Title: cannot create / directory while updating core or plugins
Last modified: August 19, 2016

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# cannot create / directory while updating core or plugins

 *  [imperialicbm](https://wordpress.org/support/users/imperialicbm/)
 * (@imperialicbm)
 * [15 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-create-directory-while-updating-core-or-plugins/)
 * hi there,
 * i installed wp3.0 rc1 as of late.
    no problems with the setup or installation.
   everything runs as it should.
 * my problem is:
    whenever i try to update something (plugins, core-updates, etc)
   within wordpress the following happens: ************************************************************
   Downloading update from [http://wordpress.org/nightly-builds/wordpress-latest.zip…](http://wordpress.org/nightly-builds/wordpress-latest.zip…)
 * Unpacking the update…
 * Could not create directory.: /
 * Installation Failed
    ************************************************************
 * i have of course searched google and the support forums finding this hint:
    [http://stuff24.de/blog/wordpress-could-not-create-directory-plugin-install-failed/](http://stuff24.de/blog/wordpress-could-not-create-directory-plugin-install-failed/)(
   that was also mentioned in the support-forums as resolved but it doesnt work 
   for me.) as i was editing class-wp-filesystem-direct.php i found the line at 
   281 already in place, so i am kinda out of clues.
 * any hints?
 * cheers
    seb
 * UPDATE:
    since this isn’t really a installation issue it should be really in 
   the howto-troubleshooting forum. sorry for that. =( maybe it can get moved there?

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

 *  [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/)
 * (@esmi)
 * [15 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-create-directory-while-updating-core-or-plugins/#post-1523890)
 * It could be a server permissions issue.
 * [Topic moved]
 *  [agsteele](https://wordpress.org/support/users/agsteele/)
 * (@agsteele)
 * [15 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-create-directory-while-updating-core-or-plugins/#post-1524099)
 * I have/had this issue. On investigation I found that my wp-content directory 
   was owned by ‘root’. The FTP user was a different id. So I used chown to change
   the ownership
 * ie: chown ftp-owner:ftp-owner wp-content
 * I did the same for the upgrade directory under wp-content
 * I’ve not needed to do an upgrade since but I’m hopeful this should fix the issue.
 * Andrew
 *  [agsteele](https://wordpress.org/support/users/agsteele/)
 * (@agsteele)
 * [15 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-create-directory-while-updating-core-or-plugins/#post-1524100)
 * I have/had this issue. On investigation I found that my wp-content directory 
   was owned by ‘root’. The FTP user was a different id. So I used chown to change
   the ownership
 * ie: chown ftp-owner:ftp-owner wp-content
 * I did the same for the upgrade directory under wp-content
 * I’ve not needed to do an upgrade since but I’m hopeful this should fix the issue.
 * Andrew
 * [Edit] sorry for the double post. The forum software had a hiccup…

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

The topic ‘cannot create / directory while updating core or plugins’ is closed to
new replies.

## Tags

 * [could not create directory](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/could-not-create-directory/)

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 3 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [agsteele](https://wordpress.org/support/users/agsteele/)
 * Last activity: [15 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cannot-create-directory-while-updating-core-or-plugins/#post-1524100)
 * Status: not resolved

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