Catastrophic result of upgrading SPPB

Note - I also tried updating SPPB on another site, with the same result. Error message preventing display of the entire website, displaying only an error message, as follows:

0 - Failed opening required '/home/customer/www/counselinglibrary.org/public_html/components/com_sppagebuilder/builder/classes/base.php' (include_path='.:/usr/local/php82/pear')

Once again, was only able to get my site back by rolling back to a backup from my host.
But since I just renewed my JoomShaper subscription, I am feeling distressed by this - unable to upgrade at all to the current SPPB - instead, just breaking my sites in the effort.

This is especially distressing in light of the paragraph now appearing on the "Technical Requirements" page of the SPPB documentation, (found here: https://www.joomshaper.com/documentation/sp-page-builder/technical-requirements ) as follows:

What is NOT supported anymore
Support of SP Page Builder 3.8.10 ended! The last update was in May 2023, and won't be anymore. That 3.8.x version can work in older Joomla 3.10 and Joomla 4.4 only. Version 3.8.x will not fully work with PHP 8.2+ for example displaying "PHP Deprecated" messages. And in Joomla 5.x you won't be able to edit text addons/areas anymore. We also remind you that Joomla 3.10 End of life & support was on 14 Aug 2023. That's why we recommend backup, then upgrade & update. If your template uses additional add-ons, contact their developers to make sure they will work in SPPB 5.x.

Notice! We don't support SP Page Builder 4.x anymore. This was only an interim version between SPPB 3.x and SPPB 5.x. If you still have it (even as preinstalled), we ask you to update the component to the latest version. If you bought SP Page Builder and your Membership is still active your License Key can be used also in SPPB 5.x version.

This means: You should upgrade SP Page Builder from 3x or 4x to 5.x.

Looks like all my older sites are on 3.8.10 - which apparently isn't supported anymore. But, when I try to update (as suggested) to the current version of SPPB, everything crashes.

So - is there a different upgrade path recommended, rather than jumping from SPPB 3.8.10 to SPPB 5.3.2 (the current version)? I see that older SPPB versions are available, going back to version 4 - but am not sure how to proceed, to get my older sites on SPPB 5 without breaking them.

PS - those older sites are now all in the following environments:

• Joomla 4.4.6 (they were built originally in Joomla 3 with SPPB 3 - now all updated to Joomla 4)
• PHP 8.2.21
• MySQLi 8.0.36-28
• Hosted with Siteground
• Currently running SPPB 3.8.10 - several of them on the Helix template. Helix updates fine - but not SPPB.

How shall I proceed to safely update SPPB (as required) on these sites?

OK, here's the admin access. This issue is relevant to several sites, but let's start with one site, to isolate and correct the problem, as the structure and environment is the same on all the sites.

If we find that you need access to the other sites, I'll create Users there too with the same credentials, and send you the site names so you can get in there as well.

But hopefully, you can find a fix on this first site, and then just teach me how to correct the issue on the other sites as well.

I'm available all day today (it's 6 am here) for consult. Thanks for your help and quick response.

OK, I have looked over your answer, and I am completely lost. I watched the video, and it flips around quickly to screen after screen, I can't follow at all the process you're trying to communicate with the video. So I have no idea how to move to the backup you made.

According to the video, there seem to be a lot more steps to restore the backup anyway than doing the 3 steps you refer to for "the other sites."

So, can you please explain to me in more detail what you mean for the fix? Specifically:

1. How do I uninstall SPPB 3.8.10 without losing all my existing pages and content?
2. Installing SPPB 5.3.4 - will this reintroduce the error code I saw initially? Will SPPB 5 recognize my old SPPB 3 pages? How is this possible, if 3.8 was uninstalled?
3. Where do I go specifically for the "SQL Inquiry" you referred to? I'm not sure if this is with my host, or somewhere directly inside my Joomla administrator. Please clarify.
4. What exactly do I do to carry out the "SQL Inquiry"? I'm not sure if you mean you need to change some text somewhere in that code, or what process you're recommending. Please clarify.

Please understand that I am a rank and file self-taught Joomla user - not a professional developer. I have built and updated numerous Joomla sites for over ten years - and have never before run into such a cumbersome process to simply update an extension.

So please provide support in a way I can understand - not assuming that I am a pro developer, which I am not.

I am glad to know you found a fix, and apparently were able to do so quickly on your local server. But as of now, I am still stuck with sites locked in an unsupported 3.8.10, without clear documentation anywhere to guide the process of simply updating (as required in the SPPB) to the new version, now that SPPB 3 is no longer supported.

Hopefully this communication will result in documentation that can benefit not just me, but to other SPPB users struggling with the same update quandary.

Thanks Ofi for your willingness to help. My sites are all on Siteground, which doesn't use cPanel any more - they have their own File Manager system they use instead.

Their process is to have me set up a "Collaborator" account on an individual website (for use by developers, support tech, etc) by providing them with a name and email; then they email the collaborator directly, who then sets up their own login to gain access to the database, files, etc.

So - do you have a direct email I can provide to them to that will reach you individually, to send you this Collaborator invite? (I don't really want to send it to [email protected], as I want to make sure it reaches you directly, and isn't accessible to your entire support team.)

Meanwhile - I'm also reading up on Siteground's site about doing MySQL queries, so I will be more informed about this process - since I've never done any of that before. This is what they have on their site about that:

*To execute an SQL query on your SiteGround hosting account, you can use the phpMyAdmin tool. Here’s how you can do it:

*1. Access phpMyAdmin: Log in to your Site Tools, go to Site and then to MySQL. From there, access the phpMyAdmin interface.
2. Select the Database: Once in phpMyAdmin, select the database you want to work with from the left sidebar.
3. Run the Query: Click on the SQL tab at the top. A new page will load where you can type in your SQL query. After typing your query, click the Gobutton to execute it.

The results of your query will be displayed on the same page. If you encounter any syntax errors, such as SQL Error 1064, it usually indicates a mistake in the SQL syntax. Make sure to check the structure of your command, including operators, clauses, expressions, and keywords. For a deeper understanding of SQL syntax, you might find the MySQL Reference Manual helpful.

For more detailed instructions on running MySQL queries via phpMyAdmin, you can refer to our tutorial "phpMyAdmin Run MySQL Query Tutorial" https://my.siteground.com/support/tutorials/phpmyadmin/query/

So I'll read their "more detailed instructions" on MySQL queries, while I wait for your response about a direct email to send the Collaborator invite to.