Fool-proof Migrations from Joomla 3 to Joomla 4.x

Hi Rachel,

Thanks for your lovely comment!

Best wishes - Barnaby

Hello,

Please install the latest version of your plugin, and ensure it is Joomla 4 compatible.

Alternatively, rerun MigrateMe 4, but first - in configuration - set Safe Mode: Yes, and run the migration. This will detect and disable any potential problem plugins and extensions, so you have a working Joomla 4 environment.

Barnaby

Hello

This is a different software package, so there's no further discount if you already have MMP sorry about that!

Barnaby Dixon

Hi James,

If you're migrating Joomla 3 > 4 you won't need MigrateMe Plus, so you can safely remove it prior to running MigrateMe 4...

However, if you really want to keep both in place, you can - MigrateMe 4 creates a different environment to MigrateMe Plus, so they won't conflict - obviously though, once you've run MigrateMe 4, you can't then run MigrateMe Plus.

Best regards

Hi James

Yes you can run all my software in a localhost environment on XAMPP / MAMP / WAMP etc.

Just make sure your environment is correctly configured, i.e. all PHP extensions are installed etc., and it'll work best on PHP7.x rather than 8.x since 8.x isn't fully supported by Joomla 3.x.

Yes MM4 is similar to StageIt, and runs in /mm4/. Ideally you'd use the inbuilt Go Live function to make the new environment live - this backs up and removes the old environment, and copies the mm4 environment to the live folder.

Best wishes

Hi Mark

Just use MigrateMe 4 - it creates a development area for you

Best wishes

Hi Sue,

It'll be in /mm4/administrator/

Have a great day!

Hi Johnny,

You'll need to update your extensions separately

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the update! Really happy everything went so smoothly

You can download updates from https://www.php-web-design.com/downloads/ with your email address.

Have a great day

Hi Derek,

We have seen this before when even after using safemode in MM4 (which disables all non-core extensions) an error prevents you form logging into the admin. In once instance the admin module for a very popular shopping cart system had been updated to its latest version in Joomla 3, but it still had had deprecated code that broke Joomla 4 admin area.

Here is a video from the Joomla.org YouTube channel which shows the steps to work around that error so you can login and continue the migration work - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO9nmdsLlFw

However, if you would like further help with that please email me at supportphp-web-design.com and I will be glad to get you going.

We're also interested in knowing what file the error was in so we can add that to our experience so we can help others who run into the same issue migrating their site with or without MM4.

Tim

Hi Derek,

Thanks for your message!

The isSite() function is specific to Joomla 3, so it means one or more of your extensions hasn't yet been updated to Joomla 4.x.

After running the migration, please ensure the latest Joomla 4 version of each extension - including the template - is installed, and all will then work well.

Best wishes - Barnaby

Hi Robb,

MM4 creates a staging area for a regular Joomla 4 Migration of your Joomla 3 site to take place in. So it doesn't change what happens when the migration happens - it creates a staging site with one click where you can test the migration and fix anything you would have had to fix anyway with a normal, core migration. With MM4, however, once you have your J4 ready to go live you can do so with one click, replacing your old Joomla 3 site. And of course if you discover something in your J4 migration that you wish you had done differently in your Joomla 3 site before migrating, you can abandon the J4 migration, do what you wish you had done and run the migration again.

So in answer to your question, the files and database of your Joomla 3 site are all migrated. When the Joomla 3 site is using the J3 default Protostar site, the Joomla 4 migration then switches to use the Joomla 4 default Cassiopeia template.

I hope that info helps. Just ask if you have any more questions!

Tim

Hello Ashish,

MM4 makes a copy of every table in your Joomla 3 install, so yes, your Virtuemart and Membership Pro extensions will be present in Joomla 4 testing area that MM4 creates.

Remember, updating those (and other) extensions to the latest J4 compatible version is something you do before or after the migration test (depending on the requirement of each extension.)

If you have an further questions, remember we are here to help! - supportphp-web-design.com

Hi Mike,

Yes, I would remove the staging environment before running MM4. That will cut down on the files being copied during the migration and once successfully migrate to J4 and push that live, you'll have an unnecessary J3 copy of your site files without any DB tables.

And of course, make a backup of your J3 site and keep it in a safe place outside of the folder your Joomla site is in!

Hi Tor,

Congrats on a successful migration from Joomla 3 to 4. I am so glad our extension helped.

Yes, you can remove the MM4 folder. In fact, if you go into the MM4 extension you will find a button which will remove that folder and the MM4 tables that were created in your database for the initial J4 testing you did. After that you can uninstall the MM4 extension from your site and you'll be free as a bird in the J4 world!

BTW, if you have already removed the MM4 extension and can't access the one click button, just remove the tables that begin with the prefix "mm4_" in your site's database - and the "mm4" folder in your file space (as you have already discovered.)

Remember to make a full backup of your site when doing the above.

God bless

Tim

I've seen this too and discovered it was actually my browser caching the target of that redirect - a pain indeed! I don't use Admin-Tools, so disabling that will not fix this. Trying to go to the admin login using an incognito browser tab or even clearing that install url from the browser cache is a possible work around for this.

This has actually happened to me a couple of times recently - there is a final stage of J4 installing additional languages and if that does not complete the installation folder does not get removed. We'll try to find out what causes this quirky occurence on some installs! Thanks for reporting it!

Sorry for the delay in replying - the holidays and the flu have had me tending to support requests slower than normal.

If the site only works with debug set to "1" or "true" that means there is still something not working in J4 or the PHP version you have set. But I will admit it is very strange that is happening where the page does not work with both settings!

The page does actually mention extensions, templates, and plugins.

MM4 creates a staging area to test your J4 migration in. Once your J4 site is as you want it in that staging area you can then click a button and it will be pushed to replace your live J3 site.

The migration process remains the same in that staging area, so menus, modules, plugins, extensions, and templates are migrated - but as is the case with any method you have to make sure those things are J4 compatible and you should test on a copy of your live site. MM4 is by far the easiest way to create that testing environment.

Hi Tenenbaum!

MM4 will migrate the J3 only template, but that template will still break Joomla 4 - or at least not work with it.

MigrateMe 4 creates a staging are to test a migration from J3 to J4. The migration that happens is identical to what would happen if you ran the migration process on your live site. MM4 would not convert your template to be J4 friendly

Now about your template. If it is not J4 compatible there are a few ways to proceed before you do your migration.

My favourite one is to update the J3 site with a J3/J4 friendly template and then do the migration (as one needs to do with other none J4 extensions.)

However, if your site is fairly static, you could run the migration with MM4 and then get your site all done in J4 (including setting up a new template) and once you are happy with the results, one-click push your J4 site to live.

Back to your J3 template, if you really like the look of your J3 template you can make a template that looks just like it using an extension call Template Creator CK. If you want to now more about that, or have more questions, please email me - supportphp-web-design.com

I hope that helps!

Hi Mathias, I know I already answered your email as well, but I just saw your comment here and since it's a good question that others may ask in the future, I am going to answer here too:

The only change would be the version of Joomla that the MM4 area has after going from J3 to J4. Update the MM4 area to the latest version of J4 and push to live and you should be all good!

Thanks for using MM4!

Hi Lorenzo,

I would be very happy to log into your site and take a look at this. If you would like that, please email me your super user login info and the url of your site - supportphp-web-design.com

I am sure we can figure this out.

God bless,

Tim

Hi Nico,

I am happy to report that downloads from our site will now have the date they were downloaded included in the file name: ie, com_migrateme4_2023-06-21.zip

I have purchased MM4 a month ago. And I have a 'test version' so I have two packages: com_migrateme4_6563.zip and com_migrateme4_4038.zip. Which one should I use?

And I saw in the changelog there is e newer version. How do I become a new version?

I do not see a login. And also I did not get an e-mail for a new version.

(My registration for this site is with my paypal-email address, which is not my mail address but from the person who pays the money....)

Thanks.

We already bought MM4.

Please, need your help with this.

Hi John,

You are very welcome! Thanks for the great recommendation for MigrateMe4!

Hi Alex - Congrats on migrating so many Joomla sites and for the great review of Migrateme 4! I also appreciate your kind words about me.

Hi Kris,

I'm sad it didn't work out for you, but glad you found a path to complete your migration. I have refunded your purchase.

God bless,

Tim

Hi Eoin,

I logged into your site and have a support video coming your way1

No apologies needed, emailing is much better and I just replied!

Hi Bill,

This video will tell you everything you want to know about removing your MM4 test area:

https://cybersalt.com/migrateme-4/how-to-remove-your-joomla-4-test-migration-area-and-uninstall-migrateme-4

God bless,

Tim

Hi Stefan,

We have begun to talk about what we might be able to offer to help those going to J5, but there are some pitfalls to overcome going from J3 to J5 - so right now J3 to J4 (which is a migration) will get you to the point where you can go from j4 to J5 (which is only an update)

God bless,

Tim

You are very welcome - thanks for the feedback and encouragement! It would be very much appreciated if you would review us on the Joomla Extensions Directory as well - https://extensions.joomla.org/extension/migrateme-4/

God bless,

Tim

Hi Patrick,

I am glad you are enjoying the ease of MigrateMe 4. If you would leave a review for us on the Joomla Extension Directory that would be great! https://extensions.joomla.org/extension/migrateme-4/

To answer your questions, MM4 makes a copy of your database tables, giving them a prefix named mm4_. It only ever makes one copy.

If you have completed your migration, did you remove the /MM4 files and tables? If not, this video will show you how to do that. - https://cybersalt.com/migrateme-4/how-to-remove-your-joomla-4-test-migration-area-and-uninstall-migrateme-4

If that is not the issue, and since your host said they don't know much about Joomla, I would be happy to log into your hosting and take a look. If you want me to do that, contact me through supportphp-web-design.com and we'll get that going.

God bless,

Tim

You are very welcome. I'm glad it helped!

Hi David,

I think that is indicating something is not Joomla 4 compatible. A better error message would help say what. Here is a video showing you how to get more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W6ZqrbbkbU

God bless,

Tim

no worries. got it.

Hi Karin,

This video will show you how to start a new migration:

https://www.cybersalt.com/migrateme-4/how-to-start-a-new-test-joomla-4-migration-with-migrateme-4

Here are other videos what will help you in using MigrateMe4

If you are still stuck after that, I am happy to log in and take a quick look at your site. You can send me your super user login details and admin login url through this form:

https://cybersalt.com/services/support-request-form

You will notice that form is not on the PWD site. This link explores my role in PWD support:

https://cybersalt.com/net-shaker/cybersalt-is-managing-support-for-php-web-design

God bless,

Tim