Fix Drecha plugin installation, activation, and compatibility problems

Identify the symptom before changing anything

Installation problems usually fall into one of these groups:

• WordPress refuses to install the ZIP or reports that no valid plugin was found.
• Free activates, but Pro reports that its required Free plugin is missing.
• Activation stops with a PHP or WordPress version warning.
• A page or administration screen fails only after another plugin, theme, cache, or security layer is enabled.
• An update appears complete, but the website still behaves like the previous version.

Take a backup before replacing plugin files. When the site is already failing, copy the exact error message and check Tools → Site Health → Info before deactivating anything.

Check the verified requirements

All current Drecha WordPress plugins require WordPress 6.2 or newer.

• Drecha Forms and Drecha Forms Pro require PHP 8.1 or newer.
• Drecha Events & Bookings and its Pro add-on require PHP 8.0 or newer.

If the server uses an older version, ask the host to upgrade PHP before activating the affected plugin. Test that change on staging first because other old plugins may not support the newer PHP version.

Install Free before Pro

Drecha Forms and Drecha Events are each delivered as a Free core plus a separate Pro add-on. Pro extends Free and does not replace it.

1. Open Plugins → Installed Plugins.
2. Confirm that Drecha Forms is installed and active before activating Drecha Forms Pro.
3. Confirm that Drecha Events & Bookings is installed and active before activating its Pro add-on.
4. If Free is missing, install its WordPress.org package or verified Free ZIP first.
5. Activate Free, then activate Pro.

Do not delete Free as a conflict test while Pro is installed. Free owns the shared forms, events, bookings, and database contracts. Disabling Pro should leave Free content usable, while disabling Free removes the runtime that Pro needs.

Fix ZIP installation errors

WordPress says the package could not be installed

Possible causes are an incomplete download, the wrong file, or a server upload limit.

1. Download a fresh package from its official source.
2. Do not unzip and recompress the plugin before uploading it.
3. Confirm that the file is a plugin ZIP, not a browser error page saved with a .zip name.
4. In WordPress, use Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin.
5. If WordPress reports that the upload is too large, ask the host to raise the PHP upload and request limits or install the extracted plugin directory through the host's file manager.

The installed folder names are drecha-forms for Forms Free, drecha-forms-pro for Forms Pro, drecha-events for Events Free, and drecha-events-pro for Events Pro. Renaming those directories can break dependency detection and update routing.

WordPress says the destination folder already exists

The previous plugin directory is still present. Return to Installed Plugins and update the existing plugin. For a manual replacement, use WordPress's replace-current-version flow when offered. Do not install a second renamed copy: two copies can register the same hooks and classes.

Recover from an activation failure

1. Record the visible error and server log timestamp.
2. Confirm the WordPress and PHP versions against the requirements above.
3. Confirm that the required Free core is active.
4. Upload a fresh copy of the same release if the error mentions a missing plugin file or class.
5. If the whole administration area is unavailable, use the hosting file manager to rename only the failing Pro plugin directory, then sign in again. Restore the original directory name after the underlying problem is corrected.

Renaming or deactivating Pro does not intentionally delete its stored configuration. Do not run uninstall or database-cleanup tools while recovering the site.

Isolate a plugin or theme conflict safely

There is no verified list of inherently incompatible plugins. A conflict is demonstrated only when the same action fails with one specific combination and succeeds without it.

1. Reproduce the problem on staging with the same theme, plugins, PHP version, and cache configuration.
2. Update WordPress and the involved plugins to their intended compatible releases.
3. Keep the relevant Drecha Free core active. Temporarily deactivate its Pro add-on to determine whether the symptom belongs to Free or Pro.
4. Deactivate other plugins one at a time, retesting the exact action after each change.
5. If no plugin is responsible, temporarily use a standard WordPress theme on staging.
6. Re-enable each component one at a time. Save the smallest combination that reproduces the failure.
7. Include the error, versions, URL type, and reproduction steps in a support request. Do not include passwords, private download links, or full license keys.

Security plugins may block public REST requests, and optimization plugins may delay or combine JavaScript that the booking or form interface needs. Diagnose the specific request before creating a broad allow rule.

Clear the right cache after an update

1. Purge the WordPress page cache.
2. Purge any host, reverse-proxy, or CDN cache.
3. Ask the host to reset PHP OPcache if old PHP code remains active after files were replaced.
4. Reload the affected page in a private browser window.
5. If only a public form or booking action fails, exclude that interactive page from long-lived full-page caching rather than disabling all caching site-wide.

Browser cache alone cannot explain a PHP activation failure. Conversely, replacing plugin files alone does not clear a cached HTML page containing an expired public form token.

Troubleshoot common outcomes

Pro still says Free is missing

Check the exact installed names and activate Free first. Remove any duplicate renamed copy. If WordPress still cannot recognize the dependency, upload fresh official packages without changing their top-level directory names.

The error began after changing PHP

Temporarily deactivate the component named in the error through the hosting panel, restore administration access, and test all active plugins on staging with the target PHP version. Do not downgrade below Drecha's stated minimum as a permanent fix.

The interface is unstyled or buttons do nothing

Purge combined/minified assets and inspect the browser Console and Network panels. A blocked or missing CSS/JavaScript file points to caching, optimization, Content Security Policy, or file-permission handling rather than plugin activation itself.

Free works after Pro is deactivated

Leave Free active. Verify the Pro package version, license state, and the first server error produced when Pro is activated. Stored premium settings should remain available for reactivation after the cause is fixed.