How to Safely Remove Converter for Media and Revert Its Changes

Many users of the 'Converter for Media – Optimize images | Convert WebP & AVIF' plugin have a common question: what happens when you uninstall it? This guide explains the plugin's behavior during uninstallation and provides steps to completely revert its changes if something goes wrong.

What the Plugin Does and What It Should Remove

According to support threads, the plugin makes several changes to a WordPress site:

• File Generation: It creates WebP and AVIF images and stores them in a new directory: /wp-content/uploads-webpc/.
• .htaccess Rules: It adds server rewrite rules to the .htaccess files located in the /wp-content/ and /wp-content/uploads/ directories. These rules handle image redirection.
• Database Entries: It adds new records to the site's database to manage its operations.

Crucially, the plugin is designed to remove all of these elements automatically during a proper uninstallation. This includes deleting the generated uploads-webpc directory, removing its rules from all .htaccess files, and cleaning up its database entries.

Why Changes Might Seem to 'Remain' After Uninstallation

Despite the plugin's design, users sometimes report that changes persist. This is usually due to one of two reasons:

1. Browser Caching: The most common issue is that your browser is still serving cached WebP versions of images. Even after the plugin is gone, your browser might not re-fetch the original JPEG or PNG files.
2. Server or CDN Caching: Server-level caching or a Content Delivery Network (CDN) might also be serving old, cached versions of the WebP images.

In a rare case documented in a support thread, a user reported their main .htaccess file was emptied after deactivation. The plugin's developer clarified it should only remove its own rules, suggesting a possible conflict or server-specific issue in that unique scenario.

How to Completely Revert The Plugin's Changes

If you have uninstalled the plugin but suspect its changes are still active, follow these troubleshooting steps.

Step 1: Clear All Caches

Before taking more drastic measures, clear all caching layers:

• Clear your browser cache and perform a "hard reload" (Ctrl+F5 on Windows, Cmd+Shift+R on Mac).
• Clear any server-side or WordPress caching plugins (e.g., WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache).
• Purge your CDN cache if you use a service like Cloudflare or StackPath.

Step 2: Verify the Uninstallation

Ensure the plugin was removed correctly and its assets are gone:

1. Using your hosting file manager or FTP, navigate to /wp-content/.
2. Check that the uploads-webpc directory has been deleted.
3. Open the .htaccess files in both /wp-content/ and /wp-content/uploads/. The plugin's rules, which are typically enclosed within # BEGIN WebP Express and # END WebP Express comments, should be removed.

Step 3: Manual Cleanup (If Necessary)

If you find the uploads-webpc directory or .htaccess rules still present, you can remove them manually.

Warning: Always back up your site and its database before making manual changes.

• To delete generated images: Manually delete the /wp-content/uploads-webpc/ directory via FTP or your host's file manager.
• To remove .htaccess rules: Edit the .htaccess files in /wp-content/ and /wp-content/uploads/. Delete any blocks of code between the # BEGIN WebP Express and # END WebP Express lines. If the file is empty except for WordPress rules, you can replace it with a default WordPress .htaccess file.

Conclusion

The 'Converter for Media' plugin is built to clean up after itself upon uninstallation. The perception that changes remain is almost always a caching issue. By systematically clearing your browser, plugin, and server caches, you should see your original image files restored. If you must manually clean up, proceed with caution and always have a recent backup.