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QuickInstall Error Installation Directory is Not Empty

Installing your preferred platform for your website is made easier using the application installers of your cPanel.

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Softaculous

If the Softaculous application is already available in your account, you can get WordPress, one of the most common platforms, and other CMS running in minutes. This video tutorial will assist you with your WordPress installation using the Softaculous installer.

You may find some links below that will redirect you to your cPanel and its features provided that the following conditions are met:
  • You are logged into your Customer Portal. You can also log in after clicking the link.
  • The hosting package you are attempting to access is either a Shared or Cloud.
Click Here For Instructions on How to Uninstall WordPress using Softaculous
"The following errors were found :

An installation already exists at https://yourdomain.com as per our records. To re-install the application please uninstall the existing installation!"

If you encounter an error when installing WordPress using Softaculous like the prompt above, you need to remove the first installation then re-install WordPress. We have created a video guide to assist you in the uninstallation using the Softaculous application.

Note: Before you do, please make sure to create a backup first before uninstalling your WordPress.
 

To uninstall WordPress using Softaculous:

  1. Under the Softaculous homepage, click the Installations box on top.

    cPanel - Softaculous - Installations

  2. Locate the WordPress site you wish to uninstall.
  3. On the list of Options on the right-hand side of that website name, click the x Remove icon.

    cPanel - Softaculous - Remove Icon

  4. Scroll down the next page and click the Remove Installation button.

    cPanel - Softaculous - Remove Installation

  5. A pop-up will appear, notifying you that this is an irreversible process. If you wish to proceed, click OK.

    Confirm Removal

  6. Once the uninstallation is done, click Return to Overview.
  7. Re-install WordPress.

If you wish to go back to your cPanel, click the cPanel icon found on the top-right menu.

Softaculous - Go Back to cPanel

QuickInstall

QuickInstall is another application you will find in your cPanel. Though we strongly suggest using Softaculous, you can still utilize the QuickInstall as your installer. Please refer to this article for detailed instructions on how to use this application, QuickInstall.

When you're trying to install WordPress with the QuickInstall method, sometimes you'll get the error "Installation directory is not empty. Please install to an empty location". This error presents when there are files already present in the directory you're trying to install WordPress to and can be remedied by clearing the directory. This article covers how to achieve this for your Primary domain, Addon, and Subdomains.

Before following the steps below, you'll want to make sure you create a backup you can restore from in case you want to restore any of the data after this process. See our guide here on how to do that before proceeding: How to Generate/Download a Full Backup

How to Resolve This Error for Your Primary Domain

  1. In the cPanel, click on File Manager in the Files section.
  2. On the left-hand side, select the folder public_html, as this is the document root for your primary domain.
  3. In the upper right-hand corner, click on the Settings button.
  4. Check the box next to Show Hidden Files and click Save, this allows you to see all of the files in the folder.
  5. Select all of the files and folders in the directory by clicking the Select All button at the top of the window.
  6. Then, click x Delete, to move everything to the trash.

Now that the directory is clear, you should be able to install WordPress without getting any errors. If you're still getting this error, see the section below on checking the database.

Trouble Installing WordPress For a Subdomain or Addon Domain

The process is the same as the above except for the directory you need to clear. To determine what the document root for the site, you'll need to do the following.

  1. Locate the Domains box in the cPanel and then select either Addon Domains or Subdomains.
  2. Scroll down to see the list of domains.
  3. Take note of the directory in the second column labeled Document Root this is where the files for the site live.
  4. Open the directory:
    a. If the directory listed starts with Document Root House Icon/example.com, then it will be listed on the left-hand side of the file manager in the home directory.
    b. If there is another directory name before your domain name, such as Document Root House Icon/public_html/example.com, then you will select public_html in the file manager, and then double-click the example.com folder inside the public_html directory to open it.
     
  5. In the upper right-hand corner, click on the Settings button.
  6. Check the box next to Show Hidden Files and click Save, this allows you to see all of the files in the folder.
  7. Select all of the files and folders in the directory by clicking the Select All button at the top of the window.
  8. Then, click x Delete, to move everything to the trash.

Now that the directory is clear, you should be able to install WordPress without getting any errors. If you're still getting this error, see the section below on checking the database.

Still Getting the Error?

Doing the process above should resolve the issue. However, if it does not, then the problem could be that the database or database user that the QuickInstall process is trying to create already exists, and it needs to be renamed or deleted.

During the QuickInstall process, it will create a database named cpaneluser_wrdp# and a corresponding database user with the same name. If either the database or user already exists without the matching user/database, then you may see the error.

Example: If the database cpaneluser_wrdp1 exists, but the user cpaneluser_wrdp1 does not, then you can see this error. The same thing is true if the user exists, but the database doesn't.

This problem can be remedied by renaming or deleting the existing user or database. See our guide here on how to do that: How to Create or Delete a MySQL Database or User

Note: If you need further assistance, please feel free to contact live support via phone or Live Chat