WordPress "Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute."

WordPress shows this while it installs an update. If the update stopped halfway, the message stays forever. The fix takes one minute.

What to do, in order

1. Delete the .maintenance file. Open your host's file manager or connect over FTP. In the main WordPress folder, next to wp-config.php, there is a hidden file named .maintenance. Delete it. Turn on "show hidden files" if you cannot see it.
2. Reload the site. It should be back at once.
3. Finish the update. Log in, go to Dashboard, Updates. Whatever stopped is still listed. Run it again, one plugin at a time.
4. If the site now shows a critical error, the half-finished update broke a plugin. Rename that plugin's folder in wp-content/plugins and reload.

Updates stop halfway when the server runs out of time or memory. If it keeps happening, ask your host to raise the PHP time limit.

If it still fails, send me the address and I will tell you which step is broken.

Want the rest of your site checked after it is back? Run a free 40-point check at tinkeraudit.com.