Title: php upgrade Last modified: April 19, 2024 --- # php upgrade * Resolved [andytwonames](https://wordpress.org/support/users/andytwonames/) * (@andytwonames) * [2 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-upgrade-16/) * I’m up to my neck in it. * I have a live site running 5.3.17 PHP version is 7.1.33 multiple plugins are also out of date. * I have used updraft to take a copy of the live site. The backup completes without error. I take those files and use them to restore to a WP installation on a different hosting platform running the same PHP version. I posted recently that I was having trouble. * I used the insanity technique (do the same thing repeatedly expecting different results) ad eventually, it worked. I then went through, piece by piece updting plugins and then updated WP to the latest version. * All seems fine. * Then I went to my server plesk control panel and updated PHP to the latest version. * Now the site gives me “There has been a critical error on this website.” * Back to plesk and change PHP back – still the same error. * What should I have done? or how can I fix it please? Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total) * Moderator [threadi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/threadi/) * (@threadi) * [2 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-upgrade-16/#post-17700089) * The reason for the error should be visible in the error log. You can find it in your hosting area. If necessary, the support of your hosting can help you. * Alternatively, you could also enable debugging in WordPress. How to do this is described here: [https://wordpress.org/support/article/debugging-in-wordpress/](https://wordpress.org/support/article/debugging-in-wordpress/)– also here the support of your hosting can help you if necessary to edit the file accordingly. * In both cases you should be able to see what the cause is in the logfile. * Thread Starter [andytwonames](https://wordpress.org/support/users/andytwonames/) * (@andytwonames) * [2 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-upgrade-16/#post-17700247) * [@threadi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/threadi/) thank you. * I’ve got something odd going on with my server. The site is working. control panel says Im on php 8 but when I run phpversion() it still reports 7.1.33 * I’m confused and I’m going to bed for a sulk * Moderator [James Huff](https://wordpress.org/support/users/macmanx/) * (@macmanx) * [2 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-upgrade-16/#post-17700254) * It’s entirely possible on some server configurations to specify a PHP version for a specific site while the server’s default is a different version. * What do you see reported for the PHP version at Tools > Site Health > Info > Server in your site’s Dashboard? That’s what matters. 🙂 * If you still can’t access your Dashboard, try [manually resetting your plugins](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/faq-troubleshooting/#how-to-deactivate-all-plugins-when-not-able-to-access-the-administrative-menus)( no Dashboard access required). If that resolves the issue, reactivate each one individually until you find the cause. * If that does not resolve the issue, access your server via [SFTP or FTP](https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/upgrade/ftp/), or a file manager in your hosting account’s control panel (consult your hosting provider’s documentation for specifics on these), navigate to /wp-content/themes/ and rename the directory of your currently active theme. Hopefully, this will force the default theme to activate and rule out a theme-specific issue (theme functions can interfere like plugins). * Moderator [threadi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/threadi/) * (@threadi) * [2 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-upgrade-16/#post-17700256) * This has to do with the server configuration. If phpinfo() shows this information, then it is set that way. You would have to check whether there is a second setting for this in the hosting and otherwise contact your hoster’s support about it. * Thread Starter [andytwonames](https://wordpress.org/support/users/andytwonames/) * (@andytwonames) * [2 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-upgrade-16/#post-17705566) * Hi [@threadi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/threadi/) and [@macmanx](https://wordpress.org/support/users/macmanx/) * Sorry for the drip feedof responses. I’m dealing with this stuff as and when I have time and energy. Both in short supply. * Using the article suggested above, I disabled all plugins by renamng the plugins directory and then going to the /wp-admin/plugins.php url. I could then see the site. * I changed the plugin directory name back and I can STILL see my site. * I don’t get what’s going on. * Moderator [James Huff](https://wordpress.org/support/users/macmanx/) * (@macmanx) * [2 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-upgrade-16/#post-17705572) * At least that’s fixed. 🙂 * What do you see reported for the PHP version at Tools > Site Health > Info > Server in your site’s Dashboard? * Thread Starter [andytwonames](https://wordpress.org/support/users/andytwonames/) * (@andytwonames) * [2 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-upgrade-16/#post-17705749) * I appear to be on 8.2.18 * Moderator [James Huff](https://wordpress.org/support/users/macmanx/) * (@macmanx) * [2 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-upgrade-16/#post-17705788) * Excellent, sounds like it all worked out in the end, somehow. 🙂 Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total) The topic ‘php upgrade’ is closed to new replies. * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 8 replies * 3 participants * Last reply from: [James Huff](https://wordpress.org/support/users/macmanx/) * Last activity: [2 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-upgrade-16/#post-17705788) * Status: resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics