Marketing with WordPress and More

When I log into my WordPress blogs and see a notice at the top of the screen that there is a new version of WordPress, I feel excited and nervous at the same time.

WordPress is ever-improving. With each upgrade I happily anticipate the new features and fixes. At the same time, I feel anxious because sometimes the upgrade process causes problems.

Fortunately there are steps that you can take to up the odds that your upgrade will be successful. 

How to Upgrade WordPress

Note: If you want to be extra careful, follow the advice of WordPress expert Leanne King: install the new version of WordPress on a test site before you install it on your real site. Upload the plugins and theme that you’re using on your ‘real’ blog to the test site and activate them. If everything goes well on the test site, all should go well with your upgrade.

…

If you have a recent version of WordPress you’ll be able to do an Automatic Upgrade to the latest version. You’ll see the alert at the top of your screen when you log into your WordPress blog. You can also go to the Tools -> Upgrade menu.

If an automatic upgrade isn’t possible for any reason, or you run into problems, you can try the Three Step Manual Upgrade on the WordPress Codex.

STEP 1: Backup your WordPress blog’s database AND the rest of your WordPress files

Why? Sometimes something goes wonky during an upgrade, ruining part or all of your blog. Having backup copies of your blog files will be essential if you need to restore something that is damaged or deleted. Don’t count on your web host for a full backup. Have your own on hand!

To learn how to backup your database and all of your WordPress files see: Easy WordPress Backup

STEP 2: Deactive ALL of your plugins

Why? Plugins can cause conflict with the upgrade process.

STEP 3: Upgrade WordPress using the Automatic Upgrade option or Three Step Manual Upgrade

STEP 4: Reactivate your plugins one by one, checking to see if everything is fine after each activation

If you notice any problems, deactivate the plugin that seemed to cause the problem. If the problem resolves, it’s the plugin. Continue to activate ALL of your plugins one by one to see if more problems occur. If any plugins seem to be causing issues, keep them deactivated and visit the plugin developer’s site(s) to see if they will give you a fix.

STEP 5: If the problem isn’t resolved by deactivating or updating plugins:

• it may be a problem with the WordPress theme that you’re using. Visit the theme developer’s site to see if they have a fix
• it may be one of the common problems that can occur with WordPress upgrades. See the link below to the WordPress Codex for more information. The descriptions on the Codex can be very technical, but there are often helpful links to sites that offer clear directions: WordPress Common Installation Problems
  
• search and ask for help on the WordPress support forums: Using The Support Forum

Note

In general, you’re less likely to have problems if you’re using WordPress plugins and themes that are made by reliable developers.

For example, one of my favorite developers, Eric Hamm of frugal Theme, offers regular updates of his theme to address possible problems. Proactive developers like Eric often test the beta version of each WordPress update so they can adjust their product when the new version is available to the rest of us.

To learn more about good WordPress themes, see my popular post: Best Wordpress Theme

FAQs

Is upgrading WordPress free? Yes, and upgrading your theme and plugins is usually free too, but sometimes there is a fee if you’re using premium themes and plugins.

Do I have to upgrade WordPress? It’s best that you do. Each upgrade offers important improvements and fixes. Often there are security fixes, so if you don’t apply them your blog will be vulnerable to hackers.

Do I need to upgrade WordPress right away when I see the notice that there is an upgrade available? The sooner the better, yes. If you must delay for any reason, don’t wait longer than a month.

Can I go back to older versions of WordPress after the upgrade? Yes, but it’s usually not recommended to rollback (revert) to older versions. The fixes and changes in structure in each upgrade will make it more likely that you’ll have problems when reverting.  Also, if you don’t have a backup of your WordPress database and files prior to your upgrade, a successsful rollback is almost impossible.

My blog is a mess after the upgrade. How do I restore it? You may have to delete everything, do a manual install of WordPress (see: Upgrading WordPress), reinstall your plugins and theme and restore your database.

To restore your database, see  Restoring Your Database From Backup

My blog was hacked. What can I do? Try these steps to restore it: Hacked

~ Lillea Woodlyns

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