Title: [Plugin: Capability Manager] Cannot Modify Administrator Capabilities
Last modified: August 19, 2016

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# [Plugin: Capability Manager] Cannot Modify Administrator Capabilities

 *  Resolved [spencersokol](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spencersokol/)
 * (@spencersokol)
 * [16 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-capability-manager-cannot-modify-administrator-capabilities/)
 * I can’t seem to modify administrator (or any other) capabilities. All I get is
   you don’t have permission to access this page when selecting any role besides
   Subscriber.
 * I’ve tried backing up my current roles & capabilities (through the plugin) and
   restoring them, but to no avail.
 * I’m running WP 2.9.1 and CapMan 1.3.1.
 * I also created a new administrator and tried to edit capabilities with it, but
   could not.
 * Any ideas on what i can try next?

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

 *  [Txanny](https://wordpress.org/support/users/txanny/)
 * (@txanny)
 * [16 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-capability-manager-cannot-modify-administrator-capabilities/#post-1365453)
 * Administrators always have access to administer all capabilities. And cannot 
   see why you can access subscriber role and no other roles.
 * I’ve been trying and cannot reproduce this on any site. I would do this:
 * 1. Go to the plugin backup tool and backup your current roles and capabilities.
   
   2. Reset them to WordPress defaults. (Don’t restore yours, set roles and capabilities
   to WordPress defaults).
 * Let see if this works. If not, have you any other plugin related to roles and/
   or capabilities?
 *  Thread Starter [spencersokol](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spencersokol/)
 * (@spencersokol)
 * [16 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-capability-manager-cannot-modify-administrator-capabilities/#post-1365489)
 * I tried this again, without success. I don’t have any other plugins related to
   capabilities or roles.
 * My wp_capabilities meta key is a:1:{s:13:”administrator”;b:1;}. I’m guessing 
   it should be something more than that.
 *  [Txanny](https://wordpress.org/support/users/txanny/)
 * (@txanny)
 * [16 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-capability-manager-cannot-modify-administrator-capabilities/#post-1365534)
 * Have you reset from WP defaults with the backup tool ? I don’t mean restoring
   them, I mean reseting to WP defaults.
 * Yes, you should have more than that on the wp_capabilities meta key. For this
   I say to reset to defaults instead restoring them.
 * Reset calls the default WP function which sets the roles and capabilities at 
   install time. Restore just brings a backup copy that can be wrong.
 *  Thread Starter [spencersokol](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spencersokol/)
 * (@spencersokol)
 * [16 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-capability-manager-cannot-modify-administrator-capabilities/#post-1365569)
 * Yes, I did a reset to WordPress defaults from the plugin’ settings area. I’ve
   tried doing a reset and then editing admin capabilities. I also tried doing a
   reset, deactivating Capabilitiy Manager and then reactivating it, hoping it would
   reset the proper capabilities to be able to edit admin capabilities, but it did
   not.
 * Is there some other way to reset to WordPress defaults?
 *  Thread Starter [spencersokol](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spencersokol/)
 * (@spencersokol)
 * [16 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-capability-manager-cannot-modify-administrator-capabilities/#post-1365651)
 * Is there some way I can reset the admin capabilities manually to be able to add/
   modify capabilities? I’ve got no problem with SQL.
 *  Thread Starter [spencersokol](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spencersokol/)
 * (@spencersokol)
 * [16 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-capability-manager-cannot-modify-administrator-capabilities/#post-1365700)
 * I have upgraded to the latest version of this plugin, but I’m unfortunately still
   having the same problem. I can view the capabilities of a subscriber, but I cannot
   change them. I cannot view the capabilities of an administrator.
 * The capabilities for the administrator include “s:19:”manage_capabilities”;b:
   1;”, so it appears that an administrator should have that ability. I double-checked,
   and the users I’m attempting to make changes with have a user level of 10 with
   the capabilities of a:1:{s:13:”administrator”;b:1;}.
 * Is there anything else I can check?
 *  Thread Starter [spencersokol](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spencersokol/)
 * (@spencersokol)
 * [16 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-capability-manager-cannot-modify-administrator-capabilities/#post-1365702)
 * OK, I figured it out. Other plugins seemed to be having the same issues, but 
   they were all on secondary settings pages that were rarely touched. The issue
   turned out to be that my theme was using an old method of creating settings pages(
   pre 2.7 stuff, I think). Once I altered it, it took care of itself.

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

The topic ‘[Plugin: Capability Manager] Cannot Modify Administrator Capabilities’
is closed to new replies.

 * 7 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [spencersokol](https://wordpress.org/support/users/spencersokol/)
 * Last activity: [16 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/plugin-capability-manager-cannot-modify-administrator-capabilities/#post-1365702)
 * Status: resolved

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