[Plugin: WP Super Cache] broken, let's fix

I had the same problem and I figured that out.

Go to your wp-config.php (located at WordPress root) and fix the path here:

define( ‘WPCACHEHOME’, ‘new-path-goes-here’ ); //Added by WP-Cache Manager

If you want to know the current path, learn more here

Upgrading to:
WP 3.5.1
Super Cache 1.2

@carriem,

I was able to remove the Super Cache error message by using hieu.nguyen and Donncha’s posts.

Open wp-config.php in your web root.

Add this line, under the other defined lines

define( 'WPCACHEHOME', 'path-goes-here' ); //Added by WP-Cache Manager

The ‘path goes here’ is a full, absolute path to wp-cache-phase1.php

There is no http:// in an absolute path.

It should be something like:

'/home/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-super-cache/'

The path (ends with wp-super-cache) should be displayed in that error message on the dashboard.

@donncha, why are users debugging these messages? 😉

UPDATE :
I found an important detail. The file “advanced-cache.php” that is located OUTSIDE the PLUGINS folder, that is to say in the WP-CONTENT folder is not updated when updating the plugin. So if you are using this plugin for a long time, it is possible that the code in this file differs from the current version (v1.2).

In older versions (for example v0.8.9.1), the absolute path is written in it directly.

<?php
# WP SUPER CACHE 0.8.9.1
function wpcache_broken_message() {
	if ( false == strpos( $_SERVER[ 'REQUEST_URI' ], 'wp-admin' ) )
		echo "<!-- WP Super Cache is installed but broken. The path to wp-cache-phase1.php in wp-content/advanced-cache.php must be fixed! -->";
}

if ( !include_once( '/YOUR ABSOLUTE PATH/wp-content/plugins/wp-super-cache/' . 'wp-cache-phase1.php' ) ) {
	if ( !@is_file( '/YOUR ABSOLUTE PATH/wp-content/plugins/wp-super-cache/' . 'wp-cache-phase1.php' ) ) {
		define( 'ADVANCEDCACHEPROBLEM', 1 );
		register_shutdown_function( 'wpcache_broken_message' );
	}
}
?>

In the new version (v1.2), that file only contains a link to the WordPress “wp-config.php”. So it would be better to update the contents of the “advanced-cache.php” found in WP-CONTENT folder with the following:

<?php
# WP SUPER CACHE 1.2
function wpcache_broken_message() {
	if ( false == strpos( $_SERVER[ 'REQUEST_URI' ], 'wp-admin' ) )
		echo "<!-- WP Super Cache is installed but broken. The constant WPCACHEHOME must be set in the file wp-config.php and point at the WP Super Cache plugin directory. -->";
}

if ( false == defined( 'WPCACHEHOME' ) ) {
	define( 'ADVANCEDCACHEPROBLEM', 1 );
} elseif ( !include_once( WPCACHEHOME . 'wp-cache-phase1.php' ) ) {
	if ( !@is_file( WPCACHEHOME . 'wp-cache-phase1.php' ) ) {
		define( 'ADVANCEDCACHEPROBLEM', 1 );
	}
}
if ( defined( 'ADVANCEDCACHEPROBLEM' ) )
	register_shutdown_function( 'wpcache_broken_message' );
?>

And then you can check your “wp-config.php” file (at the root of WordPress) if it contains the absolute path of your server (the warning message usually contain the old and the new absolute path of your server). The line should be like this (with your absolute path):

define('WPCACHEHOME', '/YOUR ABSOLUTE PATH/wp-content/plugins/wp-super-cache/' ); //Added by WP-Cache Manager

Hope this help.

I was having the same issue. With WordPress 3.5.1 and WP Super Cache 1.2 you need to ignore the warning message instructions. You need to open your wp-config.php file in the root of your website.

Add in this code:
define( 'WPCACHEHOME', 'path-goes-here' ); //Added by WP-Cache Manager

And the complete path is something like this:
'/home/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-super-cache/'

You do NOT need to include the file name: /wp-cache-phase1.php. It will just give you a bunch of error messages.

That’s it!

You can not solve this problem using the WordPress dashboard. You have to edit the files located in your server. Do you have access to the file manager of your server (in your hosting control panel)? Or do you use a FTP software?