Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

How to Fix Godaddy WordPress Site Forcing Download File Issue

Many WordPress users hosted on Godaddy have experienced a frustrating problem where their website suddenly starts forcing visitors to download a random file instead of displaying the intended website content. This can be a frustrating experience for both website owners and visitors, but fortunately, it can be easily fixed by following these simple steps.

Step 1: Check for Malware

The first thing you need to do is to check whether your site has been compromised by malware. Malware can sometimes interfere with the normal functioning of your site, leading to unusual behavior such as file downloads instead of displaying the website content. You can use a reliable malware scanner such as Sucuri, Wordfence, or Malwarebytes to scan your site for malware and eliminate any threats.

Step 2: Deactivate Plugins

If your site is free from malware, the next step is to deactivate all your WordPress plugins, especially those that have to do with file management or downloads. One of these plugins could be causing the issue by mistakenly adding file download headers to your site's content. You can deactivate plugins by going to the WordPress dashboard, selecting Plugins, and then clicking on Deactivate next to each active plugin.

Step 3: Reinstall WordPress

In some cases, the core WordPress files may have been corrupted, leading to the download file issue. To fix this, you may need to reinstall WordPress core files by following these steps:

1. Download the latest version of WordPress from the official website.
2. Extract the files and delete the wp-admin and wp-includes folders from your current installation.
3. Upload the new wp-admin and wp-includes folders to your site's root directory.
4. Overwrite any existing files when prompted.

Step 4: Contact Godaddy Support

If none of the above steps works, you may need to contact Godaddy support for further assistance. They may be able to identify and fix the root cause of the issue, or recommend a solution that will work for your particular situation.

In conclusion, having your Godaddy WordPress site force a download file can be frustrating, but it's a problem that can be fixed if you follow the steps outlined above. By scanning for malware, deactivating plugins, reinstalling core WordPress files, or contacting Godaddy support, you can ensure that your site displays the intended content as expected.