Support

There is no way you are using Akeeba Backup 5.2.5 for the simple reason that this class has been removed from Akeeba Backup back in April 2016. Unfortunately the middle bit of the message that you redacted would have told me which leftover file this comes from. If I had that information I could help you. Without it all I can tell you is that this issue happens because your Akeeba Backup version is not up to date OR you have a leftover plugin OR you have a leftover file AND you are using PHP 7.1 with which only Akeeba Backup 5.2.3 and later would be compatible.

So my temporary solution to get the update working is to downgrade to PHP 7.0. After the upgrade please switch back to PHP 7.1 and copy the middle part of the error message which has the file path (you can remove everything before public_html in the path, we don't need it). Then I'll tell you how to fix the real issue with the out of date files. But please do try the temporary downgrade to PHP 7.0 to install the Joomla! security release before we do anything else whatsoever.

OK, now it makes perfect sense. This error DOES NOT come from the code we distribute as it is obvious from the error message. It comes from com_joomlaupdate (the Joomla! Update component) which is part of Joomla! itself.

The real problem is that Joomla! is using an EXTREMELY OUTDATED version of our file which is NOT compatible with PHP 7.1.

Unlike Joomla!, we regularly test our software against modern versions of PHP. In fact, we have been testing our software against the Release Candidates of PHP 7.1 since August. I have personally fixed this issue with PHP 7.1 compatibility in our code on September 8th, 2016. All versions of Akeeba Backup, Akeeba Solo and Akeeba Kickstart released after that date (i.e. Akeeba Backup for Joomla! 5.2.4 and later, Akeeba Backup for Joomla! and Akeeba Solo 2.0.3 and later and Akeeba Kickstart 5.2.0) are NOT affected by this issue.

I have already tried to submit a new version of that file to Joomla! since many months ago. It has obviously not been included in Joomla!. I do not know why Joomla! chose to ignore me, the developer of this file, when I offered an update or why they chose to include an old version of said file with known issues and incompatibilities with modern versions of PHP. Your guess is as good as mine.

I understand your frustration with being unable to update and your confusion when you see our company's name in the error message. However, Akeeba Ltd has done everything in our power to PREVENT this from happening. It is the Joomla! project's incompetence that has lead to this issue.

Since this is a problem with Joomla! itself and they are already aware of our fix I suggest that you contact them and demand that they fix this issue by simply upgrading to the latest version of restore.php. The Joomla! forum and the Joomla! issue tracker would be great places to let them know that by ignoring the developer of the software they chose to include in Joomla! they are causing a problem to you, the users of Joomla!. I've tried making that argument, it was like talking to a brick wall. Please, do let them know.

In the meantime please do follow my advice to downgrade temporarily to PHP 7.0. This will allow that outdated file to work properly and install the update on your site.