Unable to create directory /wp-content/uploads/2009/09. Is its parent directory writable by the server?

September 24th, 2009

Today I moved one of my site to a new server and when I tried uploading an image I got this error :

Unable to create directory /wp-content/uploads/2009/09. Is its parent directory writable by the server?

The parent directory is 2009 and uploads is ‘super’ parent directory (if I can call it that way). Both the directories had 777 permission so there was nothing wrong with the permission settings.

The problem was not with the directory permissions, but it was with URL where WordPress was trying to upload the image.

On my previous server, I had the blog in a folder named ‘tech’ and in the new server I had renamed it as ‘technology’.

Since I had moved the complete blog to the new server, the upload path was pointing to :

/home/tech/public_html/wp-content/uploads/2009/09

instead of pointing to

/home/technology/public_html/wp-content/uploads/2009/09

Do you notice the source of the problem ?

How can you fix it ?

Simple,
Login to your Blog as admin, go to Miscellaneous under Settings.

You’ll find the option “Store uploads in this folder” Set it to default which is “wp-content/uploads“, unless u specifically want the content in some other folder.

This should solve your problem !

There is a more complicated way of changing the file upload path of your wordpress blog, this is recommended only for those who know how to handle wp-config file !

For this you’ll have to modify wp-config.php file. Add below mentioned code before

require_once(ABSPATH.’wp-settings.php’); code in your wp-config file

define(‘UPLOADS’, ‘wp-content/new_folder’);

Once you save this new configuration all your uploaded files will go to the ‘new_folder’ under wp-content directory.

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  1. February 3rd, 2011 at 04:17 | #1

    This solution worked. Thanks

  2. city
    February 7th, 2011 at 10:11 | #2

    Hi, where can i find the wp-config.php? i face this Is “its parent directory writable by the server?”
    i’ve tried the 1st method but it does not work ><

  3. kermit the frog
    April 12th, 2011 at 21:57 | #3

    Thanks, it worked for me!!! I had that error when trying to load the /wp-admin page, so the only fix that worked was “the more complicated way”.
    Keep up the good work

  4. May 27th, 2011 at 13:54 | #4

    Thanks for the tips. I moved my blog from one server to another and your tip fixed the problem. But the fix is located in settings > Media. not “Miscellaneous” in WP 3.1

  5. June 3rd, 2011 at 11:21 | #5

    This helped. Thank you.

  6. Dean
    August 14th, 2011 at 09:32 | #6

    Merv :
    Thanks for the tips. I moved my blog from one server to another and your tip fixed the problem. But the fix is located in settings > Media. not “Miscellaneous” in WP 3.1

    Thanks for the new location

  7. October 27th, 2011 at 04:24 | #7

    The fix worked. and a HUGE THANK YOU to Merv – I was lost and then read your comment. Fixed quickly when located. Thanks .

  8. Mike
    November 7th, 2011 at 10:39 | #8

    Thanks heaps – this solution worked for me. Appreciate you sharing this.

  9. December 19th, 2011 at 23:25 | #9

    hi, just came to say thank you. I found your link in wordpress forum

  10. December 29th, 2011 at 18:17 | #10

    Wuhuu! Thanks a lot. I too found your link in the WP-forum :)

  11. fidu
    February 1st, 2012 at 19:27 | #11

    thanks it worked for me,

    eep up the good work

  12. March 16th, 2012 at 07:17 | #12

    thank you master
    hehe .. finally I was able to upload photos

  13. Tom Coady
    April 5th, 2012 at 21:52 | #13

    define(‘UPLOADS’, ‘wp-content/new_folder’);
    did NOT work for me. Perhaps you can change this to

    define (‘UPLOADS’, ‘wp-content/new_folder’);
    (the difference is the single quote is an apostraphe!

  14. April 6th, 2012 at 09:47 | #14

    @Tom – Thanks. Guess the default wordpress editor changed it to a quote.

  15. Tom Coady
    April 7th, 2012 at 14:29 | #15

    oh yes, that’s ironic – at least it didn’t strip the space after define which I think is still useful.
    I wonder if this will work?:
    define ('UPLOADS', 'wp-content/new_folder');

  16. April 8th, 2012 at 02:57 | #16

    thxx it’s solved

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