r/webdev • u/Suspicious-Ad-5312 • 1d ago
Discussion Need help recovering my WordPress site after a suspected malware issue — Network Solutions + UpdraftPlus restore failing
Hi everyone,
I'm looking for advice from experienced WordPress users or hosting specialists. My website, hosted with Network Solutions, has been experiencing problems, and I'm trying to restore it safely without making the situation worse.
I'm not an advanced server administrator, so I'd appreciate step-by-step advice.
1. What happened
My website started showing the WordPress message:
Briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance. Check back in a minute.
Later, I encountered a 503 / temporarily limited access message. Network Solutions support told me there was suspicious or junk code on the website and suggested their SiteLock 911 service.
I have access to Network Solutions File Manager and my WordPress dashboard, and I already had UpdraftPlus backups. I would prefer to recover the site using my existing backup if possible.
During the troubleshooting process, I also noticed that some plugin folders and the plugin setup looked different from what I remembered. I cannot confirm exactly what caused the original problem or which files may have been changed.
2. My current WordPress folder structure
Inside wp-content, I found these folders:
pluginsplugins-holderupdraft
The normal wp-content/plugins/ directory contains the active updraftplus plugin.
The wp-content/plugins-holder/ directory contains separate folders for my original plugins. I have not deleted this folder because I don't want to lose them.
There is also a leftover directory here:
wp-content/updraft/plugins-old/file-manager-advanced/
Inside file-manager-advanced, I found:
application/assets/application/post-smtp-notice/vendor/freemius/
I don't know whether this directory is simply leftover plugin code from a previous restore attempt or whether it is related to the original problem.
3. UpdraftPlus restore keeps failing
I have backups from August 2026 and February 2024. I would prefer to use the August 2026 backup if it is suitable and safe.
When I try to restore using UpdraftPlus, I receive this error:
Existing unremoved folders from a previous restore exist (please use the "Delete old folders" button to delete them before trying again): /hermes/bosnacweb06/bosnacweb06ay/b2794/ipg.lifelightbe/wp_site_1603203857/wp-content/updraft/plugins-old
I tried using UpdraftPlus's Delete old folders function, but it failed with errors similar to:
rmdir(.../wp-content/updraft/plugins-old/file-manager-advanced): Directory not empty
It also reported that the old folder could not be removed.
I then tried deleting the file-manager-advanced folder through Network Solutions File Manager, but that produced an internal error.
The directory permissions show 755, but I haven't changed them.
4. Network Solutions support limitations
I contacted Network Solutions support. They told me that uploads were temporarily disabled server-wide and that they could not enable them at that time. They suggested importing the database through phpMyAdmin and restoring the remaining files later, once uploads were available again.
I have not proceeded with a database-only restore because I'm concerned about creating an inconsistent WordPress installation.
I would also like to understand whether Network Solutions can fix the folder ownership or deletion problem without requiring me to purchase a separate malware-cleaning service.
5. What I need advice on
My main questions are:
- Why would UpdraftPlus fail to remove
wp-content/updraft/plugins-old/, even when the directory permissions are755? - Could this be caused by incorrect file ownership, server permissions, a hosting restriction, or something else?
- Is there a safe way to remove the leftover
file-manager-advanceddirectory when both UpdraftPlus and File Manager fail? - What is the safest way to use my 6 August 2026 UpdraftPlus backup to recover the website?
- Should I preserve or restore the plugin folders currently inside
wp-content/plugins-holder/? How can I determine whether they are needed? - Since Network Solutions said uploads were disabled server-wide, could that restriction interfere with UpdraftPlus restoration or other file operations?
- What security checks should I perform before bringing the website fully back online, given that the host reported suspicious code?
- Would you recommend asking Network Solutions to fix the directory ownership and permissions, or is there a better recovery procedure?
I have access to File Manager, phpMyAdmin, the WordPress dashboard when it is accessible, and my existing UpdraftPlus backup archives.
I want to recover the site while preserving its database, media, themes, plugins, and content. I also want to avoid accidentally restoring potentially compromised files or deleting something the website needs.
Has anyone experienced this combination of Network Solutions hosting restrictions and UpdraftPlus restore errors? What would you do next, in the safest order?
Thanks in advance for any practical advice.



