Title: Update plugins error "Could not remove old plugin" Last modified: August 24, 2016 --- # Update plugins error "Could not remove old plugin" * [armsvc](https://wordpress.org/support/users/armsvc/) * (@armsvc) * [11 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/) * I am having great difficulty updating my plugins and even my theme. All I get is an error message “Could not remove old plugin or theme” errors when I try?? I am currently using Attitude Pro from Theme Horse. * Please help! Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 57 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/page/2/?output_format=md) [3](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/page/3/?output_format=md) [4](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/page/4/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/page/2/?output_format=md) * [wslade](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wslade/) * (@wslade) * [11 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/#post-6012250) * Are the permissions on your plugins and themes folders set to 0755? * Thread Starter [armsvc](https://wordpress.org/support/users/armsvc/) * (@armsvc) * [11 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/#post-6012251) * Where do I find that wslade? * Thank you * [wslade](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wslade/) * (@wslade) * [11 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/#post-6012253) * A good search engine is your friend… * Using either FTP or the File Manager located in your hosting account look at the folders located at wp-content/plugins and /themes. Check the permissions following the instructions for the FTP or File Manager software you are using. If the permissions are not set to 0755 change them to that. * Thread Starter [armsvc](https://wordpress.org/support/users/armsvc/) * (@armsvc) * [11 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/#post-6012264) * Ok, found it, all files set to 0755, what now? * [wslade](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wslade/) * (@wslade) * [11 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/#post-6012265) * Were they already set to 0755 or did you have to change them? If you changed them to 0755, check to see if the plugins and themes can be updated. * If they were already set to 0755 we need to keep troubleshooting. * Thread Starter [armsvc](https://wordpress.org/support/users/armsvc/) * (@armsvc) * [11 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/#post-6012267) * You were right, they were not set to 7055 but 0644 so I just changed them. I just went back to the site and tried the update the plugins and got the same error msg “Could not remove the old plugin” * Thread Starter [armsvc](https://wordpress.org/support/users/armsvc/) * (@armsvc) * [11 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/#post-6012268) * /Users/mikechesney/Desktop/Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 3.47.08 PM.png * [wslade](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wslade/) * (@wslade) * [11 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/#post-6012271) * All folders should be set to 0755 all files to 0644 everywhere in your WordPress installation. If you find any other folders that are set wrong, change them. When you are finished looking at all folders if you made any changes, check your plugins again. * Thread Starter [armsvc](https://wordpress.org/support/users/armsvc/) * (@armsvc) * [11 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/#post-6012273) * Is there a way to send you a screen shot of what I am seeing? * Thread Starter [armsvc](https://wordpress.org/support/users/armsvc/) * (@armsvc) * [11 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/#post-6012274) * I set each plugin folder to 0755 from 0644 and went to update the plugins and they all disappeared ?? * Mike * [wslade](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wslade/) * (@wslade) * [11 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/#post-6012275) * You can upload to photobucket and insert the link in the post. * Thread Starter [armsvc](https://wordpress.org/support/users/armsvc/) * (@armsvc) * [11 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/#post-6012276) * Some folders within other folders are set to 0555? * [wslade](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wslade/) * (@wslade) * [11 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/#post-6012277) * If it’s a folder it should be set to 0755 regardless of where it is located. Files need to be able to execute or nothing can be written into the folder. * Thread Starter [armsvc](https://wordpress.org/support/users/armsvc/) * (@armsvc) * [11 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/#post-6012278) * Ok, when I changed them to 0755 and went back to the site, selected the plugins to be updated, they all disappeared and now I can’t seem to locate them. One of them was Gravity Forms and now my contact page is empty? How could they just vanish like that? * [wslade](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wslade/) * (@wslade) * [11 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/#post-6012280) * If they haven’t been deleted, they are not gone. Look at your error_log for me. It’s in the WorfPress root – the same place as wp-config.php. Open it with any text editor and scroll to the bottom of the log. Look for errors from today and copy them here. If there a duplicates of the same error, just copy one error record. Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 57 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/page/2/?output_format=md) [3](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/page/3/?output_format=md) [4](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/page/4/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/page/2/?output_format=md) The topic ‘Update plugins error "Could not remove old plugin"’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [message](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/message/) * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 57 replies * 3 participants * Last reply from: [wslade](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wslade/) * Last activity: [11 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-plugins-error-could-not-remove-old-plugin-1/page/4/#post-6012332) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics