. It really work the magic

  12. mihai Says:

    THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

    GOD BLESS YOUR SOUL

  13. james Says:

    Nice – I was close to changing my underwear!!!!!!!

    (Bunch of Mother Brothers)

  14. Maxime Says:

    for the ones ones developing locally on wampserver, you need to enable the rewrite module in order to get the .htaccess working

  15. hanne Says:

    Thank you, Thank You, Thank you Saved me for a lot of work THANK YOU

  16. Rahat Says:

    man…its mot work for me….anybody help….

  17. soxa Says:

    THANKKKKKKKKKK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU !!!

  18. Nick Says:

    If this doesnt work, then all i had to do is turn off Joomla Cache under Global Configuration and it works fine for me now.

  19. nyamka Says:

    This is not work
    help me

    ##
    # @version $Id: htaccess.txt 13415 2009-11-03 15:53:25Z ian $
    # @package Joomla
    # @copyright Copyright (C) 2005 – 2008 Open Source Matters. All rights reserved.
    # @license http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU/GPL
    # Joomla! is Free Software
    ##

    #####################################################
    # READ THIS COMPLETELY IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE THIS FILE
    #
    # The line just below this section: ‘Options +FollowSymLinks’ may cause problems
    # with some server configurations. It is required for use of mod_rewrite, but may already
    # be set by your server administrator in a way that dissallows changing it in
    # your .htaccess file. If using it causes your server to error out, comment it out (add # to
    # beginning of line), reload your site in your browser and test your sef url’s. If they work,
    # it has been set by your server administrator and you do not need it set here.
    #
    #####################################################

    ## Can be commented out if causes errors, see notes above.
    Options +FollowSymLinks

    #
    # mod_rewrite in use

    RewriteEngine On

    ########## Begin – Rewrite rules to block out some common exploits
    ## If you experience problems on your site block out the operations listed below
    ## This attempts to block the most common type of exploit `attempts` to Joomla!
    #
    ## Deny access to extension xml files (uncomment out to activate)
    #
    #Order allow,deny
    #Deny from all
    #Satisfy all
    #
    ## End of deny access to extension xml files
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} mosConfig_[a-zA-Z_]{1,21}(=|\%3D) [OR]
    # Block out any script trying to base64_encode crap to send via URL
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} base64_encode.*\(.*\) [OR]
    # Block out any script that includes a tag in URL
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (\|%3E) [NC,OR]
    # Block out any script trying to set a PHP GLOBALS variable via URL
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} GLOBALS(=|\[|\%[0-9A-Z]{0,2}) [OR]
    # Block out any script trying to modify a _REQUEST variable via URL
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} _REQUEST(=|\[|\%[0-9A-Z]{0,2})
    # Send all blocked request to homepage with 403 Forbidden error!
    RewriteRule ^(.*)$ index.php [F,L]
    #
    ########## End – Rewrite rules to block out some common exploits

    # Uncomment following line if your webserver’s URL
    # is not directly related to physical file paths.
    # Update Your Joomla! Directory (just / for root)

    RewriteBase /

    ########## Begin – Joomla! core SEF Section
    #
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/index.php
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} (/|\.php|\.html|\.htm|\.feed|\.pdf|\.raw|/[^.]*)$ [NC]
    RewriteRule (.*) index.php
    RewriteRule .* – [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization},L]
    #
    ########## End – Joomla! core SEF Section

  20. Maigrir Vite Says:

    I’m hosting my site on Dreamhost but this trick worked for me as well. tx

  21. Mark Simko Says:

    I’ve found I got this same error on the admin side while installing certain extensions if the server was using php4 instead of php5. in my case (1and1.com hosting) I had to add this line to .htaccess

    AddType x-mapp-php5 .php .php4

  22. Aleksandar Milchev Kanchev Says:

    It helped me a lot for fixing a client website. Thanks for the solution

  23. Gavaskee Says:

    I have wasted 2days to find the issue.
    Now its fixed with your article help.
    Thanks man.

  24. Alexander Says:

    Hi.

    I have same problems but on a windows server 2008. Is it the same issue there on the htaccess file because it worked until 2-3 weeks ago and suddenly not…

  25. vijith Says:

    if ur site in a new folder in www(for eg:wamp->www->sample)
    1.change htaccess to .htaccess
    2.open htaccess and comment with ‘#’
    #Options +FollowSymLinks
    3.Un comment RewriteBase /sample
    4.Open administrator->global configuration->click on “Yes” on the “Search Engine friendly URLs” line, and push the “Save button”
    5.restart all services in wamp server..
    this will help for more info visit

    http://bodvoc.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=45:modifying-your-joomla-htaccess-file&catid=2:joomla-security&Itemid=3

  26. ibex Says:

    Thanks mate!!!!

  27. Daniel Says:

    Thanks gang. I spoke with Godaddy for nearly an hr to figure out how changing my site to a subdomain under a deluxe hosting account could mess the menus up. The Home page would resolve, but my menus would throw this error. After editing out the # from this line RewriteBase / the site started working again.

    Thanks again for taking the time to post this.

  28. Jesús Says:

    HI there, I wasn’t be able to do it either after uncomenting the RewriteBase and what the godaddy support told me was to do the following:

    1. Go to my account and launch the Hosting Panel.
    2. Go to settings and File Extensions Management.
    3. Change the three last php files and change the php.X.xFastCgi por php.X.x (without the fastCGI).

    My problem was that I couldn’t install any component, module, plugin, etc..
    Cheers

  29. shakhawat Says:

    my problem :The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.

    Please contact the server administrator, webmaster@technomedia-ltd.com and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error.

    More information about this error may be available in the server error log.

    Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

    Apache/2.2.17 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.2.17 OpenSSL/0.9.8e-fips-rhel5 mod_auth_passthrough/2.1 mod_bwlimited/1.4 FrontPage/5.0.2.2635 Server at http://www.technomedia-ltd.com Port 80

  30. Bhanu Prasad Says:

    i have the same problem.. i am using joomla 5.1. php5 and i can view my home page and some of the internal pages (not all) are facing 500 internal server error.

    i have worked on my .htaccess file making the changes as stated above.

    note: i use sh404sef for seo friendly urls.

    please help and do the needfull

  31. Aman Says:

    Thank you so much – spent ages looking for a fix for this!

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