Title: strange behavior during install – is site still okay to use? Last modified: July 25, 2025 --- # strange behavior during install – is site still okay to use? * Resolved [michaelmossey](https://wordpress.org/support/users/michaelmossey/) * (@michaelmossey) * [8 months, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/strange-behavior-during-install-is-site-still-okay-to-use/) * I have had a WordPress site up at this website for a couple years, but I wanted to do a clean install of WordPress as I’m having a new developer set up a new site. * After backing up the previous site, I went into ssh and did “rm -rf wp*” and “ rm -rf word*” in the root directory for my URL. * I then used the Dreamhost installer. When I tried to log into my site, I found out that it had set up a user 0 with my email address. I didn’t like the username but I found no way to change it and no way to create a new user because it was already using my email address. * So I thought, I’ll install it manually. I did “rm -rf wp*” and “rm -rf word*” again. I then used sftp to upload “latest.zip” (downloaded from wordpress.org) and did “unzip latest.zip” which put it into a subfolder. I wanted it in the root folder so I did “cd ..; mv learnwithmikemossey.com/latest/* learnwithmikemossey/” or something similar. * I joined the site and went through the setup process. It said it connected to the database successfully. But before it got to logging in, it crashed out with a 404 on install.php. * An hour later I sat down to work on it again and joined at learnwithmikemossey. com/wp-admin. To my astonishment the site came up, and it already had two users, the same users and passwords that were on my previous installation. Otherwise it was clean. * How is this possible? Is this going to be okay to use? I can just install other plugins now after my designer finishes with Elementor? * The page I need help with: _[[log in](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwordpress.org%2Fsupport%2Ftopic%2Fstrange-behavior-during-install-is-site-still-okay-to-use%2F%3Foutput_format%3Dmd&locale=en_US) to see the link]_ Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total) * Moderator [threadi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/threadi/) * (@threadi) * [8 months, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/strange-behavior-during-install-is-site-still-okay-to-use/#post-18571560) * You deleted directories and files twice, but not the database. If you use the existing database when reinstalling, you will still have all your previous data( except for the images, which you deleted). * Thread Starter [michaelmossey](https://wordpress.org/support/users/michaelmossey/) * (@michaelmossey) * [8 months, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/strange-behavior-during-install-is-site-still-okay-to-use/#post-18571566) * [@threadi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/threadi/) * Thanks. do you think it will be okay to continue using the site? The new site will have the same plugins but the Elementor pages will be redesigned. The designer wanted to start with a clean site. * Basically, if there will be nothing that interferes with creating different Elementor pages, I think it will be good. * Moderator [threadi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/threadi/) * (@threadi) * [8 months, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/strange-behavior-during-install-is-site-still-okay-to-use/#post-18572003) * If your developer needs a blank WordPress, then no. You would really have to delete all files and directories again, but also empty the database. Only then will it be a truly blank WordPress after a new installation. * But if he’s fine with it, then you can leave it as it is. Ultimately, it’s his decision, not yours. * Thread Starter [michaelmossey](https://wordpress.org/support/users/michaelmossey/) * (@michaelmossey) * [8 months, 2 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/strange-behavior-during-install-is-site-still-okay-to-use/#post-18575073) * Thanks guys, yes I figured it out after the first reply to post indicated that I hadn’t deleted the database. * Thread Starter [michaelmossey](https://wordpress.org/support/users/michaelmossey/) * (@michaelmossey) * [8 months, 2 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/strange-behavior-during-install-is-site-still-okay-to-use/#post-18575076) * resolved * [Theodore Leo](https://wordpress.org/support/users/theodoreleo/) * (@theodoreleo) * [8 months, 1 week ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/strange-behavior-during-install-is-site-still-okay-to-use/#post-18585748) * Hi Michael, * It sounds like you encountered some unusual behavior during your reinstall, likely due to remnants of your old database or caching. * The Dreamhost installer may have reused your old database (or its credentials), which still had your email associated with the original admin user.  Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total) The topic ‘strange behavior during install – is site still okay to use?’ is closed to new replies. * In: [Installing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/installation/) * 8 replies * 3 participants * Last reply from: [Theodore Leo](https://wordpress.org/support/users/theodoreleo/) * Last activity: [8 months, 1 week ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/strange-behavior-during-install-is-site-still-okay-to-use/#post-18585748) * Status: resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics