WPML widget wont appear on WP sidebar menu

This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.

Problem:
The client is unable to install the 'WPML Multilingual CMS' plugin on their new website built with Elementor because they receive an error message stating that the destination folder already exists. This is likely due to the WPML plugin being previously installed via IONOS on a different WordPress account, causing a conflict when trying to install it on the new site.

Solution:
We recommend checking the 'Plugins' tab in the WordPress backend to see if WPML is already installed but not active. If the plugin is present, it should be activated from there. If the client wishes to reinstall the plugin, they should first remove the existing 'sitepress-multilingual-cms' folder from the 'wp-content/plugins' directory. This can be done through the hosting panel's file manager, by installing a compatible 'File manager' plugin, or by connecting via FTP/SFTP to delete the folder. After removing the folder, the client should be able to install WPML without encountering the error.

Please note that this solution might be irrelevant if it's outdated or not applicable to your case. If the issue persists, we highly recommend checking related known issues, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have installed the latest versions of themes and plugins. If you still need assistance, please open a new support ticket.

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Tagged: Exception

This topic contains 1 reply, has 2 voices.

Last updated by Mihai Apetrei 1 year, 2 months ago.

Assisted by: Mihai Apetrei.

Author	Posts
April 2, 2024 at 7:52 pm #15474953
antonyM-7	Hi, I will try and explain this as best I can. I have a website hosted on IONOS and I just built a new website hosted on ELEMENTOR, these are two different wordpress accounts however they both point to domains on IONOS at the moment. I just purchased WPML and tried to install it on my new website on Elementor however it says the following when i try to install 'WPML Multilingual CMS'. After clicking download and activate it says: Destination folder already exists. (/mnt/customers/customers-3g3m02/1275487e-5d14-4810-8df8-23c0d83ec204/wp-content/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/). What I suspect is happening is that I already own the WPML plugin via IONOS and due to the plugin being installed on the backend of the website it thinks its already installed on my wordpress dashboard sidebar. Now seeing as the WPML plugin is registered via IONOS I am unable to access it so that I can use it on the new website. How do I add the WPML on my sidebar so I can be able to start using it? You will see in my screenshot that WPML does not appear on the sidebar menu. Please assist, I cannot use WPML due to this issue.
April 2, 2024 at 9:40 pm #15475239
Mihai Apetrei WPML Supporter since 03/2018 Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Europe/Bucharest (GMT+03:00)	Hi there. For each unique WordPress install, you should have a unique folder that contains the site files. What that error message means is that you already have the "sitepress-multilingual-cms" folder inside the "wp-content/plugins" folder. So if you go to the "Plugins" tab while you are in the backend, you should see WPML already installed there (but probably not active). If you want to not see this error anymore, you need to remove that folder from your server (from inside the "wp-content/plugins" directory). You can do that from inside the hosting panel (if you have a file manager), or you can install the "File manager" plugin (if that is compatible with your hosting), or you can connect via FTP/SFTP and remove that directory from there. I hope that you will find this information helpful. 🙂 Mihai Apetrei