How to migrate a Joomla 1.5 to Joomla 4 website

Migrating a Joomla 1.5 website to Joomla 4 is a significant task that involves multiple steps due to the major changes in Joomla’s architecture over the years. This guide will walk you through the process, helping you ensure a smooth transition.

Preparation

1 Preparation
2 Step-by-Step Migration
3 Post-Migration Tasks
4 Conclusion

Before starting the migration, it’s crucial to prepare adequately:

Backup Your Site: Ensure you have a complete backup of your Joomla 1.5 website, including all files and the database.
Review Extensions: Make a list of all extensions, templates, and custom code used on your Joomla 1.5 site. Check if they have compatible versions for Joomla 4 or if alternatives are available.
Set Up a Test Environment: Create a test environment to perform the migration. This allows you to test everything without affecting your live site.

Step-by-Step Migration

Step 1: Update to Joomla 2.5

You cannot migrate directly from Joomla 1.5 to Joomla 4. First, you need to migrate from Joomla 1.5 to Joomla 2.5.

Install jUpgrade:
jUpgrade is a Joomla component that helps with the migration from Joomla 1.5 to 2.5. Download and install jUpgrade from the Joomla Extension Directory.
Run jUpgrade:
After installing jUpgrade, navigate to Components > jUpgrade and start the migration process. jUpgrade will migrate your content, users, and some core extensions to a new Joomla 2.5 site.
Verify the Joomla 2.5 Site:
Once the migration is complete, verify that all content and extensions have been migrated correctly to Joomla 2.5.

Step 2: Update to Joomla 3.x

After migrating to Joomla 2.5, the next step is to update to Joomla 3.x.

Update Joomla:
In your Joomla 2.5 admin panel, go to Components > Joomla! Update and follow the instructions to update to Joomla 3.x.
Verify the Joomla 3.x Site:
After updating, check your site thoroughly to ensure all content and extensions are working correctly in Joomla 3.x.

Step 3: Migrate to Joomla 4

With your site now on Joomla 3.x, you can proceed to migrate to Joomla 4.

Backup Your Joomla 3.x Site:
Before proceeding, make a complete backup of your Joomla 3.x site.
Update Extensions:
Ensure all extensions, templates, and custom code are updated to their latest versions and compatible with Joomla 4.
Update Joomla:
In the Joomla 3.x admin panel, go to Components > Joomla! Update and follow the instructions to update to Joomla 4.
Verify the Joomla 4 Site:
After updating, thoroughly check your site to ensure everything is functioning correctly in Joomla 4.

Post-Migration Tasks

After successfully migrating to Joomla 4, there are a few additional tasks to perform:

Test Everything: Test all site functionalities, including extensions, templates, and custom code, to ensure they work as expected.
SEO Check: Ensure your SEO settings and metadata have been preserved and are configured correctly in Joomla 4.
Security: Implement security measures to protect your new Joomla 4 site, such as updating all passwords and configuring security extensions.

Conclusion

Migrating from Joomla 1.5 to Joomla 4 is a complex process that requires careful planning and execution. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can ensure a smooth transition to Joomla 4, leveraging its enhanced features and improved security.

This tutorial assumes you are already logged into your Joomla admin panel

In this tutorial we will be using jUpgrade, a third party component by Redcomponent, for upgrading from Joomla 1.5 to 2.5. It is assumed that the jUpgrade component has already been installed

1) First we want to make sure that the Mootools plugin is enabled, this is required for jUpgrade to work properly. Select the Extensions menu item

2) Now down to the Plugin Manager

3) Scroll down and select the 2nd or Next page button

4) Scroll down and click the red x for the System – Mootools Upgrade to enable it

5) Now we can run our upgrade component, select the Components menu item

6) Then down to jUpgrade

7) Click the START UPGRADE button

The jUpgrade component will process the migration and display any errors

Once completed your newly migrated 2.5 site can be moved from the jupgrade directory using the techniques from a previous tutorial for renaming directories