Problem #

You see the following error when attempting to upgrade WHMCS:

no existing installation was detected

Cause #

The upgrade process determines the presence of an existing installation by looking for the configuration.php file in the root WHMCS installation directory.

This error often indicates that the file is not in the expected location, it is not readable, or it does not contain the details for your MySQL® database.

Solution #

To resolve this issue:

1. Ensure that the configuration.php file is in the root WHMCS installation directory.

2. Ensure that the file permissions and ownership are correct. We recommend 444 permissions.

3. Ensure that the file’s contents use the correct formatting and include the correct database details. For example:

   <?php
   $license = 'WHMCS-xxxxxxxxx';
   $db_host = 'localhost';
   $db_username = 'root';
   $db_password = 'xxxxxxxx';
   $db_name = 'whmcs';
   $cc_encryption_hash = 'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx';
   

   For more information, see The configuration.php File.

4. Refresh the install.php page and confirm that the message no longer appears.

   If the message still appears, contact WHMCS Technical Support and do not proceed with the update.

5. Continue the update.

Last modified: June 14, 2024