WP Smush Pro — Missing File Error

Error

Client’s WordPress site threw a fatal E_ERROR on load:

Uncaught Error: Failed opening required '.../wp-smush-pro/core/backups/class-backups-controller.php'

Missing file prevented the plugin from loading. Site was completely down — error fires before WP Admin loads (wp-login.php).

Corrupt or incomplete plugin installation — most likely a failed/partial update or interrupted file upload.

Re-upload plugin — Download a fresh copy from WPMU Dev dashboard, re-upload via FTP/cPanel, overwriting existing files. Cleanest fix.
Update via WP Admin — Only works if WP Admin is still accessible: Plugins → Smush Pro → Update.
Rename plugin folder via FTP/SSH — Rename wp-smush-pro → wp-smush-pro-disabled. WordPress auto-deactivates it, restoring WP Admin for a clean reinstall.
Deactivate via database — phpMyAdmin → wp_options → active_plugins → remove Smush Pro from the serialized array. Or via WP-CLI: wp plugin deactivate wp-smush-pro.

Disabled via WHM to restore the site. Checking with boss on where the licence/download comes from.

Confirm whether client’s WPMU Dev membership is active — if lapsed, we can’t pull a fresh Smush Pro download
If membership is lapsed: replace with free Smush from the WordPress plugin repo — covers basic image compression
If membership is active: reinstall clean copy from WPMU Dev Hub and verify no other WPMU Dev plugins have corrupt installs on the same site
Check if the partial update was triggered by an auto-update — consider disabling auto-updates for WPMU Dev plugins if this is a recurring risk

WP Smush Pro is bundled under a WPMU Dev membership — it’s not available on the WordPress plugin repo
If the membership has lapsed, the free Smush plugin is a reasonable drop-in for basic compression (loses bulk smush scheduling and CDN features)