Fortress Post-Install Failures
Content Plan
This document should cover troubleshooting Fortress installation failures.
TL;DR
- If Fortress install fails at the post-install login check, delete the fortress folder via SFTP and retry
- Common causes: PHP conflicts, permission issues, incompatible plugins
Planned Content
Quick Fix
If Fortress installation fails at the post-install login check:
- Connect to the server via SFTP
- Navigate to
/wp-content/mu-plugins/ - Delete the
fortressfolder - Retry the Fortress installation from GridPane
Understanding Post-Install Failures
What Happens During Installation
- Fortress creates mu-plugin files
- Session management is initialized
- Authentication hooks are registered
- Post-install verification attempts login check
Why Installation Fails
| Cause | Symptoms | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| PHP version incompatibility | Fatal errors in error log | Verify PHP 7.4+ |
| Permission issues | Cannot write to mu-plugins | Fix directory permissions |
| Conflicting security plugins | Login redirect loops | Deactivate other security plugins first |
| Object cache conflicts | Session storage errors | Temporarily disable Redis/object cache |
| Corrupted partial install | Mixed error messages | Clean delete and reinstall |
Pre-Installation Checklist
- Verify PHP version is 7.4 or higher
- Deactivate conflicting security plugins (Wordfence, Sucuri, iThemes Security)
- Ensure mu-plugins directory is writable
- Take a backup before installation
- Note any existing 2FA plugins to disable
Step-by-Step Reinstallation
-
Backup the site (if not already done)
-
Remove failed installation files
Via SFTP, delete:
/wp-content/mu-plugins/fortress/
/wp-content/mu-plugins/fortress-loader.php (if exists) -
Clear any cached configurations
- Flush object cache if using Redis
- Clear any server-level cache
-
Check error logs
/var/log/nginx/{site}-error.log
/var/www/{site}/logs/error.log -
Retry installation via GridPane
- Navigate to site settings
- Enable Fortress
- Monitor for successful login verification
Post-Failure Diagnostics
- Check PHP error logs for specific failure reason
- Verify WordPress can still load after removing Fortress files
- Test login functionality before retrying install
- Document any error messages for support escalation
When to Escalate
- Multiple failed installation attempts
- Error messages indicating server-level issues
- Sites with complex mu-plugin configurations
- Multi-site/network installations