Title: Automatic WordPress update fails
Last modified: November 12, 2017

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# Automatic WordPress update fails

 *  Resolved [edgunther](https://wordpress.org/support/users/edgunther/)
 * (@edgunther)
 * [8 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/automatic-wordpress-update-fails/)
 * I used to be able to do WordPress Automatic updates.
    At some point, only the
   manual updates worked. How do I fix this?
 * Update WordPress
    Downloading update from [https://downloads.wordpress.org/release/wordpress-4.8.3-new-bundled.zip…](https://downloads.wordpress.org/release/wordpress-4.8.3-new-bundled.zip…)
   Unpacking the update… Verifying the unpacked files… Preparing to install the 
   latest version… Enabling Maintenance mode… Copying the required files… Disabling
   Maintenance mode… Could not copy file.: wp-activate.php Installation Failed
 * The page I need help with: _[[log in](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwordpress.org%2Fsupport%2Ftopic%2Fautomatic-wordpress-update-fails%2F%3Foutput_format%3Dmd&locale=en_US)
   to see the link]_

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

 *  [jbottero](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jbottero/)
 * (@jbottero)
 * [8 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/automatic-wordpress-update-fails/#post-9674553)
 * Looks like a file permission issue. How do you access your files? Something like
   FileZilla? Or do you have access to your folders with a dashdoard or terminal
   access?
 * Sometimes there will be permission issues, like when WP wants to create the upload
   directory and can’t because of permissions.
 * My recommendation is to make the owner and the group “apache” – if that’s your
   web server. At the terminal:
 * # chown -R apache:apache your-wp-directory-here
 * But maybe I’m on the wrong track…
 *  Thread Starter [edgunther](https://wordpress.org/support/users/edgunther/)
 * (@edgunther)
 * [8 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/automatic-wordpress-update-fails/#post-9675021)
 * Thanks, it was a file permission issue!
    I had hardened the root and WP directories
   after a malware incident.

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

The topic ‘Automatic WordPress update fails’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 2 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [edgunther](https://wordpress.org/support/users/edgunther/)
 * Last activity: [8 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/automatic-wordpress-update-fails/#post-9675021)
 * Status: resolved

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