{"id":14079,"date":"2020-10-10T17:00:13","date_gmt":"2020-10-10T15:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/?p=14079"},"modified":"2021-10-06T13:26:13","modified_gmt":"2021-10-06T11:26:13","slug":"how-to-fix-destination-folder-already-exists-wordpress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/how-to-fix-destination-folder-already-exists-wordpress\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Fix the “Destination Folder Already Exists” Error in WordPress"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]One of the many skills every WordPress website owner must learn is how to troubleshoot WordPress errors. Even though, as a platform, WordPress is quite flexible and beginner-friendly, errors can still happen and it is best if they are dealt with swiftly. Errors can cause issues that range from a mild nuisance to an inability to use the website.
\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]The most common WordPress errors often have a name that helps direct our troubleshooting efforts. The same is true with the one we will be examining in this article \u2013 the Installation failed: destination folder already exists<\/em> error<\/strong>. It can happen often, and it prevents the installation of a certain plugin or theme. Luckily, its name is indicative of its nature, which makes the troubleshooting process much easier. It\u2019s named after the error message that appears when installing a plugin or theme fails.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”]

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\n \"Error <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=”38px”][vc_column_text]In this article, we will examine the reasons why this error occurs and how to troubleshoot it.
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How the WordPress Destination folder already exists error happens<\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]WordPress has a well-structured file and folder system. When you\u2019re installing a plugin or a theme, the appropriate .zip file is extracted and placed in the correct location according to that structure. It is precisely during the installation process that this error occurs. As its name indicates, it happens because the theme or the plugin folder is already present. This makes WordPress abort the installation process and throw an error, which you can see on the screenshot above.
\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]Apart from the most obvious cause\u2014the plugin or theme already being installed\u2014there are other reasons why this error occurs. Maybe the previous installation process was interrupted and it left an empty plugin or theme folder. Or an attempt to delete a folder was unsuccessful because the request timed out<\/strong>. Additionally, this error can happen when you try to update your theme or plugin and their old folders remain.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]One way to prevent the Destination folder already exists<\/em> error is to rename the theme or plugin folder before the update process. By doing that, you will also be making a backup of the theme\/plugin, which you can use later for troubleshooting if needed.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”80px”][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”new-top-picks-banner”][vc_empty_space height=”81px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

How to fix the Destination folder already exists error<\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Since the error is caused by a plugin or theme folder that already exists, the easiest way to solve the error is by deleting the folder<\/strong>. But, as this can\u2019t be done using the WordPress admin dashboard, we will show you two other ways to do it\u2014using FTP<\/a> or via cPanel.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]After you fix the error, you only need to reinstall the plugin or theme<\/strong>. Once you remove the folder causing the error, you can install the file normally via the admin dashboard. We will briefly touch on the steps for that near the end of this article.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]We strongly suggest making a backup of your WordPress website<\/a> before proceeding.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”72px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Deleting the plugin\/theme folder<\/h3>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]There are several ways of deleting a plugin or theme folder, but we will take you through the two most common. Those are using FTP and using a control panel (in our case cPanel). We will explain the entire process using the Slider Revolution plugin<\/a> as an example.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]The process of deleting a theme via FTP is the same one you use for deleting a plugin. The only exception is that you need to navigate to wp-content\/themes<\/em> instead of wp-content\/plugins<\/em>. All the following steps are done on the folder that was reported in the error message<\/strong>. Now we can take a look at what the precise steps are.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”22px”]