Wordpress 2.8.3 Can’t Move Widget Bug (Don’t Upgrade Yet)

Update: It is fixed now. The problem arises when you don’t disable plugins while updating, some plugins can interfere during upgrade. Also don’t forget to remove wp-admin and wp-includes before updating to latest version.

This is a notice to all webmasters out there. If you are thinking of upgrading to Wordpress 2.8.3, then you should wait until Wordpress releases a fix. The biggest problem you are going to face is Widgets.

You won’t be able to move the Widgets around and most people are having such problems, including me. As you can see on the right sidebar, all widgets have vanished. I can’t move the new widgets, nor restore the one that were lost.

Note: If you are reading from feed or email, you will need to click the link in order to visit AddictiveTips and see my sidebar.

There are two types of bugs:

• Can’t move the Widgets at all, nor is editing possible.
• If you change the theme, your previous widget configuration will be lost.

The second one is rather strange due to which all my sidebar content is now lost, to restore it I need to move widgets, but then I can’t move them in the first place.

Update referring to second point: The content is not lost, but rather it has been removed from the widget in the right-sidebar(which makes it technically lost). Now to restore it back, I will need to move the widget back(which is not possible).

Wordpress calm to have a solution for such problem and they list the following three solutions:

1. A number of plugins have been reported to present problems so deactivate all plugins and reactivate one-by-one to find culprit
2. In Appearance->Widgets under Screen options, try the Enable Accessibility Mode
3. Delete or refresh the browser cache

But all three points have failed to make any difference on my side, here is what I have say about these points.

Ans 1. I have disabled all plugins and still the widgets won’t move, heck even the widgets in the right sidebar won’t open.

Ans 2. This solution works for some people only. When I clicked Screen Options button, nothing happened at all.

Ans 3. Widgets still won’t move. I believe that it is not a javascript problem since I can move things easily in the main dashboard, but when it comes to Widgets, it fails.

You might not face the widget problem, but it is still better to wait. Like the saying goes, “Prevention is better than cure”.

PS…In the meantime I am trying to find more solutions to this problem, if I am successful this post will be updated accordingly. If you have any similar stories to share, please leave a comment. Enjoy!