Problem Description
Entire WordPress admin dashboard returns 500 Internal Server Error immediately after running the XStore Setup Wizard (Setup > Install > Elementor engine, version minimal). The frontend also becomes inaccessible.
Steps to Reproduce
Fresh WordPress installation on SiteGround hosting
Install XStore theme + child theme
Navigate to XStore → Setup Wizard
Proceed through setup until reaching Install step (engine: Elementor, version: minimal)
Click “Install” — page hangs, then returns 500 error
All subsequent admin URLs return 500: /wp-admin/, /wp-admin/admin.php?page=xstore, etc.
Frontend also returns 500
Troubleshooting Already Attempted
Switched PHP from 8.x → 7.4 (no change)
Cleared SiteGround dynamic cache and Memcached
Confirmed this is not a PHP version or caching issue
Server error log shows Elementor installation via admin-ajax.php is timing out
Expected Behavior
Setup Wizard should complete Elementor installation without crashing the entire admin panel. Even if certain image assets are missing (old uploads from 2016-2017), the admin dashboard should remain accessible.
Additional Context
SiteGround server
WordPress (latest version)
XStore theme + XStore child theme
Elementor (version causing timeout)
ps:I’ve already applied the two latest patches.