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Site Restoration

#42364 Error after restoreJ!5.3.3 to 5.4.0

Posted in ‘Site restoration’
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Everybody will be able to see its contents. Do not include usernames, passwords or any other sensitive information.

Environment Information

PHP version
8.2 FPM
CMS Type
Joomla!
CMS Version
5.3.3
Backup Tool Version
10.1.0
Kickstart version
n/a

Latest post by [email protected] on Tuesday, 21 October 2025 07:24 CDT

Tuesday, 21 October 2025 06:30 CDT

[email protected]

Dear Nicolas

I restored a site from a backup following an J!5.3.3 to 5.4.0 upgrade (no version change)

I followed the restore wizard and didn't change any of the default settings 

After removing the installation dir - the site frontend shows:

0 Call to undefined method Joomla\Module\Menu\Site\Helper\MenuHelper::getItems()
Call Stack

#FunctionLocation 1 () JROOT/modules/mod_menu/src/Dispatcher/Dispatcher.php:61 2 Joomla\Module\Menu\Site\Dispatcher\Dispatcher->getLayoutData() JROOT/modules/mod_menu/src/Dispatcher/Dispatcher.php:39 3 Joomla\Module\Menu\Site\Dispatcher\Dispatcher->dispatch() JROOT/libraries/src/Helper/ModuleHelper.php:289 4 Joomla\CMS\Helper\ModuleHelper::renderRawModule() JROOT/libraries/src/Helper/ModuleHelper.php:160 5 Joomla\CMS\Helper\ModuleHelper::renderModule() JROOT/libraries/src/Document/Renderer/Html/ModuleRenderer.php:99 6 Joomla\CMS\Document\Renderer\Html\ModuleRenderer->render() JROOT/templates/yootheme/packages/theme-joomla-modules/src/ModulesRenderer.php:38 7 YOOtheme\Theme\Joomla\ModulesRenderer->render() JROOT/libraries/src/Document/HtmlDocument.php:575 8 Joomla\CMS\Document\HtmlDocument->getBuffer() JROOT/libraries/src/Document/HtmlDocument.php:894 9 Joomla\CMS\Document\HtmlDocument->_renderTemplate() JROOT/libraries/src/Document/HtmlDocument.php:647 10 Joomla\CMS\Document\HtmlDocument->render() JROOT/libraries/src/Application/CMSApplication.php:1120 11 Joomla\CMS\Application\CMSApplication->render() JROOT/libraries/src/Application/SiteApplication.php:745 12 Joomla\CMS\Application\SiteApplication->render() JROOT/libraries/src/Application/CMSApplication.php:309 13 Joomla\CMS\Application\CMSApplication->execute() JROOT/includes/app.php:58 14 require_once() JROOT/index.php:32

 

The site backend shows the following error ( I can still navigate around the backend however):

An error has occurred.
0 Cannot instantiate abstract class Joomla\Module\Logged\Administrator\Helper\LoggedHelper
Call Stack

#

Function

Location

1

()

JROOT/libraries/src/Helper/HelperFactory.php:67

2

Joomla\CMS\Helper\HelperFactory->getHelper()

JROOT/administrator/modules/mod_logged/src/Dispatcher/Dispatcher.php:89

3

Joomla\Module\Logged\Administrator\Dispatcher\Dispatcher->getLayoutData()

JROOT/administrator/modules/mod_logged/src/Dispatcher/Dispatcher.php:44

4

Joomla\Module\Logged\Administrator\Dispatcher\Dispatcher->dispatch()

JROOT/libraries/src/Helper/ModuleHelper.php:289

5

Joomla\CMS\Helper\ModuleHelper::renderRawModule()

JROOT/libraries/src/Helper/ModuleHelper.php:160

6

Joomla\CMS\Helper\ModuleHelper::renderModule()

JROOT/administrator/components/com_cpanel/tmpl/cpanel/default.php:57

7

include()

JROOT/libraries/src/MVC/View/HtmlView.php:416

8

Joomla\CMS\MVC\View\HtmlView->loadTemplate()

JROOT/libraries/src/MVC/View/HtmlView.php:204

9

Joomla\CMS\MVC\View\HtmlView->display()

JROOT/administrator/components/com_cpanel/src/View/Cpanel/HtmlView.php:157

10

Joomla\Component\Cpanel\Administrator\View\Cpanel\HtmlView->display()

JROOT/libraries/src/MVC/Controller/BaseController.php:697

11

Joomla\CMS\MVC\Controller\BaseController->display()

JROOT/administrator/components/com_cpanel/src/Controller/DisplayController.php:57

12

Joomla\Component\Cpanel\Administrator\Controller\DisplayController->display()

JROOT/libraries/src/MVC/Controller/BaseController.php:730

13

Joomla\CMS\MVC\Controller\BaseController->execute()

JROOT/libraries/src/Dispatcher/ComponentDispatcher.php:143

14

Joomla\CMS\Dispatcher\ComponentDispatcher->dispatch()

JROOT/libraries/src/Component/ComponentHelper.php:361

15

Joomla\CMS\Component\ComponentHelper::renderComponent()

JROOT/libraries/src/Application/AdministratorApplication.php:150

16

Joomla\CMS\Application\AdministratorApplication->dispatch()

JROOT/libraries/src/Application/AdministratorApplication.php:205

17

Joomla\CMS\Application\AdministratorApplication->doExecute()

JROOT/libraries/src/Application/CMSApplication.php:304

18

Joomla\CMS\Application\CMSApplication->execute()

JROOT/administrator/includes/app.php:58

19

require_once()

JROOT/administrator/index.php:32

 

I can send the log file if you wish? (its too big to attach here)

Tuesday, 21 October 2025 07:18 CDT

nicholas

You seem to have tried to restore a backup with an older Joomla version on top of a site with a newer (or a failed upgrade to a newer) Joomla version. And yes, going from 5.3 to 5.4 is a version change. As per our documentation this will cause problems for reasons that have to do with how Joomla itself works:

Do not try to overwrite one Joomla! version family with a different one. Overwriting a major version with another (e.g. restoring a backup taken on Joomla! 3.7 on top of a site running Joomla! 2.5 or vice versa) or between different minor versions (e.g. restoring a backup taken on Joomla! 3.7 on top of a site running Joomla! 3.6 or vice versa) will NOT work. Joomla! moves files around between minor and major versions. Since the backup does not delete files not present in the backup archive this will end up with Joomla! being "confused" and malfunctioning. In these cases you should delete the existing files and folders (except, perhaps, user generated content) before restoring the backup. You can safely restore a sub-minor (path-level) version on top of another. For example, you can safely restore a Joomla! 3.7.5 site on top of a Joomla! 3.7.3 site or vice versa.

Here's what to do.

  • Read the following instructions twice before doing anything to your site. Make sure you thoroughly understand what you need to do before starting taking any action.
  • Make sure you have a copy of all your backups in your computer. Take another copy of them in an external storage drive such as a USB thumb drive, or an SD card.
  • Delete the site's files and folders which belong to Joomla. The following files and folders will have to be deleted:
    • administrator
    • api
    • cli
    • components
    • includes
    • language
    • layouts
    • libraries
    • media
    • modules
    • plugins
    • templates
    • configuration.php
    • index.php
  • Start the restoration. Upload Kickstart and your backup archive. Run Kickstart and proceed with the restoration up to the database restoration page.
  • Change some options in the database restoration page. You will need to do two things to clean up your database tables so that you do not end up with a situation that makes it impossible to later upgrade your site:
    1. Prefix: use the same one you were already using in your original site (that's the default, but please double-check).
    2. With Existing --> Drop Same Prefix. Look on the right hand side of the database restoration page. There is a drop-down towards the top labelled "With Existing". Click on it and select the Drop Same Prefix option. This is very important!
  • Complete the restoration as you'd normally do.

Nicholas K. Dionysopoulos

Lead Developer and Director

🇬🇷Greek: native 🇬🇧English: excellent 🇫🇷French: basic • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Athens
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

Tuesday, 21 October 2025 07:24 CDT

[email protected]

Dear Nicholas,

Thank you your swift reply.

Apologies for the confusion on the version change. I had seen some notes on that but didn't realise it applied in this case.

Best regards.

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