If you are running one of those three plugins and you want to update your plugin to the following versions:
- Update Widgetize pages light to 1.5 version
- Update Sidebar Manager light to 1.3 version
- Update Widget Manager light to 1.3 version
The examples bellow are for updating Widgetize pages light to 1.5 version. For the other two plugins the process is absolutely the same.
Updating to Widgetize pages light 1.5 version
Let’s say you have Widgetize pages light 1.4 (or anything bellow). Here is what you need to do:
- Most important! – deactivate version 1.4 (or anything bellow) that you are currently running. Go to Plugins -> find Widget Manager light -> click Deactivate
- Then you can go ahead and update your plugin.
- Either hit the update new button under the plugin name
- Or upload the new files manually via FTP
- Activate your plugin
All my sidebars disappeared after installing the new version. What to do?
This means that you haven’t deactivated the plugin before installing the new Widgetize pages light 1.5 version. There are two options to fix this:
- Option 1
- deactivate and delete the plugin
- go to Developers tab on the plugins page – here
- download version 1.4 (not the latest, but the one before that)
- install that version
- follow the process above – do not forget to deactivate before updating to 1.5
- Option 2
- via FTP go to your installations folder.
- Open wp-includes/widgets.php in a text editor and replace the following strings:
- replace ‘function otwrem_is_active_sidebar’ with ’function is_active_sidebar’
- replace ‘function otwrem_dynamic_sidebar’ with ‘function dynamic_sidebar’
- Go to Plugins in WP admin and activate your plugin
Why do I need to deactivate first?
Widgetize pages light 1.5 on installation the plugin used to replace the names for two of the original WP functions so that we can have our own two. This was needed because of the sidebars and widgets replacement functionality.
We now have a better way of doing that so no function names replacement is required. The deactivation of the plugin before updating to version 1.5 will restore the original names for those two functions. That’s why you do not have to skip it.
Everything should be now working even better than before 
Help!, guys I screwed my website by not clicking on the automatic update button …. when I read the installation instructions was to late, to make it worst I don’t have a recent backup of the site, it killed all my sidebars, and is generating a fatall error
u”ndefined function is_active_sidebar() ”
I know is my fault guys but is there any way to un-screw this mess??, even disabling the plugin I can not access my sidebars on the widgets area they dissapear :’(
option 2 did not worked for me, option one make the trick, thx a lot great plugin & support thumbs up
Try this section “All my sidebars disappeared after installing the new version. What to do?”"in this same article above.
Option 1 is done in the admin panel only. Option 2 is done by using FTP and editing a file.
Let me know if you still can manage to work it out.
Tried to update, not working ….. followed directions step by step – twice. Also update WP and Genesis. Not sure what to do, I have about 300 posts with the widgets
Hi Mike,
Can you please send access to your installation via the contact form here: http://otwthemes.com/new-project/
We’ll see what we can do for you
WP admin or to the my cpanel?
WP admin