UpdraftPlus Plugin Crashes on Install

[TomParticipant]

RE: Installing UpdraftPlus on WordPress 4.0 blog installations.

I had the free version of UpdraftPlus installed on the source and target blogs. Fourteen other plugins were installed and active on the source, five on the target. I deactivated then deleted the free UpdraftPlus plugin on both blogs.

I then installed the paid plugin UpdraftPlus-2014-10-13.zip on the temp target blog (https://d8b.185.myftpupload.com/) without any problem.

When I tried to installed in on the source website (https://noetictriune.com), the plugin failed to install:
Destination folder already exists. D:/Hosting/10749693/html/wp-content/plugins/updraftplus/
Plugin install failed.

I deactivated all fourteen plugins on the source and tried reinstalling the plugin, twice. Each time the installation crashed:
URL: https://noetictriune.com/wp-admin/update.php?action=upload-plugin
404 (Page Not Found) Error

I reactivated all 14 plugins and tried, again, with the same results I got the first time; i.e.,
Destination folder already exists. D:/Hosting/10749693/html/wp-content/plugins/updraftplus/
Plugin install failed.

[udadminKeymaster]

Hi,

Destination folder already exists. D:/Hosting/10749693/html/wp-content/plugins/updraftplus/
Plugin install failed.

This message is WordPress’s somewhat awkward way of saying “you can’t install this plugin, because you already have a version of it installed”.

Presumably in this case, you already have the free version installed.

Its resolution is to first de-install the free version (or whatever other version you have), in accordance with the first step of the install instructions – https://updraftplus.com/support/installing-updraftplus-premium-your-add-on/

Best wishes,
David

[udadminKeymaster]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the extra information you sent via email. (Much better to add it to the forum post, so that other users can see it).

It sounds like your WordPress install did something funny when de-installing UpdraftPlus, and left behind some remnants.

You just need to use FTP, or whatever other file access method you have, to manually completely remove this directory – which is still there, currently (whether or not it appears in the WP plugins list):

D:/Hosting/10749693/html/wp-content/plugins/updraftplus/

Once that directory is gone, the “Destination folder already exists” message will stop displaying.

Best wishes,
David

[TomParticipant]

I used File Manager to view the WP files, and UpdraftPlus was there, despite having removed the free version and not seeing it on WP’s list of installed plugins.

Removing and install is next on my agenda, but I have one concern: I tried using another migration plugin which migrated everything but the actual images in the Media Library; the same small placeholder image appear for each of 121 media files.

That led me to look at the size of the UpdraftPlus backup files. None is very large (the largest, uploads.zip, is ~24MB). In which backup file should they be?

I’ll report back, tomorrow, when I try the remove/install.

Thanks,

– Tom

[udadminKeymaster]

Hi Tom,

Your media files should be in the uploads zip.

It’s a regular zip file – so, you can unzip it on your PC and poke around in it to see what’s there.

If you have trouble migrating, then do send the migration log file when you’ve tried – that has the useful info in it.

Best wishes,
David

[TomParticipant]

Hi David,

Thanks for the great, prompt support you’ve given me. (I wish I could say the same for GoDaddy*.)

I was able to remove the phantom folder, reinstall the paid version UpdraftPlus, and restore the backups I had originally created with the free version.

After a four-day marathon–problem-solving, searching for and trying different options, installing, testing, uninstalling, backing up, and restoring–I’ve decided not to migrate to Managed WordPress; so I’ll uninstall the paid version of UpdraftPlus and reinstall the free version. Any problems with doing that?

Again, thanks for your time, advice, and support.

– Tom

———

*FYI: Since March of 2013 I’ve had a recurring issue with a internal server error which required restoring WordPress 3.6. But whenever I tried, the restore process would never finish, preventing the upgrading of WordPress.

I finally decided I should upgrade to WordPress 4.0, so in preparation I installed the free version of UpdraftPlus and backed up WordPress 3.6 files and databases. Then, before uninstalling it, I contacted GoDaddy support for advice.

I was told that WordPress had problems running on the Web Host Windows platform and that I’d be better off switching to their Managed WordPress platform. They set up a temporary site to which I could migrate and test before making it permanent and switching my domain to it. When I began trying to manage the WordPress application there, I discovered it used CPanel, required an external sFTP client, and did not offer the File Manager (available on the Windows platform.). Upon further investigation, it turns many other GoDaddy clients are disappointed with Managed WordPress, too (see: https://godaddy.uservoice.com/forums/225179-new-hosting-product-forum/suggestions/5805104-have-the-option-to-use-the-old-file-manger-from-th).

[udadminKeymaster]

Hi Tom,

If you deinstall the paid version and install the free version, then it doesn’t cause any technical problems. It will remember your settings and backups.

“I was told that WordPress had problems running on the Web Host Windows platform and that I’d be better off switching to their Managed WordPress platform”. That sounds like web-hosting-company-speak for “our Windows platform is a bit dodgy – buy this more expensive one instead!”. I might be too cynical, of course! But WP has no _general_ problem with running on Windows.

Best wishes,
David

[kathleen5Participant]

Hi — I am having a problem installing. I first deactivated then deleted the free plugin then attempted to install. I get the error “Destination folder already exists” followed by the path. I jump into my FTP program and deleted the Updraftplus folder from the wp-content/plugins folder, tried again — same issue. Even though I am looking at a folder file listing via my FTP program and see there is no folder — then install is still telling me “Destination folder already exists”

[udadminKeymaster]

@kathleen5 – I think you’re the same Kathleen who posted in another channel and got a reply yesterday? If not, please do open a fresh thread, so that we don’t annoy the original poster of this one with emails.

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