Title: Can’t remove Aotoptimize plugin
Last modified: December 22, 2023

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# Can’t remove Aotoptimize plugin

 *  Resolved [hakantanar](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hakantanar/)
 * (@hakantanar)
 * [2 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-remove-aotoptimize-plugin/)
 * Hi,
 * I can’t remove [Autoptimize](https://monologblg.com/wp-admin/plugins.php) plugin.
   When I try a “Serious error occured” warning appears. I have no such a problem
   with other plugins. I ask to WordPress developers and they asked me to communicate
   with the plugin developers. I need help.
 * Thank you

Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)

 *  Plugin Author [Optimizing Matters](https://wordpress.org/support/users/optimizingmatters/)
 * (@optimizingmatters)
 * [2 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-remove-aotoptimize-plugin/#post-17296250)
 * As I [wrote in that other thread](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/serious-problem-on-my-site/#post-17294540);
   did you recieve an automated mail from WordPress with a specific PHP error? If
   not, can you (ask your host) to check the PHP errorlog for relevant errors?
 * frank
 *  Thread Starter [hakantanar](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hakantanar/)
 * (@hakantanar)
 * [2 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-remove-aotoptimize-plugin/#post-17296490)
 * I didn’t recieve an automated mail. I asked my host and WordPress developers 
   if there is relevant problem with other plugins. There is no problem except Autoptimize
   plugin.
 * Hakan
 *  Plugin Author [Optimizing Matters](https://wordpress.org/support/users/optimizingmatters/)
 * (@optimizingmatters)
 * [2 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-remove-aotoptimize-plugin/#post-17296495)
 * OK, next step; ask your host for the relevant PHP errorlog entries? 🙂
 *  Thread Starter [hakantanar](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hakantanar/)
 * (@hakantanar)
 * [2 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-remove-aotoptimize-plugin/#post-17303084)
 * Hi,
 * I asked them but they said they couldn’t give such an information like that.
 *  Plugin Author [Optimizing Matters](https://wordpress.org/support/users/optimizingmatters/)
 * (@optimizingmatters)
 * [2 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-remove-aotoptimize-plugin/#post-17303113)
 * > I asked them but they said they couldn’t give such an information like that.
 * that’s … weird.
 * anyway, giving the lack of tangible information let’s gamble 😉 can you try the
   following:
    0. reactivate autoptimize 1. go to settings -> autoptimize and at
   the bottom of that screen click on “save changes and empty cache” 2. when that
   is done check if cache size indeed is low (below 100Kb) 3. de-activate auptimize
   4. try removing it now?
 *  Thread Starter [hakantanar](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hakantanar/)
 * (@hakantanar)
 * [2 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-remove-aotoptimize-plugin/#post-17307098)
 * I followed the steps but it didn’t work.
 * Please show me the way to remove the plugin without any gamble in it.
 *  Plugin Author [Optimizing Matters](https://wordpress.org/support/users/optimizingmatters/)
 * (@optimizingmatters)
 * [2 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-remove-aotoptimize-plugin/#post-17307113)
 * given I don’t know what is going wrong (due to the lack of the actual PHP errors
   that have occurred), gambling is all I can do here [@hakantanar](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hakantanar/)..
   Now when you tried those steps, did you see any error message there? how big 
   was the cache size before and after trying to clear the cache?
 *  Thread Starter [hakantanar](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hakantanar/)
 * (@hakantanar)
 * [2 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-remove-aotoptimize-plugin/#post-17307381)
 * I handled it. It’s done.
 * Thank you
 *  Plugin Author [Optimizing Matters](https://wordpress.org/support/users/optimizingmatters/)
 * (@optimizingmatters)
 * [2 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-remove-aotoptimize-plugin/#post-17307415)
 * you’re welcome, enjoy the old-to-new celebrations! 🙂
 *  [rjschok](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rjschok/)
 * (@rjschok)
 * [2 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-remove-aotoptimize-plugin/#post-17313441)
 * Hi Frank,
 * I seem to have the same problem. Because Autoptimize broke my site (rendering
   failed) I tried to uninstall/remove the Plugin. That does not work. _(Error message:
   Verwijderen van: Er heeft zich een kritieke fout voorgedaan op deze site. Meer
   informatie over probleemoplossing in WordPress. mislukt)_
 * The site itself does not seem to have any problems anymore after deactivating
   the plugin, but working with the Elementor editor is extremely slow. What to 
   do?
 * I followed your (logical) suggestions:
 * 0. reactivate autoptimize
   1. go to settings -> autoptimize and at the bottom 
   of that screen click on “save changes and empty cache”2. when that is done check
   if cache size indeed is low (below 100Kb)3. de-activate autoptimize4. try removing
   it
 * Unfortunately, that does not do the job. I did not recieve an automated mail 
   from WordPress with a specific PHP error.
 * However the PHP error I get in de debug log is the following: **Deprecated**:
   ltrim(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($string) of type string is deprecated 
   in **/var/www/wp-includes/formatting.php** on line **4494**. Which is not useful
   in this case I presume.
 * I also reactivated Autoptimize with all settings unchecked, saved it and then
   tried to remove it. Did not work either. What to do?
 * Will deleting the Autoptimize plugin directory help?
 *  Plugin Author [Optimizing Matters](https://wordpress.org/support/users/optimizingmatters/)
 * (@optimizingmatters)
 * [2 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-remove-aotoptimize-plugin/#post-17313536)
 * it makes sense to want to remove a plugin when it’s not active any more, but -
   just as a general thought- this will not fix slowness of active plugins (e.g.
   Elementor).
 * that being said; the PHP-error is but a deprecation-notice which moreover is 
   not related to AO, so we’re running into a dead-end here too I’m afraid.
 * so if all else fails, removing the `autoptimize` directory from `wp-content/plugins`
   will indeed remove AO from the list of plugins.
 * groeten uit België,
    frank
 *  [rjschok](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rjschok/)
 * (@rjschok)
 * [2 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-remove-aotoptimize-plugin/#post-17314825)
 * OK, I will remove the `autoptimize` directory.
 * Groet,
   robert

Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)

The topic ‘Can’t remove Aotoptimize plugin’ is closed to new replies.

 * ![](https://ps.w.org/autoptimize/assets/icon-256X256.png?rev=2211608)
 * [Autoptimize](https://wordpress.org/plugins/autoptimize/)
 * [Frequently Asked Questions](https://wordpress.org/plugins/autoptimize/#faq)
 * [Support Threads](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/autoptimize/)
 * [Active Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/autoptimize/active/)
 * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/autoptimize/unresolved/)
 * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/autoptimize/reviews/)

## Tags

 * [elementor editor](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/elementor-editor/)
 * [removal](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/removal/)

 * 12 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [rjschok](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rjschok/)
 * Last activity: [2 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-remove-aotoptimize-plugin/#post-17314825)
 * Status: resolved