If your WordPress website is displaying strange errors, white screens, or you’re suspecting that a few core files may be corrupted or modified due to malware or a failed update a fresh reinstallation of WordPress core files can often fix the issue.
The good news? You can reinstall WordPress safely from cPanel without losing any of your content, themes, plugins, or settings.
This article will walk you step-by-step through the process, even if you can’t access your WordPress dashboard.

When Should You Reinstall WordPress Core Files?

Consider a reinstallation if:

• Your site shows: “There has been a critical error on this website”

• You get 500 internal server errors with no obvious cause

• Core files have been tampered with by malware

• Automatic updates failed or were incomplete

• You accidentally deleted some core files

This process replaces only the WordPress core files such as wp-admin and wp-includes while keeping your content (posts, pages), themes, plugins, media, and database safe.

How to Reinstall WordPress Core Files via cPanel (Safely)

Step 1: Log into Your cPanel Account

Access cPanel by visiting:

Use the login details provided by your hosting provider.

Step 2: Create a Full Backup (Optional but Recommended)

Before making any changes, always back up your site:

• Go to cPanel > Backup Wizard

• Select Full Backup or download files and database manually

This ensures you can recover your site if something goes wrong during reinstallation.

Step 3: Download the Latest WordPress Zip File

• Visit https://wordpress.org/download/

• Click Download WordPress to get the latest .zip file

• Save it on your computer

Step 4: Open File Manager in cPanel

• Navigate to Files > File Manager

• Open the public_html/ folder or the folder where your WordPress is installed

Important: Do not delete the wp-content folder or the wp-config.php file these contain your content and settings.

Step 5: Upload and Extract the WordPress Zip File

1. In public_html/, click Upload and select the downloaded WordPress ZIP

2. Once uploaded, right-click on it and select Extract

3. It will create a new folder named wordpress/ open this folder

Now you’ll see:

• wp-admin/

• wp-includes/

• All core files like index.php, wp-settings.php, etc.

Step 6: Copy Core Files to the Root Directory

We need to move only the core files, not your content or config.

1. Open the wordpress/ folder

2. Select everything except the wp-content/ folder and wp-config.php file

3. Click Move or Copy

4. Set the destination to your root directory (e.g., /public_html/)

5. If asked to overwrite files, click Yes

This step replaces any corrupted or missing core files with fresh copies.

Step 7: Clean Up

After copying:

• Delete the wordpress/ folder

• Delete the uploaded .zip file

• Ensure your site’s root directory still contains:

  • wp-content/ (your plugins, themes, uploads)

  • wp-config.php (your database settings)

  • The freshly copied core files

Step 8: Test Your Website

Visit your website in a browser:

• If the issue was related to core file corruption, your site should now be restored

• Log into wp-admin to confirm admin access works

If the issue persists, check error_log inside cPanel’s File Manager or use phpMyAdmin to confirm your database is intact.

What This Method Doesn’t Touch

• Database: Your posts, pages, and settings remain untouched

• wp-content/: Your media, plugins, themes remain safe

• Custom settings in wp-config.php: Like memory limits or cache keys

It’s a clean way to refresh only what WordPress originally ships with.

Conclusion

Reinstalling WordPress manually via cPanel may sound technical, but it’s a safe, straightforward way to fix issues when core files become corrupted. This approach keeps your content, media, plugins, and database intact making it ideal when you want to fix the system without starting over.
If you’re unsure about handling the files, don’t hesitate to reach out to our hosting support team for assistance.