# Error sudo certbot renew --dry-run: Could not decode 'status' ('ready')

**URL:** <https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/error-sudo-certbot-renew-dry-run-could-not-decode-status-ready/64874>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [June 20, 2018, 9:21pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/error-sudo-certbot-renew-dry-run-could-not-decode-status-ready/64874 "2018-06-20T21:21:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![elgolden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a87d85/32.png) [@elgolden](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/elgolden)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 9:21pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/error-sudo-certbot-renew-dry-run-could-not-decode-status-ready/64874/1 "2018-06-20T21:21:42Z")

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Hi Dears

First thank you very much for LetsEncrypt and amazing service.

Im using DigitalOcean Ubuntu with Apache and WP , by mistake i read and executed the Nginx tutorial to install LetsEcnrypt and so i installed Nginx over Apache, while installation went well i lost WordPress, so i stopped Nginx, removed it and reloaded Apache, then again installed Certbot.

Now i followed the Apache tutorial, while all went well with installation i found error with the last step which is renewal, here is the error:

Error :

Cert not due for renewal, but simulating renewal for dry run  
Plugins selected: Authenticator nginx, Installer nginx  
Starting new HHTPS connection (1): [acme-staging-v02.api.letsencrypt.org](http://acme-staging-v02.api.letsencrypt.org)  
Attemping to renew cert (example) from /etc/letsencrypt/renewa/example/config producted an unexpcted error : Deserialization error: Could not decode ‘status’ (‘ready’):  
Deserialization error: Status not recognizd. Skipping.  
All renewal attempts failed. The following certs could not be renewed: /ect/letsecnrypt/live/example/fullchain.pem (failure)

As you see from error, there is instant from Nginx like duplicated settings, what should i do in this case?

Thank you again

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**Author:** ![schoen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/schoen/32/79_2.png) [@schoen](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/schoen)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 9:26pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/error-sudo-certbot-renew-dry-run-could-not-decode-status-ready/64874/2 "2018-06-20T21:26:09Z")

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Hi @elgolden,

I think this is the same problem as

> [@Could not decode 'status' when performing a renew dry run](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/could-not-decode-status-when-performing-a-renew-dry-run/64863):
>
> M…

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![elgolden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a87d85/32.png) [@elgolden](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/elgolden)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2018, 10:00pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/error-sudo-certbot-renew-dry-run-could-not-decode-status-ready/64874/3 "2018-06-20T22:00:32Z")

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Thank you, feel free to delete it to avoid duplicated topics 🙂

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**Author:** ![elgolden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a87d85/32.png) [@elgolden](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/elgolden)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2018, 11:14pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/error-sudo-certbot-renew-dry-run-could-not-decode-status-ready/64874/4 "2018-07-14T23:14:39Z")

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Hi again

It’s been 25 days so i thought this was fixed, i did the following :  
apt-get update  
apt-get upgrade  
apt upgrade

Now i’m running version 0.25.0 but still cant get a renewal, the errors i see are showing Ngix cant restart, however i’m using Apache.

What you suggest?

Thanks

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**Author:** ![stevenzhu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/stevenzhu/32/18864_2.png) [@stevenzhu](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/stevenzhu)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2018, 11:23pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/error-sudo-certbot-renew-dry-run-could-not-decode-status-ready/64874/5 "2018-07-14T23:23:52Z")

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Hi,

Try to check if your server installed Nginx pls.

P.S. you could try to run the command to update authenticator…

`sudo certbot renew -a apache -i apache`

Thank you

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/original/3X/c/a/ca6c06ea1ea201324bba7048c6841ce60236468d.png) [@system](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 11:23pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/error-sudo-certbot-renew-dry-run-could-not-decode-status-ready/64874/6 "2018-08-13T23:23:57Z")

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