Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-11

How to Fix: How to fix: "phpMyAdmin - Error Cannot start session without errors"?

PHP session configuration issue with phpMyAdmin error Cannot start session without errors.

Quick Answer: Check and adjust the sessions path in php.ini, ensure cookies are enabled in your browser.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. 🛑 Root Causes of the Error
  2. ✅ Best Solutions to Fix It
  3. 💡 Conclusion

The 'Cannot start session without errors' error in phpMyAdmin is frustrating for users and administrators alike. This error occurs when the PHP session handler is unable to create or manage sessions properly, often due to issues with file permissions, ownership, or configuration.

Troubleshooting this error requires a methodical approach, as it can be caused by various factors, including misconfigured PHP settings, incorrect file permissions, or corrupted session files.

🛑 Root Causes of the Error

  • The primary cause of the 'Cannot start session without errors' error is usually related to file permissions issues. The PHP session handler relies on a specific directory (usually /tmp) to store and manage session data. If this directory has incorrect permissions, it can prevent the session handler from functioning properly.
  • Another possible cause is related to ownership issues. If the user or group running the web server (e.g., www-data) does not have the necessary permissions to write to the /tmp directory, it can also lead to this error.

✅ Best Solutions to Fix It

Correcting File Permissions

  1. Step 1: Step 1: Identify the correct file permissions for the /tmp directory. The recommended permission is 755 (owner read/write/execute, group read/execute, and others read/execute). You can check your current permissions by running the command `ls -ld /tmp` in the terminal.
  2. Step 2: Step 2: Change the file permissions of the /tmp directory to 755 using the following command: `chmod 755 /tmp`. This will ensure that the web server has the necessary permissions to write and manage session data.
  3. Step 3: Step 3: Verify that the changes have taken effect by running the same command as in Step 1. If the permission is still incorrect, you may need to try changing it to 777, but this should be done with caution, as it can introduce security risks.

Alternative Fix (Troubleshooting Session Files)

  1. Step 1: Step 1: Delete all session files from the server's /tmp folder using the following command: `rm -rf /tmp/*.sess`. This will remove any corrupted or outdated session data.
  2. Step 2: Step 2: Check the PHP info for any additional configuration options related to session handling. Make sure that the 'session.save_path' is set to a valid directory (usually /tmp) and that cookies are enabled in your browser.

💡 Conclusion

To resolve the 'Cannot start session without errors' error in phpMyAdmin, it's essential to identify and correct file permissions issues or delete corrupted session files. By following these steps, you should be able to get your phpMyAdmin up and running smoothly again.

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