Learn how to resolve the Warning: mysqli connect(): HY000/1045. Our MySQL Support team is here to help you with your questions and concerns.

Warning: mysqli connect(): HY000/1045 | Resolved

If you have encountered the following error, you have come to the right place!

Warning: mysqli_connect(): (HY000/1045): Access denied for user ‘username’@’localhost’ (using password: YES)

This error occurs when the application attempts to connect to a MySQL database, but the username and password are incorrect, or the user does not have permission to access the database from the specified host (`localhost`).

In this blog, we’ll explore the causes of this issue and provide solutions to resolve it.

Causes of the Error

• Incorrect MySQL username or password.
• User permissions are not set correctly for the database.
• Special characters in the password cause authentication failures.
• The MySQL server requires a password for the root user, but none is set locally.
• Conflicting configurations when using different server environments (e.g., WAMP, MAMP, or GoDaddy hosting).

Solutions to Fix the Error

1. Verify Your MySQL Credentials

First, ensure the PHP script’s username and password match those configured in the MySQL database. Check the user credentials by logging into MySQL manually:

mysql -u yourusername -p

If login fails, reset the password using:

SET PASSWORD FOR 'yourusername'@'localhost' = PASSWORD('your_new_password');

2. Grant Proper Privileges to the User

If the username and password are correct but access is still denied, grant the permissions using:

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON dbname.* TO 'yourusername'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY 'yourpassword';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;


3. Update Database Host Configuration

If we are running a local server (e.g., WAMP, MAMP), update the `DB_HOST` definition to the machine’s IP address:

define("DB_HOST", "192.168.0.25");

We can find our IP address by running:

• Windows: ipconfig
• Mac/Linux: ifconfig

4. Check PHP Code for Configuration Errors

Make sure that the correct variables are being used in your connection string.


define("DB_SERVER", "localhost");
define("DB_USER", "root");
define("DB_PASSWORD", "");
define("DB_DATABASE", "databasename");
$connect = mysqli_connect(DB_SERVER, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, DB_DATABASE);


Please ensure that `DB_USER` is not mixed up with `DB_USERNAME` or `DB_HOST` with `DB_SERVER`.

5. Fix Root User Authentication Issues

If running MySQL locally, check if the root account has a password set. Some local environments allow root access without a password:

$link = mysqli_connect('localhost', 'root', 'root');

For hosting services like GoDaddy, the root user might be disabled. So, use an alternative database user instead of `root`.

6. Resolve phpMyAdmin Password Issues

If we are using phpMyAdmin, verify the user settings:

1. Go to the Users tab.
2. Then, check the root user’s authentication method.
3. If the password field is empty, select No Password instead of Password Required.

7. Reload Privileges and Restart MySQL

If changes were made to user privileges, reload the grant tables and restart MySQL:


FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
sudo systemctl restart mysql


[Need assistance with a different issue? Our team is available 24/7.]

Conclusion

This MySQL error is often caused by incorrect credentials, missing privileges, or misconfigured authentication settings. To resolve the issue, verify the MySQL username and password, check the user privileges, and ensure that the database connection settings are correct.

In brief, our Support Experts demonstrated how to resolve the Warning: mysqli connect(): HY000/1045.