How to Fix the Installation Failed: Destination Folder Already Exists Error in WordPress
“Destination Folder Already Exists” is a common WordPress error that generally occurs during plugin or theme installation. WordPress shows this error message to prevent a destination folder with the same name and path from being overwritten.
When a plugin or theme’s installation fails, it leaves behind an empty destination folder. The same happens when an old plugin or theme’s folder isn’t removed properly due to an interruption. This rogue folder stops WordPress from completing the installation.
Fix the Destination Folder Already Exists Error via the WordPress Dashboard
When you install a plugin or a theme manually, WordPress extracts the .zip file in a folder with the same name. If WordPress detects an identical folder with the same path, a comparison between the two will appear.
In this case, WordPress will ask for permission to overwrite the old plugin or theme folder. Select "Replace current with uploaded" and the “Destination Folder Already Exists” error message should be resolved.
Keep in mind that you will only see this warning page if the installation process is done from the WordPress admin area using a plugin or a theme’s .zip file.
Fix Installation Failed: Destination Folder Already Exists via cPanel
If your hosting provider uses cPanel, you can access your WordPress files through its File Manager. The process is similar to that of hPanel’s File Manager.
Here’s how to solve the “Destination Folder Already Exists” error using cPanel’s File Manager:
- Navigate to File Manager located in the Files section of your cPanel dashboard.
- Access the wp-content folder within your root directory (public_html).
- Open either the themes or plugins folder and find the folder that’s causing the issue.
- Right-click on the folder named after the plugin or theme you want to install and click Delete.
- Attempt reinstallation to check whether the error has been resolved.
Fix Installation Failed: Destination Folder Already Exists via an FTP Client
If your WordPress site is hosted on a VPS server, you can access your website files via an FTP client. After configuring the best FTP client for your needs, follow these steps to solve the “Destination Folder Already Exists” error:
- Establish an FTP connection to access the website’s server.
- Navigate to public_html -> wp-content -> plugins or themes and locate the folder that’s causing the issue.
- Right-click on the folder named after the plugin or theme you want to install and click Delete.
- Attempt reinstallation to check whether the error has been resolved.
