I upgraded this blog today to WordPress version 2.8.3, the latest version released earlier this week.
For the past few years, I’ve followed a 6-step process whenever I upgrade any of my WordPress blogs. This procedure works well for me and results in upgrade success every time, typically in less than 20 minutes.
It would work for you, too, so I recorded those steps in this 10-minute audio blog at ipadio.
If you don’t want to listen to the audio, here are the 6 steps I mentioned:
- Back up your WordPress MySQL database.
- Disable all plugins (yes, every single one) and revert the theme to the WordPress default aka Kubrick.
- Choices:
a) Either – From within your WordPress blog admin, run the WordPress 1-Click Upgrade.
b) Or – If you’re a DreamHost customer (like I am), run DreamHost 1-Click and wait for email confirmation that the upgrade has been done. If you use any other hosting service’s procedure (eg, Fantastico), then use that if you’re confident with it. - Once the upgrade is completed, log in to the blog admin and re-enable the two most important plugins: Akismet and Bad Behaviour, the first line of defence against the spammers and other bad guys.
- Re-enable your usual theme.
- Re-activate all other plugins one by one, testing after each one to be sure they work (here’s a list of the plugins I have running, all of which work with 2.8.3).
In the audio, I mention some specific plugins that I use as part of the 6 steps; here they are with a couple of others that I find handy as well:
- WordPress Database Backup 2.2.2 by Austin Matzko. On-demand backup of your WordPress database.
- WP-DBManager 2.50 by Lester ‘GaMerZ’ Chan. Manages your WordPress database. Allows you to optimize database, repair database, backup database, restore database, delete backup database , drop/empty tables and run selected queries. Supports automatic scheduling of backing up and optimizing of database.
- WP-phpMyAdmin 2.10.3 by Roland Rust, Christopher Hwang. Provides phpMyAdmin from the WordPress admin console.
- Diagnosis 1.2.1 by Niklas Lindblad. Add a debugging page at Dashboard >> Diagnosis.
The audio commentary and this post were prompted partly from a conversation on Twitter earlier today about what you ought to do when upgrading WordPress. Not everyone agrees with things like having to disable plugins or reverting to the default theme, although such steps are what WordPress itself recommends.
What I say is this: disabling all plugins and reverting to the default Kubrik theme before you do an upgrade gives you an environment where you have the least risk of things going wrong, all else being equal. Hard to better that!
Still, you do whatever you think works for you. What I’ve described definitely works for me so I hope you find it helpful.
What else, or different, would you recommend when upgrading WordPress?
Hobson: 6 tips for upgrading WordPress: I upgraded this blog today to WordPress version 2.8.3, the latest.. http://bit.ly/34UUX7
RT @mayhemstudios: 6 tips for upgrading WordPress http://tinyurl.com/m2nb5u via @jangles
RT @mayhemstudios: RT @krystynchong: @tracitoguchi @deakaz: 6 tips for upgrading WordPress http://tinyurl.com/m2nb5u via @jangles
RT @mayhemstudios: RT @krystynchong: @tracitoguchi @deakaz: 6 tips for upgrading WordPress http://tinyurl.com/m2nb5u via @jangles
Six Tips for Upgrading #WordPress: http://tinyurl.com/m2nb5u via @krystynchong @tracitoguchi @deakaz @jangles @mayhemstudios
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@phdinparenting Try disabling your plug ins before upgrading. Also, make sure you back up your site first. Read this: [link to post]
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@GurgleUK I did a back-up, but all that other crap seems like an awful lot of work. Especially with the frequency of upgrades from WP.
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@phdinparenting You’re right, it’s a pain. Problem is if you don’t upgrade eventually you get left behind, until 1 day nothing at all works
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@phdinparenting Try disabling your plug ins before upgrading. Also, make sure you back up your site first. Read this: http://bit.ly/33zGdS
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Tech advice – 6 tips for upgrading WordPress — NevilleHobson.com [link to post]
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Tech advice – 6 tips for upgrading WordPress — NevilleHobson.com http://ow.ly/jGIS
[…] check out my 6 tips for upgrading WordPress including the 10-minute audio […]
[…] check out my 6 tips for upgrading WordPress including the 10-minute audio […]
[…] released last week and I’ve upgraded this blog to that version, 2.8.5. As always, I followed my 6 tips to upgrading WordPress to ensure a smooth and trouble-free […]
Very early UK time, a good time to upgrade primary blog to WordPress 2.9.1. Following my own 6 tips: http://is.gd/5WFTH
RT @jangles: Very early UK time, a good time to upgrade primary blog to WordPress 2.9.1. Following my own 6 tips: http://is.gd/5WFTH
@robram you mean disable plugins, etc, before upgrading WordPress? Good practice. http://is.gd/5WFTH
@jamescridland total time to upgrade WP less than 20 mins = all the prep I do: http://is.gd/5WFTH Actual s/w upgrade less than 5 mins.
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@jamescridland total time to upgrade WP less than 20 mins = all the prep I do: [link to post] Actual s/w upgrade less than 5 mins.
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Very early UK time, a good time to upgrade primary blog to WordPress 2.9.1. Following my own 6 tips: [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
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RT @jangles: Very early UK time, a good time to upgrade primary blog to WordPress 2.9.1. Following my own 6 tips: [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
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@robram you mean disable plugins, etc, before upgrading WordPress? Good practice. [link to post]
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6 tips for upgrading WordPress http://bit.ly/aFJleg
6 Tips on upgrading WordPress http://icio.us/nc1co5
@podcaststeve here's my "6 tips for upgrading WordPress," I've followed this for past few years with zero issues: http://bit.ly/aHRIBM
@KrishnaDe every WordPress upgrade, no matter how minor it seems, I follow my own advice http://bit.ly/aHRIBM
Valuable advice from @jangles: every WordPress upgrade, no matter how minor it seems, I follow my own advice http://bit.ly/aHRIBM
RT @KrishnaDe Valuable advice from @jangles: every WordPress upgrade, no matter how minor, I follow my own advice http://bit.ly/aHRIBM
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@KrishnaDe every WordPress upgrade, no matter how minor it seems, I follow my own advice [link to post]
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Valuable advice from @jangles: every WordPress upgrade, no matter how minor it seems, I follow my own advice [link to post]
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RT @KrishnaDe Valuable advice from @jangles: every WordPress upgrade, no matter how minor, I follow my own advice [link to post]
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@podcaststeve here’s my “6 tips for upgrading WordPress,” I’ve followed this for past few years with zero issues: [link to post]
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@marketingwizdom if you're hapopy :) I've always gone back to bare bones when upgrading WordPress, works for me. http://bit.ly/aHRIBM