500 Error Installing W3 Total Cache

Hi Anthony-

Sorry to hear about the trouble installing W3 Total Cache Pro. A 500 error can be caused by a lot of different problems, so we’ll want to get a little more information to get you all fixed.

First, if this isn’t the first time you’ve had W3 Total Cache on this website, make sure you follow these steps to completely remove the old plugin data:

1. Check .htaccess file and remove W3TC configurations (make a backup of the file before deleting)
   W3TC will create many directives in .htaccess file to control the caching behavior. Each section will start and end with comments like “#BEGIN W3TC Page Cache core” and “#END W3TC Page Cache core”. Ensure that no residual entries are left over in your .htaccess file after deleting the plugin.
2. Delete the following files and folders from your /wp-content directory:
   1. cache folder
   2. w3tc-config folder
   3. object-cache.php (if it exists)
   4. advanced-cache.php (if it exists)
   5. upgrade folder
   6. w3-total-cache folder (if it exists)
3. Delete cached files from your CDN if you are using one
   Besides deleting all the relevant files, if you use CDN then ensure to purge the cached content from your CDN. This is necessary when you enable the minify option in W3TC settings. You should delete the minified and combined scripts and CSS files from your CDN server to avoid the site breaking on the browser.
4. Go to your WordPress dashboard and reinstall W3 Total Cache

If this is a brand new install, it’d be helpful to have the error messages from your Apache, NGINX, and PHP logs during the install process. Most web hosts have a way to check these errors from your hosting control panel, but if you have any questions your host can help you get these error messages.

If you’re still having trouble, since you have a Pro license, you can also contact our premium support using this form.