Legacy Software Rescue
When the Developer Is Gone
Your site or app runs on software that’s out of support, the original developer has moved on, and nobody wants to touch it. We take it over, secure it, and upgrade or migrate it safely.
- End-of-Life CMS Upgrades
- Abandoned Code Takeovers
- Security First
Shipping production software since 2014
Unsupported Software Is an Open Door
Unsupported platforms stop receiving security fixes. Every vulnerability found after the end-of-life date stays open for good, and attackers scan for exactly those sites. That’s why the Australian Signals Directorate made “replace or mitigate legacy technologies” the first critical action of its 2026 Cyber Action Year.
In August 2026, Drupal.org counted 273,967 sites (42.8%) still running end-of-life Drupal versions. No official Joomla 3 core patch has been available since February 2025. Magento 1 has been out of support since June 2020.
The pattern is always the same: the agency that built it has gone, the plugins were abandoned, the code is undocumented, and the person who understood it left years ago. Meanwhile it still holds member, customer or payment data.
We Take Over
What Others
Won’t
Touch
We Take Over What Others
Won’t Touch
We Take Over What Others
Won’t Touch
We are software engineers, not designers. Legacy rescue starts with a forensic review: what’s running, what’s exposed, what’s been modified and what the code actually does. Then we stabilise it, patch what can be patched, and plan a safe path off the unsupported platform.
We work on Drupal 7 to 10, Joomla 3 and 4, Magento 1 and 2, legacy PHP and custom applications whose original developers have disappeared. Where an upgrade is possible we upgrade. Where it isn’t, we migrate your content, users and integrations to a supported platform without losing what works.
You get a clear plan, fixed-quote stages and engineers who will still be around next year.
Platforms We Rescue
Why Legacy
Rescue
Matters Now
Why Legacy Rescue
Matters Now
Why Legacy Rescue
Matters Now
Drupal 10 Ends 9 December 2026
Drupal 10 reaches end of life on 9 December 2026. Sites still on it, and every Drupal 7, 8 and 9 site, need an upgrade plan now.
Joomla 5 Goes Security-Only
Joomla 5 moves to security-only support on 13 October 2026, and Joomla 4 support ended in October 2025. Joomla 3 sites have been unpatched for years.
Breaches Start Here
Unsupported software is one of the easiest ways in. If your platform is end of life and holds personal information, your board will want evidence you’ve dealt with it.
Of Drupal Sites on End-of-Life Versions (Aug 2026)
Drupal 7 Sites Still Live (Aug 2026)
Years Shipping Production Software
Business Days to Your Rescue Plan
How It Works
Tell us what’s running and what’s worrying you. We’ll tell you honestly what we see and whether we’re the right fit.
Step 2: Forensic Review
& Rescue Plan
We review the code, platform, plugins and hosting, find what’s exposed, and give you a fixed-quote plan to stabilise, upgrade or migrate.
Step 3: Stabilise,
Then Modernise
We close the urgent holes first, then move you onto a supported platform in tested stages, with your content, users and integrations intact.
Brands We Have Helped
What People Say
Makes the Magic Happen
“Love the professional finishes . Dustin and the team know how to make the magic happen.”
Sam Hunter
Corporate Headshot Photographer
Always Shows Up
“I have hired Pixelbird many times to build websites and to host. I recommend Dustin and his team without question.”
Kym Bolger
Social Media Marketing
Responsive Professionalism
“Dustin is friendly and good to work with. He is good at finding better ways to provide solutions and automate the processes.”
Ivan Huang
CPA
What You Can Expect
What You Get
Pixelbird
Typical Agency
First Step
With Us
Forensic review of what you actually have
With Them
A quote to rebuild from scratch
Security Holes
With Us
Urgent issues patched before any rebuild
With Them
Left open until the new site launches
Custom Code
With Us
Read, documented and carried forward
With Them
Thrown away
Content & Users
With Us
Migrated with redirects and rankings protected
With Them
Copy-paste and broken links
Integrations
With Us
AMS, CRM and payment links rebuilt properly
With Them
Dropped or bolted on later
Platforms
With Us
Drupal, Joomla, Magento, PHP and custom apps
With Them
WordPress only
Testing
With Us
Automated tests before each release
With Them
Click around and hope
Pricing
With Us
Fixed quotes for each stage
With Them
Open-ended hourly billing
Documentation
With Us
Clear docs so you’re never stuck again
With Them
Knowledge lives in one person’s head
After Launch
With Us
Care plans that keep it patched
With Them
Handover and goodbye
Frequently Asked Questions
Our developer has disappeared. Can you take over?
Yes, that’s most of our legacy work. We start with a code and access review so you know exactly what you have, then take over hosting, updates and fixes, or plan a migration.
Can our end-of-life site be patched instead of rebuilt?
Sometimes, for a while. We can close known holes and harden the server, but an unsupported platform keeps collecting new vulnerabilities. We’ll give you an honest timeline for moving off it.
Which platforms do you work with?
Will we lose our content or Google rankings?
Not if the migration is done properly. We move content, users and media, keep or redirect every URL, and check search visibility before and after launch.
How much does legacy rescue cost?
It starts with a fixed-price review so you get a clear plan before any build work. Upgrades and migrations are then quoted at a fixed price for each stage.