Error: Unable to delete the _site_transient_update_plugins option value from your database

[Chris Moon]

Ed,

There’s no option to update BPS Pro in the plugins folder and a manual upgrade check gives me the following error:
Error: Unable to delete the _site_transient_update_plugins option value from your database.

I know I can re-install but how do I fix this so I can update from my plugins folder?
regards,
Chris Moon

[AITpro Admin]

Try something simple first instead of using the BPS Pro Manual Upgrade Check link / Plugin Update Check Pro-Tool.  Go to the WordPress Plugins page and refresh your Browser several times to see if the BPS Pro update / upgrade becomes available.  If you do not see a BPS Pro update/upgrade then you can download the BPS Pro zip file from the ait-pro.com Secure Download Area and install the zip file using the BPS Pro Upload Zip installer on the:  Setup Menu >>> Upload Zip Install page.

The _site_transient_update_plugins database option is a standard default WordPress database option so unless something (another plugin, etc) has deleted that option then it should be in your WordPress database.  Use the BPS Pro Pro-Tools DB String Finder tool and do a search for:  _site_transient_update_plugins.  Let me know the results.

Related Topics:
http://forum.ait-pro.com/forums/topic/8-2-not-updating-even-using-protools/

[Chris Moon]

Thanks Ed, uploading and installing the zip did the job. Did a search for the string: _site_transient_update_plugins but got a message that the database option does not exist, how would I re-install it?

[AITpro Admin]

I corrected your text above and then realized that you must have used the String Finder Pro-Tool and not the DB String Finder Pro-Tool.  In any case, you do not need to check this.  When you see this error:  Error: Unable to delete the _site_transient_update_plugins option value from your database it already means that this database option does not exist in your WordPress database.  I am not sure why that option would not be in your database since it is a standard / default WordPress database option.  I assume you can manually add this database option in your database and will post the steps to do that in a minute, but it may get deleted again if one of the plugins you have installed is deleting this db option by mistake.

[AITpro Admin]

On a testing site when I delete the _site_transient_update_plugins database option then it is automatically recreated by WordPress.  So what you would need to look at is:  Are you doing anything in your wp-config.php file or have added anything in your wp-config.php file like using WordPress constants that block checking for plugin updates?  If the _site_transient_update_plugins database option is not automatically being recreated in your WordPress database then something is preventing it from being automatically recreated.  A plugin that you have installed could also be doing something like that.

[AITpro Admin]

I see from one of your previous topic posts that you have MainWP installed.  Is it possible that MainWP has something to do with this?  Maybe check with them since MainWP does handle checking for plugin updates and remote plugin installations.

[Chris Moon]

Thanks for the advice Ed

I don’t think it’s an issue with MainWP, I’m running 13 sites with BPS Pro and MainWP and only seeing this problem on two of them. I’ll do some testing and post the results here in case anyone else experiences this problem.

[AITpro Admin]

I was not saying the MainWP is causing the problem and was only pointing out something that has the possibility of being involved in the equation.  It should be considered and eliminated as a cause since it does do things related to checking for plugin updates.  You should actually deactivate all of your plugins except for BPS Pro and then use the BPS Pro Manual Upgrade Check link / Plugin Update Check Pro-Tool and see what happens to find out if the issue/problem is being caused by another plugin that you have installed on this site.

Another possibility could be that if you are caching your wp-admin area then it is possible that that is causing this issue/problem.  The wp-admin area should never be cached for any reason.  So you want to ensure that wp-admin caching is not being done on this site.

[rafaelmagic]

@AITpro Admin
I am also using MainWP and all my WP sites.
And on some of them, I am getting, “Error: Unable to delete the _site_transient_update_plugins option value from your database”.
Here is a breakdown on what MainWP Tech told me about how it works:
https://mainwp.com/forum/showthread.php?10257-Varnish-Cache-htacess-security-and-Cron-Jobs
My theory is that one of their maintenance extensions:
http://extensions.mainwp.com/product/mainwp-maintenance-extension/
While optimizing sql might have deleted something.

@Chris Moon
Do you have the Maintenance Extension installed?
I also have Varnish & APC Cache, but may not be related….

[AITpro Admin]

@ rafaelmagic – Use the BPS Pro Pro-Tools String Finder tool (not the DB String Finder tool) and search your /plugins/ folder for this string:  site_transient_update_plugins.  Post the String Finder search results.

[rafaelmagic]

Search string found 12 times.

/home/rafael/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wordpress-seo/admin/license-manager/class-plugin-update-manager.php, line 34
add_filter( 'pre_set_site_transient_update_plugins', array( $this, 'set_updates_available_data' ) );
/home/rafael/public_html/wp-content/plugins/bulletproof-security/bulletproof-security.php, line 134
add_filter('pre_set_site_transient_update_plugins', 'bps_upgrade_check_for_plugin_update');
/home/rafael/public_html/wp-content/plugins/bulletproof-security/admin/tools/tools.php, line 3227
$text = '<h3>'.__('Clicking the Force Plugin Update Check button will delete the _site_transient_update_plugins option value from your database so that WordPress will do another Plugin update check. The AITpro API Server will also do an update check for a newer version of BPS Pro. After clicking the Force Plugin Update Check button, click the Click Here link in the displayed message to go to the WordPress Plugins page and Refresh your Browser.', 'bulletproof-security').'</h3>';
/home/rafael/public_html/wp-content/plugins/bulletproof-security/admin/tools/tools.php, line 3236
if ( $plugin_update_recheck = $wpdb->query( $wpdb->prepare( "UPDATE $wp_options SET option_value = %s WHERE option_name = '_site_transient_update_plugins'", $blank_value ) ) ) {
/home/rafael/public_html/wp-content/plugins/bulletproof-security/admin/tools/tools.php, line 3246
$text = '<font color="red">'.__('Error: Unable to delete the _site_transient_update_plugins option value from your database.', 'bulletproof-security').'</font>';
/home/rafael/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mainwp-child/class/MainWPChild.class.php, line 919
if ($this->filterFunction != null) add_filter( 'pre_site_transient_update_plugins', $this->filterFunction , 99);
/home/rafael/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mainwp-child/class/MainWPChild.class.php, line 992
if ($this->filterFunction != null) remove_filter( 'pre_site_transient_update_plugins', $this->filterFunction , 99);
/home/rafael/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mainwp-child/class/MainWPChild.class.php, line 2041
if ($this->filterFunction != null) add_filter( 'pre_site_transient_update_plugins', $this->filterFunction , 99);
/home/rafael/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mainwp-child/class/MainWPChild.class.php, line 2056
if ($this->filterFunction != null) remove_filter( 'pre_site_transient_update_plugins', $this->filterFunction , 99);
/home/rafael/public_html/wp-content/plugins/better-wp-security/modules/free/tweaks/class-itsec-tweaks.php, line 234
add_filter( 'pre_site_transient_update_plugins', array( $this, 'empty_return_function' ) );
/home/rafael/public_html/wp-content/plugins/backupbuddy/lib/updater/init.php, line 40
add_filter( 'site_transient_update_plugins', 'ithemes_updater_filter_update_plugins' );
/home/rafael/public_html/wp-content/plugins/gridvideoplayer/gvpscriprts.php, line 482
add_filter('pre_set_site_transient_update_plugins', 'mplayer_check_for_plugin_update', -1000);

[AITpro Admin]

Ok so you have 5 possible plugins that could be causing the problem.  BPS Pro is not included of course since it does not cause this problem.

I doubt either of these 2 plugins are causing the problem.
wordpress-seo
gridvideoplayer

Most likely 1 of these 3 plugins is causing the problem.
mainwp-child
backupbuddy
better-wp-security

Deactivate all 3 of these plugins and refresh the Plugins page several times (3 or more times)

[AITpro Admin]

That is a strange priority setting (-1000??? huh???) for the Grid Video Player, but I do not think that plugin is causing the problem.

http://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/add_filter

/home/rafael/public_html/wp-content/plugins/gridvideoplayer/gvpscriprts.php, line 482
add_filter('pre_set_site_transient_update_plugins', 'mplayer_check_for_plugin_update', -1000);

[AITpro Admin]

I downloaded MainWP Child and looked at the code.  If I am understanding this code correctly the code says:  if the filterFunction variable does not equal null then set pre_site_transient_update_plugins to null.  And the other condition says:  if the filterFunction variable does not equal null then remove the filter on pre_site_transient_update_plugins.  In other words, make sure that pre_site_transient_update_plugins always equals null so that plugin updates will never be displayed.

private $filterFunction = null;

if ($this->filterFunction != null) add_filter( 'pre_site_transient_update_plugins', $this->filterFunction , 99);

if ($this->filterFunction != null) remove_filter( 'pre_site_transient_update_plugins', $this->filterFunction , 99);

[rafaelmagic]

@Admin

“In other words, make sure that pre_site_transient_update_plugins always equals null so that plugin updates will never be displayed”
You out geeked me with that comment. I also fixed some of the errors. I had Ithemes (Better WP Security) deactivated but had to completely delete it. Also deleted Member player a 3rd party video player. The error went away on 6 sites, Only have 1 site that is picky. On the picky site I installed a random plugin from WP repo and the BPS Pro update appeared. Though I still get the transient_update error on Manual upgrade check. Is their a PhpMyAdmin command to clear the transient update plugin??

TUTORIAL:
If you get a “Error: Unable to delete the _site_transient_update_plugins option value from your database”
while running “Manual Plugin Upgrade” from WP Plugins Page or “Force A Plugin Update Check” from Pro Tools.
It might mean that a 3rd party plugin or a WP repo plugin is blocking that function. To fix the issue read below.
Use BPS Pro Pro-Tools – “String Finder” tool (not the DB String Finder tool).
search string:  site_transient_update_plugins
Search path:   YOURPATH\public_html\wp-content\plugins\
*deactivating plugins may not be enough so you have to delete them. Also try to install another plugin to see if BPS Pro update appears.
Delete plugins one by one. After delete, run “Manual Plugin Upgrade” from WP Plugins Page or “Force A Plugin Update Check” from Pro Tools.
If it works, go to Plugins Page and refresh browser and look out for the “Upgrade” link.
You might have to refresh browser more than once till the Upgrade appears.

[Author]

Posts