Title: PHP error after update
Last modified: August 19, 2016

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# PHP error after update

 *  [miraclefish](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miraclefish/)
 * (@miraclefish)
 * [15 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-error-after-update/)
 * I just updated WP, Akismet and All In One SEO through the Dashboard, and now 
   my site opens as a background with an error message repeated across the screen:
 * Warning: cannot yet handle MBCS in html_entity_decode()! in /usr/local/pem/vhosts/
   249231/webspace/siteapps/113480/htdocs/wp-content/themes/canvas/functions/admin-
   functions.php on line 1540
 * My site is down, and I URGENTLY need to restore it.
 * Please help : (

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

 *  [govpatel](https://wordpress.org/support/users/govpatel/)
 * (@govpatel)
 * [15 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-error-after-update/#post-1907676)
 * using ftp rename this folder canvas in themes folder and see if the site opens
   twenty ten theme.
 *  [thaiscapes](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dragonc/)
 * (@dragonc)
 * [15 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-error-after-update/#post-1907754)
 * There is a bug in the new version, its well covered in the forum if you read 
   through it. One suggested fix is to change the name of the plugin folder by FTP
   or cpanel, then you should be able to access the site. Change the plugin folder
   name back after getting into admin, activate akismet and upgrade it, then reactivate
   the other plugins. But do read through this forum first.
    I restored a backup
   and reverted to the previous version.
 *  Thread Starter [miraclefish](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miraclefish/)
 * (@miraclefish)
 * [15 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-error-after-update/#post-1907758)
 * Thanks for the advice guys. [@govpatel](https://wordpress.org/support/users/govpatel/)
   I’m running Woothemes Canvas theme, so I don’t want to open twenty ten theme.
 * [@dragonc](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dragonc/) I did scour the forum,
   and could see various other php errors, but no reference to a “bug in the new
   version”… do you mean new version of WP or of Akismet? I’m new at all this, so
   while I’m not doubting your instructions, they are not specific enough for me
   to be able to follow them. If there is an appropriate post on the forum that 
   you are aware of, would you perhaps be able to post a link in reply?
 * Many thanks
 *  [Andrew Nacin](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nacin/)
 * (@nacin)
 * [15 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-error-after-update/#post-1907785)
 * draconc: There isn’t a “bug” in the new version that would cause this. Please
   stop suggesting this on every 3.0.5 post on the forum. It’s wrong.
 * miraclefish: This is a bug in PHP4, caused by a function receiving UTF-8 characters
   unexpectedly. (Reference: [http://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=25670](http://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=25670).)
 * For this and other reasons, you need to get your host to move you to PHP5. PHP4
   is end-of-life, and has been devoid of security updates and other bug fixes since
   August 2008. WordPress itself will be bumping its minimum requirements to PHP
   5.2 come WordPress 3.2 later this year.
 *  Thread Starter [miraclefish](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miraclefish/)
 * (@miraclefish)
 * [15 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-error-after-update/#post-1907840)
 * Andrew
 * Thanks for the detailed info. Just for info of other forum users, my host is 
   Dotster. I knew I was on php4, but really had no clue about the significance 
   of this. I will contact them to request move to php5. I’ll post to let folks 
   know their response.
 * cheers

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

The topic ‘PHP error after update’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [php-error](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/php-error/)

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 5 replies
 * 4 participants
 * Last reply from: [miraclefish](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miraclefish/)
 * Last activity: [15 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-error-after-update/#post-1907840)
 * Status: not resolved

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