Hostgator’s WP Hosting Reinstall Guide

So you want to install WordPress again on your computer or server. Good for you! But it’s not that easy. I’m going to walk you through the process of removing WordPress and all its themes and plugins and then reinstalling them (ahem, the 30-minute process that takes 2-3 hours). This should help get you up and running quickly if you’re in a pinch.

Why You Might Want To Delete WordPress

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Sometimes, things happen that leave you no choice but to delete WordPress. For example, you could lose your WordPress login details or the software’s developer discontinues support. You’ll have to find a new host (we have a list of the best WordPress hosting plans here) or install WordPress yourself from scratch.

But beyond the bad news, there are several reasons why you might want to delete WordPress from your computer or server. The good news is that it’s typically a simple process.

1. It’s Just Too Much Work

I know, I know. You have a huge audience that you need to keep happy. You have products you need to promote. You have social media accounts you need to run. You have websites you need to maintain. You have a job you need to do every day. Plus, you have all the tech-savvy people in your life who want you to solve all their problems (this might be you). It’s enough to make you want to pull your hair out.

On the plus side, this is some pretty serious work. You’re going to be building websites, uploading images, setting up blogs, creating social media accounts, tweeting, and maybe even testing out a few tools here and there to make your life easier. And don’t kid yourself. Even when you’re not building a website, you’re still technically working on one. The key difference is that you’re not interested in marketing products to others. You’re interested in solving other people’s problems or entertaining them with your stories.

There’s a lot to consider when deciding whether or not to delete WordPress. Is it the right tool for the job? Can you do it yourself? Can you find a new tool that can take the place of WordPress (look into Squarespace for example)? Or are you best sticking with what you know?

2. It’s Outdated

WordPress is a living, breathing organism. The creators are constantly adding new features, making amendments, and upgrading the software. While this might be great for your individual needs, it can cause major headaches when you’re trying to run a big business or blog. Especially if you’re using the wrong tool for the job.

For example, if you’re using WordPress for your ecommerce store, you’re going to be frustrated when the software’s creators decide to discontinue supporting the older versions. When this happens, your store will become useless since you can’t update the software (if you do, and somehow it still works, it’s just a matter of time before it stops responding).

Other times, you might want to delete WordPress because it doesn’t align with what you’re looking for in terms of design or functionality. Maybe you’ve seen another blog using WordPress and think it’s pretty dull or lacking in creativity. These are all valid reasons to delete WordPress. Remember, though, that you’ll have to find a new host after you do (or else you’ll just end up with another headache.).

3. Technical Hiccups

This one’s a doozy. Sometimes, when you’re trying to install WordPress, technical errors will arise. Maybe you’ll get a warning that the permissions are wrong or another pop-up that needs your attention before you can continue. You’ll have to hunt these down and fix them manually (or else the installation will not go smoothly).

These technical errors are very frustrating. Especially since you might not be the most tech-savvy person in the world (like me). You’ll have to search online for the solution, find it, and then try to implement it. And sometimes, it just won’t work. In these cases, you’ll have to backtrack and uninstall the software, install it again, and try a different approach.

4. Too Many Plugins

WordPress comes with a massive library of plugins. These are little tools that can expand the functionality of the software or add additional features. For example, if you’re a business owner and you’re blogging about marketing strategies or running an ecommerce store, you might want to look into the Shopify Connect plugin. It’s free and gives you access to all the features of Shopify (the ecommerce software).

Plugins are wonderful. They allow you to do almost anything you can think of with WordPress. The issue is that sometimes a lot of plugins can cause problems. Sometimes, the conflicts arise and cause headaches. Sometimes, the sheer volume of plugins you have installed makes the software unusable (like what happens when one plugin breaks another).

If you’re installing WordPress for the first time on a new server, you might want to consider only installing the plugins you need for the task at hand. This will help keep your server up and running smoothly and save you from any headaches that could arise from too many plugins (which is a common issue when installing WordPress for the first time).

5. Too Much Bloat

Have you ever downloaded an apps or software package only to find it was actually a virus or malware (not a game this time)? This is the kind of experience you have when you have too much bloat. You download a program or app to enhance your computer’s performance only to find out it’s taking up a ton of space on your hard drive and slows down your machine. This is mostly due to the fact that the developers added a lot of unnecessary junk within the app to make it work.

This is why it’s best to keep your online world as lean as possible. You don’t need 20 different apps to keep your social media accounts active. You don’t need a gaming app to play games on your phone. You don’t need a travel app to find the nearest airport or hotel. You don’t need a PDF reader to read a digital copy of a book. You don’t need a voice recorder to make memos or take notes. You don’t need a web browser to look at webpages. You definitely don’t need a word processor to write letters or a spreadsheet application to do your taxes.

Keep your apps to those you need and those that are actually useful. This is especially important if you’re using desktop apps since they tend to be a little larger in size than mobile apps. Having a lot of bloat on your computer or server can seriously slow down your device (or all of your devices). Keep your system clean and virus-free. When you do find a virus or malware, you’ll have to remove it manually (like I said, technical errors that arise during installation). This is a lot of work and requires you to be tech-savvy.

6. Not Enough Storage

This one’s a doozy as well. Sometimes, you might find that your hard drive doesn’t have enough storage to accommodate all the files you need for the task at hand. Especially if you have a lot of images or videos you need to work with. This can seriously slow down your installation process (and then you have to deal with the downtime).

What’s interesting is that you don’t necessarily need a lot of storage. You just need to know how to properly use the space you have. For example, most photo sharing websites like Flickr limit you to a certain amount of storage for free (but you can upgrade for more). This means that you don’t need a massive drive to store all your images (although having more than 4GB of free space is highly recommended). Or for videos, you can use services like YouTube to store your creations and then use video software (like Vidyard) to find the best videos from all over the world and organize them in a way that makes sense to you.

So there you have it. Six reasons why you might want to delete WordPress from your computer or server. Hopefully, this article will help you make the right decision. And if you’re still deciding whether or not to delete WordPress, you should probably just go for it. It might become obsolete, but you’ll never know if you don’t try. And when that happens, you’ll have to deal with the consequences (which tend to be very frustrating).