Title: Plugin Notes are being cleared / deleted Last modified: March 15, 2018 --- # Plugin Notes are being cleared / deleted * Resolved [gwalsh66](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gwalsh66/) * (@gwalsh66) * [8 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-notes-are-being-cleared-deleted/) * I’ve noticed that the plugin notes are disappearing after some time (a day or two). Adding a note and force refreshing the plugins page does show that newly added notes persist (so they are being written initially), but when returning to the plugins page at a later time some notes are gone. * The readme file and FAQ state that the plugin is writing to the options table, doing a web search I ran into this post on stackoverflow: [https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4714561/wordpress-plugin-data-disappearing](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4714561/wordpress-plugin-data-disappearing) * Which indicates the data in the options table may be erased by other operations. I’m wondering if this is the issue I’m encountering? * If you require additional information from me on this issue or my WordPress environment please ask. Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total) * Plugin Author [jamiebergen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jamiebergen/) * (@jamiebergen) * [8 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-notes-are-being-cleared-deleted/#post-10079654) * Thanks for bringing this issue to my attention. From the details you provide, it does sound like the it’s an issue with certain entries getting dropped from the options table. It would be helpful to get a little more information about your WordPress environment. I’d be especially interested in where your site is hosted. Also, does it seem that the entries getting dropped are larger (i.e., they contain more notes or longer notes) than the ones not getting dropped? * Thanks again, and I’ll do my best to get this resolved soon. * Thread Starter [gwalsh66](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gwalsh66/) * (@gwalsh66) * [8 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-notes-are-being-cleared-deleted/#post-10091231) * **WordPress environment**: version: 4.9.4 running KnowHow theme PHP Version: 5.6.0 MySQL Server version: 5.6.24-log hosted on Rackspace * **running plugins** Add Linked Images To Gallery Version 1.4 Add more files extensions Version 0.1 Allow Multiple Accounts Version 3.0.4 Auto Excerpt everywhere Version 1.5 Broken Link Checker Version 1.11.5 Bulk Delete Version 5.6.1 Bulk Move Version 1.3.0 CaPa Protect Version 0.5.8.2 CM Enhanced Tooltip Glossary Version 2.2.5 CodeColorer Version 0.9.15 Collapse-O-Matic Version 1.6.10 Contact Form 7 Version 3.8 Custom Login Version 3.2.8 Custom Meta Widget Version 1.5.1 Display Posts Shortcode Version 2.9.0 Duplicate Post Version 3.2.1 Edit Flow Version 0.8 Email Log Version 2.2.5 Email Login Version 4.6.4 Expire Users Version 1.0.2 Export Users to CSV Version 1.1.1 Eyes Only: User Access Shortcode Version 1.8.2 Find duplicates Version 1.4.6 Global Hide Admin Tool Bar Version 1.6.1 I Draw Version 1.0 Import Users from CSV Version 1.0.0 Internal links check Version 0.6.1 iThemes Security Version 4.1.5 jcwp scroll to top Version 1.7 Last Modified Timestamp Version 1.0.4 No Page Comment Version 1.2 Page Links To Version 2.9.10 Plugin Notes Plus Version 1.0.0 Plugin Organizer Version 6.0.4 Plugin Protector Version 1.4 Post Snippets Version 3.0.4 Random Text Version 0.3.0 Really Simple CAPTCHA Version 1.8.0.1 Redirect To Homepage Version 1.0 Relevanssi Premium Version 1.14 Remove Dashboard Access Version 1.1.3 Require Login Version 1.0.1 SAR Friendly SMTP Version 1.2.3 SB Welcome Email Editor Version 4.8 Search & Replace Version 3.1.2 Simple History Version 2.1.1 Simple Notices Version 1.0.7 Simple Optimizer Version 1.2.7 Simple User Profile Version 1.9 Simple Video Gallery Version 1.0.1 Table of Contents Plus Version 1601 ThreeWP Activity Monitor Version 2.12 Toggle wpautop Version 1.2.5 User Role Editor Version 4.40.1 UTF-8 Database Converter Version eol WassUp Real Time Analytics Version 1.9.4.2 WP QuickLaTeX Version 3.8.4 WP-Polls Version 2.69 WP-Print Version 2.58 * I’ve tested the plugin protector (enabled/disabled it, added a note to a plugin locked by the protector) but it doesn’t appear to be causing this issue. * To answer your question about the note size, the notes that have disappeared were about 2-3 sentences long IIRC. I have added a long note the WP-Print plugin( where one of the notes previously disappeared) to see if the problem recurs. * I haven’t seen notes disappearing since last week, enabling/disabling plugins with notes doesn’t trigger the issue either. The issue may have been happening when updating other plugins (that is outdated WordPress plugins that did not themselves contain notes). I’ll test updating plugins again shortly and see if I can recreate the issue. * If you require any additional details please ask. My WordPress instance is private and password protected, but outside of direct access I will provide what info I can. * Plugin Author [jamiebergen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jamiebergen/) * (@jamiebergen) * [8 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-notes-are-being-cleared-deleted/#post-10093227) * Thanks for this additional information. I set up a local install to try to replicate the issue you describe. I looked at Simple Optimizer since it cleans up the options table. However, I wasn’t able to get it to remove any plugin notes. (It says that it only removes transient options, so that shouldn’t affect plugin notes.) I also tested Plugin Organizer, but it didn’t appear to cause any conflicts. Another plugin I was interested in testing is Plugin Protector, but it appears that it’s no longer available from the wordpress.org repository. And you said that you tested it, so it’s probably not causing the issue. * You’re correct that plugin notes won’t be deleted when enabling/disabling plugins with notes. That was by design, so that if a plugin is removed for some reason and later reinstalled, its note(s) will still be available. * The two ideas I have for why plugin notes may be lost are as follows: * 1) They might be removed during a “cleanup” of the options table. WP Engine states that it “regularly cleans up large options by removing them.” See: [https://wpengine.com/support/options-tables-disappearing-why-our-platform-doesnt-allow-large-options-tables/](https://wpengine.com/support/options-tables-disappearing-why-our-platform-doesnt-allow-large-options-tables/).( I realize that your site isn’t on WP Engine, but that’s why I was interested in where your site was hosted.) * 2) I’m relying on the path to the main plugin file to generate a unique plugin ID, so if a plugin changes its path, then it will no longer be recognized by Plugin Notes Plus. In that case, the note should remain in the options table, but it won’t be visible on the plugins page. * I’m not yet sure what’s causing your issue, but I am planning to release an update in the next 1-2 weeks that will set up a custom table to store the plugin notes, and it will migrate any existing notes from the options table into the new custom table. That should prevent any data loss related to “cleanup” of the options table. * If you uncover anything else in your further testing, I’d be grateful to know. Also, if you can tell me which plugins are losing notes, that would be helpful as well. * Thread Starter [gwalsh66](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gwalsh66/) * (@gwalsh66) * [8 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-notes-are-being-cleared-deleted/#post-10097032) * It seems that #2 from your list of possible causes may be correct. Checking the options table I see several notes that are no longer present on the Dashboard > Plugins page but still exist in the table. * Here is one example: * option_id: 153487 option_name: plugin_notes_plus_wp-printwp-print-php option_value: a:1:{s:13:”1520879810_26″;a:4:{s:4:”note”;s:371:”Customization ============ * -knowhow theme ‘single.php’ contains the code to position and style the print this post link (float right) -the link icon and text are defined via the WP Dashboard > Settings > Print -styling of the printed page is handled by print- css.css in the wp-print plugin folder. Upgrading this plugin will overwrite that file so back it up first”;s:4:”icon”;s:19:”dashicons-clipboard”;s:4:”user”;s: 10:”Greg Walsh”;s:4:”time”;i:1520881017;}} autoload: yes * The current note for WP-Print that is appearing in the Dashboard (it just has“ text” as it’s text) is in the options table under the option_id: 155854 * Plugin Author [jamiebergen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jamiebergen/) * (@jamiebergen) * [8 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-notes-are-being-cleared-deleted/#post-10100255) * Indeed, it appears that #2 is the culprit. So the missing notes are still in the options table, but they’re just not displaying on the plugins page because the file path to the plugin changed slightly. * I’m working on an update that will resolve this issue and restore any missing notes. If you could provide the names of any additional plugins whose notes are missing (and, ideally, their option_name entry from the options table), that would be great. But if it’s too much trouble, don’t worry about it. * I’ll follow up when the update is ready. Thanks a ton for your help with this! * Plugin Author [jamiebergen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jamiebergen/) * (@jamiebergen) * [8 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-notes-are-being-cleared-deleted/#post-10101960) * Also, would you be able to tell me whether you’re running Windows or Linux on Rackspace? Thanks! * Thread Starter [gwalsh66](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gwalsh66/) * (@gwalsh66) * [8 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-notes-are-being-cleared-deleted/#post-10104072) * WordPress is running on Windows presently (sadly), the notes which are no longer displayed belong to these plugins: * **CodeColorer v0.9.15** | ‘plugin_notes_plus_codecolorercodecolorer-php’ **Collapse- O-Matic v1.7.9** | ‘plugin_notes_plus_jquery-collapse-o-maticcollapse-o-matic- php’ **Plugin Organizer v9.3.6** | ‘plugin_notes_plus_plugin-organizerplugin- organizer-php’ **ThreeWP Activity Monitor v2.12** | ‘plugin_notes_plus_threewp- activity-monitorthreewp_activity_monit’ **WP-Print v2.58** | ‘plugin_notes_plus_wp- printwp-print-php’ - This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by [gwalsh66](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gwalsh66/). * Plugin Author [jamiebergen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jamiebergen/) * (@jamiebergen) * [8 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-notes-are-being-cleared-deleted/#post-10106172) * Thanks for this additional information. I suspected that the site was running on a Windows server. What’s happening is that the file path to the main plugin file is using a backslash instead of a forward slash (sometimes). Since I’m using the path to the main plugin file as the unique identifier to match plugin notes to plugins, switching from a backslash to a forward slash is causing the plugin to fail to recognize the note. (I’m not sure why the slash direction is switching and why it’s only happening for certain plugins.) In any case, I’m planning to release an update where I account for the possibility that the file path might have a backslash instead of a forward slash. The update will also be able to recover any lost notes. * I’ll post back when the update is available – hopefully in the next week or so. * Plugin Author [jamiebergen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jamiebergen/) * (@jamiebergen) * [8 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-notes-are-being-cleared-deleted/#post-10134902) * I’ve released an update that should fix the issue with missing plugin notes on Windows servers. Upgrading to 1.1.0 should restore your missing notes. Thanks again for helping to identify the issue. * Thread Starter [gwalsh66](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gwalsh66/) * (@gwalsh66) * [8 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-notes-are-being-cleared-deleted/#post-10150727) * I have updated to version 1.1.0 and it appears most of the old notes have been restored. Thanks for the update/support 🙂 * Plugin Author [jamiebergen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jamiebergen/) * (@jamiebergen) * [8 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-notes-are-being-cleared-deleted/#post-10157898) * Thanks so much for your help in identifying this bug! I’m glad the update was successful. Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total) The topic ‘Plugin Notes are being cleared / deleted’ is closed to new replies. * ![](https://ps.w.org/plugin-notes-plus/assets/icon.svg?rev=1821775) * [Plugin Notes Plus](https://wordpress.org/plugins/plugin-notes-plus/) * [Frequently Asked Questions](https://wordpress.org/plugins/plugin-notes-plus/#faq) * [Support Threads](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/plugin-notes-plus/) * [Active Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/plugin-notes-plus/active/) * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/plugin-notes-plus/unresolved/) * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/plugin-notes-plus/reviews/) * 11 replies * 2 participants * Last reply from: [jamiebergen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jamiebergen/) * Last activity: [8 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-notes-are-being-cleared-deleted/#post-10157898) * Status: resolved