wordpress plugins

Installing and Deleting WordPress Plugins Manually

Installing and Deleting WordPress Plugins Manually

 

Hi everyone!

I would have had this post published yesterday, but after hours of wrestling with some video software that, for some unknown reason, has decided to no longer work properly, I have to confess that I just gave up and, as it was so late anyway, I just went to bed.

Now, on a new day, even though the software is still causing me headaches, I can at least approach things with a fresh mind and the priority is to get this post published.

wordpress pluginsSo, recently I’ve had a couple of people asking me for help with regards to the installation and removal of WordPress plugins. While WordPress itself makes the process very easy, there are times when things may not be quite so easy and even downright troublesome.

So I thought that it would be a good idea to make a quick tutorial outlining how you can easily install and remove plugins manually if necessary.

Check out this short video tutorial that shows you both how to upload and install a plugin without using the WordPress dashboard and also how to delete a troublesome plugin in the same way:

 

 

I hope that you found this video helpful. Just a note, though, regarding deleting plugins in the way I demonstrate in the video. I wouldn’t recommend that you use this approach as a matter of course. Rather, I would recommend only doing so in an emergency, for example if a plugin is prohibiting you from accessing your dashboard.

If a plugin makes changes, deposits files, etc then the WordPress uninstall process should (it doesn’t always!) undo all that.

If you have any other things that you would like help with or you feel would be good subjects for a video, please let me know in the comment below.

Next week I’m going to talk about why you may or may not need an S.O.S.

Think you know what I’m on about? Perhaps you’re right, but I guess you’ll have to stop by again next week to be sure… 😉

About Me

Glenn is a Certified iPro Partner

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10 thoughts on “Installing and Deleting WordPress Plugins Manually”

  1. Hey Glenn thanks for the video on how to get into your site if you have been locked out-the manual way….your work is always appreciated and you explain things simply and clearly…cheers mate…

  2. Yes, plugins can be a pain when things go wrong. Thankfully, for me most have worked without any major problems. But that first big issue when one of my plugin updates caused a site-wide failure caused me to panic somewhat! If only I’d had a video like this in my arsenal at the time. At least I was able to learn from it, though, and gain valuable experience that I can now leverage.

    1. Hi Sruthi,

      You and me both! Although I knew how to manually install and remove plugins, it was only when I had a plugin shut down my site and lock me out that I realised the importance of knowing this. When I came to my log-in page and saw a white screen, I did panic for a moment, but by being able to get in via cPanel and FTP I was able to rectify the problem pretty quickly. As you say, the experience can now be leveraged.

      Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your experience. 🙂

      »Glenn«
      Glenn Shepherd recently posted…Audio Tips For Online MarketersMy Profile

  3. Hey Glenn,

    visiting your blog for the first time,

    recently I had faced a plugin issue where I had to locate the plugin in the cpanel and then delete the files manually. I remember once my hosting support has mentioned that re-naming the specific plugin helps as well … but I like deleting the plugin when getting rid of it.
    Shobha Ponnappa recently posted…Customer experience expectations: what brands should know!My Profile

    1. Hi Shobha,

      Welcome to my blog, it’s lovely to have you here. 🙂

      Yes, that’s quite right, you can just rename the plugin in order to disable it. In fact, in the event of something like a ‘white screen of death’, for example, rather than deleting everything it can make sense to just rename the whole plugins folder, thus disabling everything and allowing you access again. Then, you would go through each plugin in turn, activating each one until you find the one that’s causing the white screen.

      It was only afterwards that I thought that I should have mentioned the renaming strategy in the video, but I figured that someone would probably end up mentioning it in the comments, so if they did it could be just discussed here. 🙂 What I will do though is add that aspect in video format to the course that I am building, of which the video here will be a part.

      Thanks so much for taking the time to visit and leave a great comment. Please come again. 🙂

      »Glenn«
      Glenn Shepherd recently posted…Read the Manual!My Profile

  4. Hi Glenn,

    I’ve never installed a plugin and for that matter anything technical. I out source it. I have this overwhelming fear I am going to break something. Your method seems simple enough but not an easy thing for me to do. Somehow I have to break through this fear. I can’t even locate my Cpanel. My nephew tried to help me but he has no knowledge of WordPress and was unable to help.

    I just out sourced to Fiverr how to back up my blog through Cpanel. I have issues remembering things.

    Can you teach us how to make videos. I think that would really be cool!

    You have a wonderful week.

    Linda
    Linda Schrier recently posted…Using Different Methods To Get TrafficMy Profile

    1. Hi Linda,

      That’s an understandable concern and one that many have. Most of the time it’s highly unlikely you’ll break something and even then, something that can’t be fixed easily.

      Your host should have given you your cPanel details, i.e. the location of it and the login details. If not or if you have mislaid them, simply ask them and they should provide them. Having said that, there are some hosts who don’t provide cPanel (or an equivalent), although most good hosts these days will.

      It sounds like you would really benefit from my video course (yes, the mysterious video course that is oft talked about but never seen!). I will endeavour to put extra effort in to get that finished. In fact, I have to because it will be forming part of a bigger picture (that part’s secret for now… 😉 ). What you have done, though, is given me an idea for a useful video that I could incorporate into the course. What I’ll probably do is get that video done over the next week or so and let you get access to it early. It will help you a lot. 🙂

      »Glenn«
      Glenn Shepherd recently posted…“Tim Burton Made Me Late for Work”My Profile

  5. Hi Glenn,

    Very useful demo. Plugins can be a right pain. I’ve had occasions when I’ve uninstalled a plugin and then decided to use it again at a later date only to find that it won’t install because the original files had not been properly deleted. I’ve had to then manually deleted them through cPanel before I could re-install it.

    I’m intrigued about the S.O.S so will be back next week to find out about it.

    Sandy
    Sandy Halliday recently posted…Do You Need To Detox Your Body From Toxic Chemicals?My Profile

    1. HI Sandy,

      It’s good to hear from you! 🙂

      Yes, plugins can be a pain when things go wrong. Thankfully, for me most have worked without any major problems. But that first big issue when one of my plugin updates caused a site-wide failure caused me to panic somewhat! If only I’d had a video like this in my arsenal at the time. At least I was able to learn from it, though, and gain valuable experience that I can now leverage.

      Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Sandy. I’m glad you’re looking forward to the S.O.S. post – all being well it should be live tomorrow. 🙂

      »Glenn«
      Glenn Shepherd recently posted…How to Auto Duck in AudacityMy Profile

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