Upgrading WordPress (just do it, will you!)

The release of WordPress 2.8 is "tentatively" scheduled for 10th June. It looks like the release may even happen on time, so make sure you're ready to upgrade.

How to upgrade if you're running WP 2.7 or 2.7.1

If you are a good person running the latest version of WordPress, then upgrading will be easy for you. A button will appear on your desktop asking if you wish to upgrade: click the button. Probably everything will then happen automatically, though some hosts may require that you input your FTP details. Check over your blog to make sure nothing's broken, and you're done.

How to upgrade if you're running WP 2.6 or lower

photo credit: gumuz

You are a BAD person! Keeping your WordPress install up-to-date helps to keep it secure. With older versions, security vulnerabilities may have been discovered, so you leave yourself open to having your blog turned into a walking advert for cialis and porn. Plus you miss out on cool new features, and more up-to-date themes and plugins may not work for you.

The bad news is that this time, you'll have to upgrade manually, though the better news is that this will be the last time you'll need to do that. Here's what you need to do:

Backup. Make sure you have the backup files, and that they work. I have to say that I have never had anything go wrong with a WordPress upgrade before now [touch wood], but you should make regular backups of your blog anyway, in case of server failure or hacking. It's tempting to skip this step, but you're taking a risk.
Download and unzip the latest release from wordpress.org (never, ever download WordPress from anywhere else)
Deactivate your plugins: some plugins may be incompatible with a newer release, so it's best to disable them before you upgrade, then re-enable one by one so you can spot any problems. If you have caching plugins, disabling those is especially important. The Codex has a list of plugins whose compatibility with WP2.8 has been established.
via FTP, upload your new copy of WordPress to overwrite your old files.
If you've made modifications to the WordPress default theme, bear in mind that theme has changed as of WP2.7, so you'll need to either avoid overwriting it with the new version, or be prepared to make your changes again.
go to your normal wp-admin page with a browser, and follow the upgrade instructions from there
reactivate plugins and make sure your blog works.

Need a hand?

Sounds scary? It's not really. But if you're really too nervous to do it, I'll upgrade your WordPress for you: just give me a shout (or leave me a comment).

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