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Resolving Common LiteSpeed Cache Update and File Permission Errors

17 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Litespeed cache

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Updates are meant to improve your site, but sometimes they can cause unexpected issues. A frequent problem reported by users of the LiteSpeed Cache plugin involves errors during or after an update, often related to file permissions or missing files. This guide will walk you through the common causes and the most effective solutions to get your site back on track.

Common Symptoms

You might be experiencing one of these issues after an update attempt:

  • An update failure message stating: The update cannot be installed because some files could not be copied. This is usually due to inconsistent file permissions. followed by a long list of files and folders (like assets/css/fonts/litespeedfont.woff).
  • A white screen of death or a critical error on your site after an automatic update.
  • Specific PHP fatal errors in your error logs mentioning missing .tpl.php template files (e.g., Failed opening required '/.../tpl/page_optm/settings-css.tpl.php').
  • Inability to access the WordPress admin dashboard.

Why This Happens

These errors are typically not a flaw in the plugin's code but are related to the environment on your server.

  • File Ownership & Permissions: The web server process (e.g., www-data, nginx, apache) must have the correct read and write permissions for the WordPress directory and its contents. If it doesn't, the plugin cannot copy new files during an update or write necessary cache and configuration data, leading to failures.
  • Incomplete Updates: If an update is interrupted or fails partway through, it can leave the plugin in a corrupted state with some new files and some old ones, causing missing file errors.
  • Aggressive Caching: In some cases, server-level or object caching can interfere with the update process or cause the admin area to load outdated code, resulting in errors.

How to Fix It

Solution 1: Manually Reinstall the Plugin (Most Effective Fix)

This is the most reliable way to ensure all plugin files are correctly placed and intact.

  1. Deactivate and Delete the Plugin via FTP/File Manager:
    • Access your site's files using an FTP client (like FileZilla) or your hosting provider's File Manager.
    • Navigate to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory.
    • Rename or delete the litespeed-cache folder. Renaming it (e.g., to litespeed-cache_old) is safer as it effectively disables the plugin while keeping a backup. This should immediately restore access to your site if it was down.
  2. Install a Fresh Copy:
    • Go to your WordPress admin dashboard > Plugins > Add New.
    • Search for "LiteSpeed Cache".
    • Click Install Now and then Activate.
  3. Reconfigure: You will need to reconfigure your LiteSpeed Cache settings. If you had a backup of your configuration, you can now restore it.

Solution 2: Check and Correct File Permissions

If you have server access, verifying permissions can prevent future update problems. The correct permissions are usually:

  • Folders (Directories): 755 (drwxr-xr-x)
  • Files: 644 (-rw-r--r--)

You can use an FTP client or SSH command (e.g., chmod 755 wp-content/plugins) to adjust these. It's often best to contact your hosting provider's support and ask them to verify and correct the file ownership and permissions for your WordPress installation.

Solution 3: Clear All Caches

After successfully reinstalling the plugin, clear all possible caches to ensure no outdated data is being served:

  1. Clear the cache within the LiteSpeed Cache plugin settings.
  2. Clear any server-level or opcode caches (e.g., Redis, Memcached, APCu). Your hosting provider may need to assist with this.
  3. Clear your browser cache.

Checking for Errors

If problems persist, your server's error log is the best place to find specific clues. You can usually access this through your hosting control panel (e.g., cPanel > Logs > Error Log) or by asking your host. Look for any PHP Fatal Errors or Warnings that occur around the time you access your site.

Conclusion

File permission issues and incomplete updates are common culprits behind frustrating plugin problems. A manual reinstallation is almost always the fastest and most thorough solution. If the issue continues to occur with every update, contacting your hosting provider to investigate persistent file permission problems is the recommended next step.

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