Every WordPress user, or rather web manager, knows that plugins are great tools to extend the functionality of WordPress and customise sites to meet specific needs.
For example, we use plugins to also change, or at least allow us to change, the appearance of some of our sites.
Unfortunately though, these same tools also cause problems when upgrading to the latest WordPress version.
Recently, we found out that our problem of not being able to log in to our site’s admin panel was due to outdated plugins which are not compatible with WordPress 3.3.1 like: Efficient Related Posts, Get Recent Comments, Hidepost, Popular Posts Plugin, Thank Me Later, WordPress Thread Comment, and WP Click Track.
There could be more, but these are just those which were installed in our WordPress site at the date of upgrade.
So, how do you avoid these problems?
Here are some suggestions:
1. Always upgrade to the latest version of your plugins. Whenever plugins are upgraded, there is a notification in the Plugin page of the dashboard that an upgraded version is available.
2. Even if you have upgraded to the latest version of your plugin, still it is worth checking that the latest version of the plugins installed in your site are compatible with the WP version you want to upgrade to.
NOTE: When checking compatibility, sometimes the WordPress.org plugin notification will show a “Warning: This plugin has not been tested with your current version of WordPress.” This does not mean however that the plugin is not compatible with, or will not work under, the latest version. The warning simply states it “has not been tested”. It is prudent of course to take heed of this warning.
3. If any of the plugins are not compatible, then look for an alternative plugin. Install alternative plugin and test it.
4. If you cannot find an alternative plugin, then delete the plugin. Sometimes, it is not enough to simply deactivate the plugin. Delete the plugin entirely. After all, if the plugin is outdated, then you should have no need for it anymore. I have seen a number of cases where even inactive plugins were causing problems.
5. Lastly, check that the theme you plan to use is also compatible with the latest WP version. Yes, themes can also cause issues during upgrades because themes also include codes which serve like “plugins”.
Have we mentioned that even before considering these suggestions, you hould have already verified that your server system components, mainly the PHP and the MySQL, meet the minimum requirements of the latest WP version?
According to WordPress.org FAQ page, the minimum requirements starting with WP 3.2 are PHP version 5.2.4 or greater and MySQL version 5.0.15 or greater.
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