Title: First install – first problem! Parse error in update.php – what next?
Last modified: August 19, 2016

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# First install – first problem! Parse error in update.php – what next?

 *  [davenewt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/davenewt/)
 * (@davenewt)
 * [17 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/first-install-first-problem-parse-error-in-updatephp-what-next/)
 * Just downloaded v2.6 after hearing so many great things… I’m developing a site
   for someone. Have set up SQL tables etc, created the initial config file as per
   instructions. But when I go to run the setup script, I get:
 * `Parse error: syntax error, unexpected $end in ......../wp-admin/includes/update.
   php on line 152`
 * Can someone please advise what I should do? I have tried re-uploading the directory.
   Should I download an earlier version from somewhere, or is there a simple fix,
   or something I stupidly overlooked? (apologies if this is the case)
 * Thanks in advance.
 * David.

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

 *  Thread Starter [davenewt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/davenewt/)
 * (@davenewt)
 * [17 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/first-install-first-problem-parse-error-in-updatephp-what-next/#post-819009)
 * Ok, well, I saw what I think is an error in the code there:
 * `if ( strpos($plugin, '/') && $this_plugin_dir != $plugins_dir )`
 * Should have been
 * `if ( strpos($plugin, '/') && ( $this_plugin_dir != $plugins_dir )`
 * Yes?
 * But then I got an error about an unexpected T_VARIABLE on line 154.
 * Long story short, I commented out lines 152 to 155, and now I see the welcome
   screen. So I’ll see if I’m OK from here on in.
 * Hope I didn’t skip something ultra-important. Looks harmless enough from here!
 * D.
 *  [Scott H](https://wordpress.org/support/users/scohoust/)
 * (@scohoust)
 * [17 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/first-install-first-problem-parse-error-in-updatephp-what-next/#post-819017)
 * Interesting, not sure why that line would cause the error. Your fix actually 
   introduces a syntax error as it introduces an ( which isn’t closed.
 * That file is concerned with updating plugins automatically. If you don’t have
   any plugins or always manually update them, you should be fine.

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

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## Tags

 * [installation](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/installation/)
 * [parse-error](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/parse-error/)
 * [update.php](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/update-php/)

 * In: [Installing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/installation/)
 * 2 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [Scott H](https://wordpress.org/support/users/scohoust/)
 * Last activity: [17 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/first-install-first-problem-parse-error-in-updatephp-what-next/#post-819017)
 * Status: not resolved

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