Some Plugin Settings Are Kept After Removal and Reinstall of the Plugin

Question

I have uninstalled and then reinstalled all my plugins hoping to restore my WordPress installation to its original state because I have problem with the funtion of RevieAzon plugin.

For example, BEFORE I delete the WP Policies plugin I modified the categories in menu area but went I reinstall it the plugin is not in his original state. Several plugins are having similar problems. Can I restore all the plugins to their original state?

Answer 1

This is because the plugins are Setting data into the wp_options table in your database. To edit this data you have some options

1. Go to example.com/wp-admin/options.php which will display all of the data in the options table and then you can try to remove the data you don't want (this is the easiest but doesn't work in all cases)
2. Use a plugin: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/tags/wp_options has some that may work I've never had experience with any of them but they may be worth a try.
3. Edit the database directly. This is done either in PHPmyadmin or from comand line. Just find the wp_options table and remove your settings
4. Do a completely new install of WordPress and then export/import the data (this may be the best solution if you don't want to mess with the database)

WARNING It's extremly easy to mess things up when changing/removing things from the database. proceed with caustion and always back up your database first.

Answer 2

The problem is that, while the plugin's files are deleted, its options are not. These options are stored in the wp_options table in your database.

Some plugins include an uninstall hook that will clean up the plugins options when removed through the WordPress admin. Not all plugins have this feature, however. You can also look on the plugin's settings page for a 'complete uninstall' option.

I've had much success using the Clean Options plugin. It scans the plugin directory for plugins who are making calls to options in the wp_options table, and gives you an interface for deleting those that are not referenced. You can ignore the "This plugin hasn't been updated in over 2 years" notice; it works fine with the latest version of WordPress.

You can also try exporting your content through the Tools menu, emptying the database, and importing your content back into the fresh version of WordPress. This will remove all plugin and theme options; you have been warned!