Legacy Module Removal

Old PHP code may introduce breakage on newer versions of PHP runtime. WHMCS performs an inspection for any unused legacy modules. Legacy modules are modules that we no longer maintain or distribute and are typically for older and, often, discontinued services.

This document describes automatic module removals that WHMCS performs during the update process. For steps to manually remove modules, see the documentation for that module type:

Inspection Process

During updates, WHMCS will check for modules that we no longer maintain or support If a module is active and you have configured it, the system considers it to be in use and WHMCS will not attempt to delete it.

Deletion and Notification Process

After the inspection process, WHMCS will create log entries at Configuration () > System Logs and send notifications using the following logic:

Detected UseDeletion AttemptSystem ActionsRecommended Solution
In UseNo
  • The system logs a One or more legacy modules were found to be in use and were not attempted to be deleted message.
  • The system sends admins a notification with a comma-separated list of retained modules.
Contact the module’s author and determine whether an update is available.
Not
In Use		Yes
  • The system logs a Unused legacy modules were deleted message.
  • The system sends admins a notification with a comma-separated list of deleted modules.
None.
Not
In Use		Failed
  • The system logs a One or more legacy modules could not be deleted message or a A recent WHMCS update failed to remove legacy modules. These modules may cause negative behavior if you upgrade PHP and leave them on the system. We recommend working to remove them manually. message.
  • The system sends admins a notification with a list of modules for which deletion failed.
Investigate the reasons why deletion failed and then remove the modules manually.
  • Deletion typically fails due to file permission restrictions.
  • When deletion fails, the module state may become inconsistent due to potential partial deletion.
After legacy module deletion is complete, we recommend going to Utilities > System > PHP Version Compatibility to check for any incompatible files in your WHMCS installation.
updates releases

Last modified: January 21, 2025