Can I do a paranoid Wordpress upgrade?

[braimee]

Hey everybody,

I'll definitely continue pushing through the Wordpress forums for an answer on this one, but basically I've got a WP 1.5 blog installed. I have downloaded good instructions on how to backup/upgrade to 2.x, but after all the time I put in my blog, I'm still paranoid I might break something.

What I thought I could do is install a 2.x fresh copy (in braimee.com/newblog for example), import all my posts from the gzip of my 1.5 backup, get all my plugins reinstalled, and then rename the directory from braimee.com/newblog to braimee.com/blog (the current URL).

Does anybody know if that "should" work for the most part, or will the tables in the database be hard-coded to include braimee.com/newblog and everything will come crashing down?

Thanks,
braimee

[grant]

Funny you should post this now. I just upgraded mine from 2.0.1 to 2.0.3. Oh, and your method will not work because the databse has to upgrade to the newer version of WP. So if you just installed a new version and then had it call up the same old database you've been using for the 1.5 version of WP, it wouldn't work. Your site would just fail to load trying the above method.

Basically I followed the steps on their upgrade page.

If you do what is listed, and in the order listed, you should be fine. Just remember, backup backup backup. If something goes wrong with your upgrade, that is the only way to revert things back to the way they were before the upgrade attempt. Also, if you follow that list from the upgrade page it tells you which files to delete and not to delete. I found everything to be very straight forward and quite easy when I followed the propper steps listed.

I was like you before my first upgrade attempt. After doing a few WP upgrades I'm actaully quite comfortable doing it now.

If you have any problems, or any other questions, let me know and I'll see if I can help out.

[braimee]

Hey there,

Thanks a lot for your input. I did try the Wordpress upgrade page and most of it went smoothly but I ran into one snag. However, since I had followed another Web page that showed me how to make a good complete backup of my Wordpress setup, I actually nuked EVERYTHING and did a fresh 2.x install and imported the database and so far, so good!

Thanks all,
Brian

[dvessel]

However you do your upgrade the server environment should be mirrored as closely as possible to your test machine and then test the upgrade first locally. Google for XAMP was it for Windows.. And MAMP for Mac.

[grant]

Hey there,

Thanks a lot for your input. I did try the Wordpress upgrade page and most of it went smoothly but I ran into one snag.

What snag did you hit? I'm just bein' curious.

However, since I had followed another Web page that showed me how to make a good complete backup of my Wordpress setup, I actually nuked EVERYTHING and did a fresh 2.x install and imported the database and so far, so good!

Thanks all,
Brian

Well, at least you got it working for you. That's all that should really matter.

[KungFuKarl]

FWIW I recently transferred my WP blog to Bluehost.

I found the following severally necessary for a successful backup:

1. Backup the database via myPHP
2. Backup your themes and plugins directories
3. FTP copy the remote directory to a local location

I don't know if the DB format changed between 1.5 and 2.x. Check the codex on that one. There might be a plugin to import your old messages.

Otherwise, I echo the "read the manual" advice.

Will Fantastico do automatic WP upgrades? I'm holding off for 2.0.4 since I heard there are performance problems with 2.0.3. It would be nice not to waste 30 minutes upgrading individual files once 2.0.4 comes out.

[sesstreets]

DUR!

Keep all the files of your old blog where they are now, make a new folder called new/ or whatever the hell you wanna call it, and install wp 2.0.3 in there.

After that use the new wp 2.0.3 and do an import from an rss feed and point it to your old blogs rss feed url (hoping you have a feed)

Then after thats done zip up everything in your old blog (just incase) and delete the folder, go into options on the new blog and change the option of "where this blog is located"

YOU ONLY HAVE ONE CHANCE TO GET THIS RIGHT!

After thats been changed u will not be able to access the new blog, thats ok though, simple use ftp to move the ENTIRE folder from /new/ to wherever it is you changed it to. and enjoy wp2