There are instances when a user on WordPress is trying to install a theme or plugin and are unable to finish the process. As WordPress extracts your elements zip file into a folder named after the file itself.
And the user witnesses that a folder with the same name already exists, which is why your installation is aborted! This is called the “WordPress destination folder already exists.”
In this article, we will help you troubleshoot the error by citing the causes and the potential solutions that are going to help you work on your site.
Read the article to know all about this issue.
Causes of the WordPress Destination Folder Already Exists
If you are using WordPress and trying to install a theme or plugin and are facing the WordPress Installation Failed: Destination Folder Already Exists. Then in this section, we are going to discuss the various causes of this error.
The main reason for this error is that a folder already exists in the same name.
Meanwhile, the message that appears on your window is:
Destination folder already exists. /home/ user/ example.com/wp-content/plugins/wpforms/
Plugin install failed.
The user’s first mitigation step is to check whether the same plugin has already been installed.
If this is not the case, then there are chances that two things would have occurred:
- The plugin or element did exist before and due to its incomplete or unsuccessful deletion process, it continues to exist as the element itself or in the form of the folder.
- Consequently, the other case is that there was an unsuccessful installation attempt that led to the empty destination folder being created without any files in it. Let us now look at the steps that you need to undertake to fix the WordPress destination folder already exists.
How To Fix The WordPress Plugin Destination Folder Already Exists Error
Solution 1:
1. Firstly, you need to access your WordPress files.
2. Secondly, locate the destination folder.
3. Thirdly, just type the URL below:
/public_html/wp-content/themes/, and plugins in the /public_html/wp-content/plugins/.
In case you are accessing more than one domain on your account, then you can access and investigate the files on the add-on domains, using the path:
/public_html/yourdomain.com/wp-content/plugins/.
4. Lastly, now once, you locate the repeated folder, delete it by right-clicking on it.
Solution 2:
Using the cPanel to delete the folders manually is the other option.
1. Log onto the cPanel file manager. Explore the files and folders that are stored on your server.
2. Explore the WordPress folder and then navigate to the wp-content > plugins if the error took place during the plugin installation, or go to the wp-content > themes if you are facing the error at the time of theme installation.
3. Here you can install the incompletely deleted or installed folder so that you can delete it and undertake a fresh installation.
WordPress Plugin Destination Folder Already Exists: Wrapping Up
WordPress is the most popular CMS in the world! But like everything good, it too has a flipside!
A commonplace error like WordPress destination folder already exists can occur in the times of a plugin or a theme installation.
We hope that with the help of this article, you are able to resolve the error WordPress installation failed: destination folder already exists and can start working on your website’s functionality smoothly. However, in case you are still facing any issue with this, then you can contact our team of WordPress support services on our toll-free number 24×7 on 1-866-332-O276 and get started today.
