This is actually a fairly common WordPress problem (see http://codex.simple-press.com/codex/faq/troubleshooting/installation-error-pclzip_err_bad_format/). But we don’t usually hear about the notice afterwards so it would be worthwhile clearing out your wp-content/uploads folder of this particular zip file.

Not really sure what to say – it sometimes happens to folks with both WP and SP plugins. Both this and the WP support forums have many topics on the issue. To be honest my best advice is to use ftp instead and upload the necessary files manually. It is a fairly quick task.

OK, i’ll try oploading the files manually.

Next question: Do I have to unpack the zip-files before uploading? (sorry, i’m not an expert)

Thanks for replying!

Andre de Jong said
Next question: Do I have to unpack the zip-files before uploading? (sorry, i’m not an expert

Yes, you would need to unzip and then upload the whole folder and contents to your /sp-resources folder. How that is done depends on what you are using to upload the files. If using FTP and an FTP program you can usually drag the folder and all it’s contents to /sp-resources and it will create the folder and upload all the files to it.

I also recommend you check and delete any plugin zip files from your wp-content/uploads folder as Yellow Swordfish recommended.

well… assuming you are using defaults that would be the ‘sp-resources/forum-plugins’ folder of course…

Yellow Swordfish said
well… assuming you are using defaults that would be the ‘sp-resources/forum-plugins’ folder of course…

That’s right, so the /forum-plugins-foler is the right one I assume….

I’ll keep you posted!

André

That’s correct and that particular plugin will then reside in a folder within there called ‘user-selection’.

Back home…… I’ll give it a try, fingers crossed.

I’ll let you know…..

Still NOT working on any plugin

Brandon C said

I also recommend you check and delete any plugin zip files from your wp-content/uploads folder as Yellow Swordfish recommended.

In the wp-content/uploads folder are a lot of plugin-files, can they all be erased?

On the ‘uploads’ directory first. No – DO NOT delete those folders. they contain anything you may have uploaded to your website – like images, videos etc.

But when WordPress performs (or tries to perform) an update t uses those folders (uploads / year / month) to store the zip while it does so. Normally it will remove it again but sometimes it gets left behind. You should be able to recognise a plugin by it’s name… and by the fact that it will be a zip.

Now – back to the language/theme switcher SP plugin. What do you mean by ‘still not working on any plugin’ please? What is not working?

Thanks fot the reply!

I’ve tried installing some other plugins from the Simple:Press website by using the Simple:Press installer. None of the Zip-files could be installed in the program. Also the FTP-way doesn’t make any difference….

Every time the same message: The package could not be installed. PCLZIP_ERR_BAD_FORMAT (-10) : Unable to find End of Central Dir Record signature.

Since there’s enough free space on the server (2% in use) I assume there might be something wrong with the Simple:Press installation on the server.

I’m getting a little hopeless, what do you sugest?

If you unzip and ftp upload the plugin there is no zip file that it should be looking for. You should see the plugin you uploaded in the Forum Admin plugins section right after it has been ftp uploaded.

Are you not seeing that?

Nope, no plugins vissible in SP plugin section.

perhaps better explain what it is you have done exactly so far…?

Wanted a forum on my website, so I’ve installed Simple:Press ver. 5.2.6 in the WP plugins and activated it.

Made some (personal) changes in the program-layout on the admin-section of SP. So far so good.

Then, I decided to look for a Dutch language plugin on the SP downloads site. Downloaded the Language/theme thing and stored on my hard drive. I also have downloaded a .mo file from the (dutch) translations, just for the case.

The first time I tried to load the plugin (Zip file) in the WP plugins, this didn’t work. (See message in my first post)

After that, I tried to load the ZIP file in the forum admin section—> same result!

Then tried to install the files with FTP (Filezilla) in the directories specified in this forum.

I hope this information will help you in solving my problem.