Fixing the magic_quotes error when installing Drupal 8

When manually installing Drupal 8, you may run across a common error after uploading the files. This error is in regrds to the magic_quotes settings of your server. If they are incorrect you will see an error message like this:

What does this error mean?

Don’t be alarmed. The error simply means that there are a couple of settings named magic_quotes_gpc and magic_quotes_runtime that need to be set to Off in order for the Drupal 8 Install program to run. These settings are located in your php.ini file and are easily disabled by following the instructions below.

How to turn off the magic_quotes settings in php.ini

1. Log into your cPanel.
2. Once in the main cPanel area, look for the Files category and click on the File Manager. Once inside, locate the php.ini file. This is generally located in the public_html folder.
3. Using the File Manager Code Editor, open the file and look for the settings for magic_quotes_gpc and magic_quotes_runtime. Ensure they are set to Off. Additionally, ensure there is no semicolon (;) at the beginning of the line of code for the settings.

   Before

   ; magic_quotes_gpc On
   ; magic_quotes_runtime Off

   After

   magic_quotes_gpc Off
   magic_quotes_runtime Off
4. After adjusting the settings appropriately, click on the Save Changes button in the upper right corner to save the new settings.

You should now be able to continue with installing Drupal 8 without issue by re-visiting your website. The error should now have disappeared.