PrestaShop 1.7.0 to 1.7.8: the only 1.7 that runs PHP 7.4
Staying on 1.7.0 while your host drops PHP 7.1, 7.2 or 7.3 breaks the shop outright: only 1.7.8 supports PHP 7.4 within the 1.7 branch.
Signs this is the migration you need
- Your host announces the end of PHP 7.1, 7.2 or 7.3 support soon and only offers PHP 7.4 or higher.
- After a host-forced PHP change, the back office or front end throws a Smarty-related fatal error without any module having been touched.
- Your shop is still on 1.7.0, 1.7.1 or an earlier sub-version than 1.7.5, and you don’t know how far it can go on PHP without changing sub-version.
- A provider or host has suggested jumping straight to PHP 8 without changing PrestaShop version to fix a hosting issue.
What this move actually changes inside the 1.7 branch
Unlike a jump to 8 or 9, migrating from 1.7.0 to 1.7.8 stays within the same major branch: architecture, theme and database structure don’t change. The real issue is PHP compatibility. Sub-versions 1.7.5 to 1.7.8 are the only ones supporting PHP 7.2; only 1.7.8 supports PHP 7.4. A shop still on 1.7.0 to 1.7.4 doesn’t run under PHP 7.4: not incompatible modules, it’s PrestaShop’s core itself that isn’t built for that PHP version.
That becomes concrete when a host removes older PHP versions, as 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3 fall out of upstream maintenance. If the shop isn’t at least on 1.7.8 when the host cuts pre-7.4 versions, it stops starting.
One thing needs to be clear: moving to 1.7.8 only fixes this temporarily. No 1.7 sub-version, not even 1.7.8, runs under PHP 8. The 1.7.8.x line went into security-only maintenance after PrestaShop 8 shipped, and that phase ended when PrestaShop 9 arrived: no longer covered at all. 1.7.8 is a stopover towards PHP 7.4, not a lasting fix.
How I handle this minor update
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Checking the exact sub-version
I check the shop’s exact 1.7 sub-version and the current and target PHP version with the host, to know how far it needs to go.
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Full backup
SQL dump and full file copy before anything, even for a minor update: lower risk than a major jump, but not zero.
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Updating via the autoupgrade module
I bring the shop up to 1.7.8 with autoupgrade, which handles minor updates like this one as well as major version jumps.
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Testing on a copy when the timeline allows
When the deadline allows, I test the update on a copy first; otherwise I work outside peak hours. I also check that modules declare compatibility covering 1.7.8, since some publishers froze their declaration on an earlier sub-version without an actual code problem.
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Planning what comes next
Once 1.7.8 is stable on PHP 7.4, I plan the real migration with you, to PrestaShop 8, the only way to get PHP 8 compatibility.
How I check nothing was lost
Even on a minor update, I compare order, customer and product volumes before and after, to make sure autoupgrade didn’t leave anything behind. I test checkout and main pages under the new PHP version, and watch the PHP error log over following days, to spot a module that worked on the old sub-version but chokes under PHP 7.4.
Related pages
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Moving PrestaShop to PHP 8
What the PHP version change involves, once 1.7.8 is reached.
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PrestaShop migration from 1.7 to 8
The real migration to plan once stable on 1.7.8, to get past the PHP 7.4 ceiling.
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Checklist before a migration
What to check and back up before any update, even a minor one.
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Changing host while migrating PrestaShop
If your host is dropping PHP 7, a chance to weigh up a hosting change too.
Describe your need in one minute
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