How to Uninstall and Re-Install WordPress:Step-by-Step Tutorial for Beginners

Updated on December 15, 2017 By Samia Rai On WordPress Plugins, WordPress Tips and Tricks, WordPress Tutorials

When all troubleshooting tips fail, the one solution that you can try out with WordPress is basically uninstalling and re-installing WordPress! Although it is not required time and again, sometimes, you might come across a situation when you have to. Another reason that you might want to reinstall your WordPress is when you feel that your WordPress has been hacked.

Although the last resort to opt for, this process is a fairly easy one. For all the WordPress beginners and novice, here is an easy-to-follow tutorial on how to Uninstall and Reinstall WordPress. Here we will show you a sure-fire way to uninstall and reinstall your WordPress without losing any of your data or even your SEO.

Step 1: Create a Complete Backup

Before we get into uninstalling WordPress, be sure to keep a complete backup of your current WordPress. This is an absolute important process, especially you can go back to it anytime if you have a backup. It is also important in case of emergencies if anything goes wrong when you uninstall WordPress. So how do you create a back-up to your existing WordPress site? Simply follow the steps below!

Here we have used the help of the WordPress Backup Plugin-UpdraftPlus for this purpose. You can easily install it on the WordPress official site. Or simply install it using the link below! If you have any confusions regarding the process of installing and activating the WordPress plugin then, why not check out our other article related to the topic?

Download UpdraftPlus

After installing and activating the plugin, you can go to the access the new plugin through your DashBoard. Go to Settings and then select UpdraftPlus Backups.

You will be redirected to a new page where you will see the option to create a new backup! There is also an option to clone/migrate or even restore your backups! Go ahead and select Backup Now.

A new pop-up box will appear, go ahead and click on Backup Now again. And that is it, the process of backing up your WordPress will start shortly.

Step 2: Export your WordPress Content

The first step to uninstalling your WordPress is to export the WordPress Content. For this, simply follow the step-by-step guide along the process.

First, go to your Dashboard and then select Tools and then click Export. This will redirect you to the Export Page.

Select the option to Select All Content and then click on Download Export File. This will save all your WordPress themes, plugins, images as well a uploads on the WordPress folder on your computer.

Step 3: Download WP-Content Folder

After you have successfully exported your contents, go ahead and download the wp-content folder. You need to do this as you may later need to use it while reinstalling the WordPress.

Simply connect to your FTP client or File Manager in cPanel. You can then go ahead and select and download the folder to your computer. This is it, now that you have your wp-content folder downloaded and saved, you can now, uninstall your WordPress site.

Step 4: Uninstall WordPress

For this, first, connect to your WordPress site using the FTP client or File Manager in cPanel again. There you will have the access to all your WordPress files.

For this, simply log in with your cPanel account and then click on the option for MySQL database icon.

Scroll down to see the Current databases and you will see your WordPress database. You will see the option to Delete. Click on the option and your WordPress will now be uninstalled!

Step 5: Re-install WordPress

Now that you have successfully uninstalled your WordPress, let’s start with how to re-install your WordPress. All you need to do is simply follow the steps while you first installed your WordPress. If you have any confusions regarding this topic, check out our earlier article that deals with the topic thoroughly. But be sure to use the new user information that you have just created while installing it!

How to Install WordPress: Step-By-Step Beginner’s Guide

If you have any complications while reinstalling or uninstalling your WordPress site, you can always switch back to your existing WordPress using the backups you made earlier!

Wrapping It Up!

So with these steps, we hope you now can easily uninstall and reinstall WordPress Site! We hope that with our article we have solved your dilemmas regarding this topic. If you want to know more about other WordPress related topics, be sure to check out our other articles as well. Also, let us know down in the comment section below, what did you think of our article as we are always open to feedback.