# Installation

> How to install DooFiles from the WordPress admin, by FTP or with WP-CLI, what happens when you activate it, and how updating, deactivating and deleting the plugin work.

Source: https://doothemes.com/docs/doofiles/installation

---

## Before you start

- Check that your server meets the [Requirements](https://doothemes.com/docs/doofiles/requirements).
- Download the latest DooFiles package from [Downloads](https://doothemes.com/account/downloads) in your Doothemes account. It is a ZIP file named after its version, such as `doofiles-1.0.4.zip`. Do not unzip it if you install it from the WordPress admin.
- Sign in to WordPress with an administrator account.

## Method 1: From the WordPress admin (recommended)

1. In your WordPress admin, go to **Plugins › Add New Plugin**.
2. Click **Upload Plugin** at the top of the page.
3. Click **Choose File**, select the ZIP file, such as `doofiles-1.0.4.zip`, and click **Install Now**.
4. When the installation finishes, click **Activate Plugin**.

[SCREENSHOT_HERE: Plugins › Add New Plugin › Upload Plugin, with the DooFiles ZIP file selected and the Install Now button]

If the upload fails with a message such as *The uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive*, increase `upload_max_filesize` and `post_max_size` in your PHP settings, or use the FTP method below.

## Method 2: By FTP or SFTP

1. Unzip the ZIP file on your computer. You get a folder named `doofiles`, whatever the version.
2. Connect to your server with an FTP or SFTP client.
3. Upload the `doofiles` folder to `wp-content/plugins/`.
4. In your WordPress admin, go to **Plugins › Installed Plugins**, find DooFiles and click **Activate**.

:::info
The folder must be named `doofiles`. With a different name, such as `doofiles-1.0.4`, WordPress cannot match it with its updates.
:::

## Method 3: With WP-CLI

If you manage your site from the command line, install and activate the plugin in one step:

```bash
wp plugin install /path/to/doofiles-1.0.4.zip --activate
```

If the files are already in `wp-content/plugins/doofiles`, only activate it:

```bash
wp plugin activate doofiles
```

## What happens when you activate it

- The **DooFiles** menu appears in your admin sidebar, with **File manager** and **Settings**.
- A folder appears in the WordPress toolbar, at the top of every admin page. It opens the file manager, and once your license is active and DooFiles has measured your folders, it shows the total size of your site. Until then, it reads *Files*.
- Administrators get access to DooFiles. On a multisite network, network administrators.
- Until you activate your license, the file manager shows a notice: *DooFiles needs a valid license. Without one you can only browse the folders*, with a link to **Activate your license**.

[SCREENSHOT_HERE: The WordPress admin right after activating DooFiles, with the DooFiles menu open in the sidebar and the folder in the toolbar]

## Updating

With an active license, DooFiles updates like any other plugin. When a new version is out, WordPress shows it in **Dashboard › Updates** and in the plugins list. Click **View details** to read what changed before you update.

To update by hand, download the latest package from [Downloads](https://doothemes.com/account/downloads) and upload it again with Method 1. WordPress detects that DooFiles is already installed and offers to replace the current version with the uploaded one.

Your settings, your activity log, the trash and the backups are kept when you update.

## Deactivating and deleting

- **Deactivating** the plugin stops its scheduled tasks. Your settings, your license, the activity log, the trash and the backups are kept, and everything comes back when you activate it again.
- **Deleting** the plugin from **Plugins › Installed Plugins** removes its files and all its data:
  - it releases your license on this site, so you can use it on another one;
  - it deletes the activity log, the settings, and the second factor and password confirmations of every administrator;
  - it deletes the DooFiles trash and the backups of your files.

:::info
**Deleting DooFiles permanently deletes its trash and its backups.** Before you delete the plugin, restore from the [Trash](https://doothemes.com/docs/doofiles/views/trash) anything you want to keep. To reinstall DooFiles without losing them, update it instead: upload the new package with Method 1.
:::

Your own files and folders are never deleted. [Private folders](https://doothemes.com/docs/doofiles/security/private-folders) stay closed to the web, and if you install DooFiles again, an administrator can claim them.

## Next step

Activate your license to unlock DooFiles and receive updates: continue with [License activation](https://doothemes.com/docs/doofiles/license-activation). Then take a tour of the screen in [First steps](https://doothemes.com/docs/doofiles/first-steps).

## Troubleshooting

| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| *The uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive* | Increase `upload_max_filesize` and `post_max_size` in your PHP settings, or install by FTP (Method 2) |
| Updates do not appear | Check that your license is active in **DooFiles › Settings**, and that the plugin folder is named `doofiles` |
| The DooFiles menu does not appear | Sign in with an administrator account. On a multisite network, use a network administrator |
| DooFiles only lets me browse the folders | Your license is not active yet. See [License activation](https://doothemes.com/docs/doofiles/license-activation) |

Need more help? [Open a support ticket](https://doothemes.com/account/tickets/new).