# Solved: LocalWP stuck on Downloading WordPress loop

> Many users like myself have ran into the never-ending “Downloading WordPress” screen in LocalWP. As of Version 8.2.1+6583, there is still no official fix for this but I after testing everything listed in the Community page and what I could think of, I found something that works!

Author: Farhan Munim  
Published: 17 February 2024  
Updated: 22 October 2026  
Tags: LocalWP, Troubleshooting  
Source: https://farhan.app/blog/solved-localwp-stuck-on-downloading-wordpress-loop/

Below is a screenshot of the screen it was stuck on for me but your error may be a looped loading “WordPress version” animation:

![LocalWP site overview stuck on a “Downloading WordPress…” loading message](https://cms.farhan.app/api/media/file/localwp-stuck-downloading-wordpress.png)

## I have tried everything!

-   Re-installing after deleting previous installation files
-   Factory wipe my laptop and installing local again
-   Installing an older version < `8.0`
-   Adding a new site whilst the current one downloads WordPress (used to work in the past on my old laptop – not working anymore)
-   Checking host file so it is not `read-only`
-   Changing server type and php versions
-   Changing router setting to `local host`
-   Disabled all firewalls

## This worked for me and will most likely work for you!

1.  Create a new site (this will be stuck on the “Downloading WordPress…” loop) – let’s call this Site X
2.  Now close the LocalWP application (if you get an alert to say a site is currently running, ignore this and proceed)
3.  Now open the Local WP application
4.  Now select Site X and click `Start Site`
5.  Click Database in the sub-navigation
6.  Click `Open Adminer` and you should see a breadcrumb navigation structure on the top of the screen that looks something like this: `MySQL >> Local Site: Site X >> Database: local`
7.  Most likely there will be no tables within this – but if there are tables then select all of the tables and click `Drop`
8.  Click `Local Site: Site X` in the top breadcrumb navigation structure
9.  Now click `Privileges` – most likely there will be no users but if there might be 1 user called Root
10.  Click `Create user`, leave the server name as localhost, set a new username, set a new password – make this very very very hard, click `All privileges` and then click `Save` – you can now exit AdminerEvo. If you get any errors, see step 11 or skip to step 12.
11.  In MySQL/MariaDB, when granting privileges, you need to specify the database or table on which you are granting privileges. Using `.*` is not valid syntax for granting privileges (which sometimes happens when you click `All privileges` by default). Simply edit the SQL query and replace `.*` with `'local'.*` and then click `Save` – you can now exit AdminerEvo.
12.  Go back to LocalWP, right click on your site, and select `Go to site folder`
13.  Go to your `app\public` filepath – most likely it is empty, if not, delete all of the files
14.  Open your broswer of choice, search for the download WordPress website, and download WordPress – [the UK version of the WordPress download is here](https://en-gb.wordpress.org/download/)
15.  Now unzip the content of this folder inside of the `app\public` filepath you went to in step 13 – there might be another folder called WordPress when you unzip the WordPress folder, you want the contents of the WordPress folder directly inside of the `app\public` filepath – you can now close the explorer
16.  Back to LocalWP, now click `Open site` for Site X and you should see the WordPress installation wizard – simply follow the steps – make sure you enter the following details correctly:
     -   Database name: `local`
     -   Username: the username you set in AdminerEvo
     -   Password: the password you set you set in AdminerEvo
17.  Bonus step: create a “Blueprint” of this installation in LocalWP so you can always start a new install by cloning the blueprint

If you completed the above steps correctly, you should be directed to the wp-admin page – congratulations! Not only can you start using LocalWP for this particular site installation but you should now be able to create a new site in LocalWP normally and you shouldn’t get anymore errors!