Wordpress: Missing a temporary folder

3rdDegree

This is a very well documented problem and I have tried everything suggested just about everywhere on the web. But I still don't want to give up!

This error comes when you try to upload media file such as image, video by WordPress browser uploader or flash uploader. WordPress shows this error when temporary upload folder not configured in php.ini file. It is possible upload temp folder is configured but path entered does not exist in the file system. To fix the issue you just need to check and correct temporary path in php.ini file. If path is in-correct you need to correct folder path or if no folder path given then you need to set temporary path.

You can easily fix this by editing php.ini file. Most of the shared hosting provider now support custom php.ini per account. It means you can have you own php.ini and optimize php setting according to your need.

Above is one of the many explanations and fixes for the issue. The problem is that I, like many others, am on a shared server plan and my provider does not allow me to change the php.ini file as it could affect other users. This is fair enough. When I look at the php.ini settings, I see that no temp folder is defined. I tried creating a local copy of the php.ini file with a temp folder defined (and nothing else) as described in a few places, but that just caused the website to crash completely.

I'm thinking that surely there is a solution to this as a lot of people must use shared server plans with Wordpress for their hosting?

Any ideas much appreciated.

Many thanks

BTW: I didn't mention my hosting provider as I think I read somewhere that is not allowed (is that true). Does anyone have this working with a shared hosting plan?

skelliser

just create the folder, chmod it 777, upload something and that should work.
then go back and un-777 the folder.

its not ideal but it works for me!

3rdDegree

skelliser wrote: »

just create the folder, chmod it 777, upload something and that should work.
then go back and un-777 the folder.

its not ideal but it works for me!

Sorry, I don't follow. Create which folder? At the moment the php.ini file has no temp folder defined, so I don't think there is any point creating any folder. But I did try creating folders because I was desperate. No joy, I'm afraid.

Thanks

ressem

You're using wordpress as installed by the ISPs application installer? As opposed to a uncompressed manual install?

If you look in the mysql database for wordpress, in the 'wp_options' table there is a row
upload_path which by default is set to wp-content/uploads

Is your user set as the owner of the directory "wp-content/uploads" within your webspace? Or does this directory exist in someplace outside your webspace, to which you can't write?

skelliser

3rdDegree wrote: »

Sorry, I don't follow. Create which folder? At the moment the php.ini file has no temp folder defined, so I don't think there is any point creating any folder. But I did try creating folders because I was desperate. No joy, I'm afraid.

Thanks

create the folder "uploads" or whatever your calling it like the previous poster said. In a standard install its called uploads and its in the wp-contents folder.
chmod this folder 777.

then go back and try and upload a photo via the browser. It should work.

then go back and un 777 the upload folder.

everytime iv had this issue the above method has worked. no need to go messing with the .ini file.

3rdDegree

Thanks for the response, but that doesn't work. I know the folder you mean though. It;s called UPLOADS as you say and Wordpress should upload into a folder as follows:
..\uploads\<year>\<mnth>

so

..\uploads\2011\04

I've tried everything in there and no joy. All have correct permissions.

Thanks anyway.