Resolving a Down for Maintenance Error
After performing an update, a Down for Maintenance (Err 2) or (Err3) error may occur when visiting WHMCS pages:
![Down for Maintenance (Err2) An upgrade is currently in progress... Please come back soon...](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/002/742/754/original/c4ae4996-c374-4558-b301-9c5de5e29bb6.png)
![Down for Maintenance (Err3) An upgrade is currently in progress... Please come back soon...](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/003/037/955/original/43bed9cd-c493-496c-906e-7ef742999a90.png)
Causes
This message is displayed whilst the update process is in progress. If an update is not currently being applied, it indicates a version mismatch between the PHP files and the MySQL database.
Some possible causes for this error include:
- The auto-updater was terminated before it could complete.
- A new version of PHP files have been uploaded but the update process has not yet been performed.
- A patch set was manually applied to an incompatible version of the software.
Resolution
Follow these steps to complete the update process:
1. Go to the install subdirectory within your WHMCS directory. For example: www.yoursite.com/whmcs/install
A screen like this will display:
![](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/003/758/185/original/1ea0d2db-5f36-48a5-ad51-adec82327a3b.png)
If a 404 Page Not Found error appears instead, refer to the Performing a Manual Update documentation and follow all steps for a full release version.
2. Agree to the End User License Agreement.
3. Click Continue at the bottom of the next screen:
![](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/002/744/455/original/22796b18-c6a1-4c85-8d8e-f06567cf158b.png)
4. Make a backup of the WHMCS MySQL database.
5. Click Start the Upgrade:
![](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/002/744/459/original/cb017f0f-7b6c-42fe-9558-33ebd39103ad.png)
6. The database update process will now commence:
![](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/002/744/457/original/40c36540-2aaa-4b05-b8db-7f796827c5c9.png)
7. Within a few minutes, a success message will display:
![](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/003/758/186/original/7e62cc40-61c0-4a6f-b062-9402f820b47e.png)
If an Upgrade Failed message is displayed instead, refer to the Updating WHMCS Troubleshooting section for assistance
8. Delete the install sub-directory from your server.
9. Click the link to return to the admin area.
10. Ensure that the version number on the Admin Dashboard sidebar or in Configuration > System Health is the version you were updating to:
![](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/003/758/160/original/e1508cb5-7308-40f4-8077-aafab20b8d42.png)
The update process is now complete and you can continue using WHMCS, enjoying the new features and stability improvements of the latest update!
We recommend reviewing the Release Notes.