Today WordPress version 2.9 has been released by WordPress.Org This release is a major release with many changes and addition of various features.
Here we will discuss how to upgrade wordpress from version 2.8.x to 2.9 automatically and then how to do the upgrade manually. First we will make sure how to backup the current WordPress 2.8 install before we move on to WordPress 2.9
Backup your current WordPress blog
If you have any recent backup of your wordpress blog already, then its fine to skip this step, you can keep it as the backup and continue to the next step
If you don’t have recent backup, do this:
1. Goto file manager, and zip all your files, and then download the files to your hard disk. If you dont have file manager access, you can login via ftp, and download the complete folder.
2. Goto mysql database manager (phpmyadmin usually) and then export your database from there, and save it on your hard disk.
Now as the backup is done, you can proceed to the next step.
Automatic Upgrade of WordPress from version 2.8.x to 2.9
If you want to upgrade the wordpress from 2.8.x to 2.9 automatically, first make sure that your settings are working fine. To check them, simply goto the plugin manager, and try to install some new plugin, and enter the ftp details, if the plugin gets installed fine, then it means you can use same settings for the wordpress upgrade from 2.8.x to 2.9 too.
Goto wordpress admin. When on the dashboard, goto the end of the page, you will see on the right bottom of wordpress 2.8:
Get Version 2.8.9
Clicking on it will take you to the next page where it will ask you to backup your files and database before trying to upgrade from WordPress version 2.8.x to 2.9 (that we have already done before)
You can also do the upgrade from the link on the top of the wordpress admin asking you to upgrade to WordPress 2.9
or from the left menu tools > upgrade
This will take you the the page where you will be asked to backup your files and database before you attempt to upgrade your WordPress from wordpress 2.8.x to wordpress 2.9
Upgrade WordPress
Important: before upgrading, please backup your database and files.
There is a new version of WordPress available for upgrade
- You can upgrade to version 2.9 automatically or download the package and install it manually:
Make sure you have the backup and click on Upgrade automatically. Next page will ask you to enter the ftp login details, and then it will start upgrading.
Please note, that when you start the upgrade, the dashboard will keep on loading for some time, so don’t panic, it will load soon (it usually dont take long! but if it does, then just be patient) and donot interrupt the process.
Once the upgrade is successful, you will see this message:
Upgrade WordPress
Downloading update from https://wordpress.org/wordpress-2.9.zip.
Unpacking the update.
Verifying the unpacked files
Installing the latest version
Upgrading database
WordPress upgraded successfully
This means that the automatic upgrade from version 2.8.x to 2.9 for your WordPress was successful.
If there was any error in it, state it below in comments.
Manual Upgrade of WordPress from version 2.8.x to 2.9
If you want to upgrade manually from WordPress version 2.8.x to 2.9 simply follow:
Download the package from the wordpress.org official site.
First thing first again! make sure you made a backup of your files and database before before trying to upgrade from WordPress version 2.8.x to WordPress 2.9.
After making sure that you made the backup (and have it on your harddisk, not on server) there are two ways of upgrading manually. One is to simply upload the zip file to the sever and extract it, it will over write all the files that it needs to. This method is to be used by only those who know what they are using, and whats the directory structure that it will form when it will unzip. If you are not sure, then follow the other method for manual upgrading of WordPress 2.8.x version to WordPress version 2.9
If you are not sure how will the above method behave to do a manual upgrade of WordPress, simply use a ftp client (like filezilla) and upload the files to the server from the zipped wordpress 2.8.1. When prompted, simply accept to replace all the files. You can chose to do this action for all files in the current cue, so that you dont need to press ok for every file which filezilla or any other ftp client will be replacing.
This will upgrade your WordPress from 2.8.x to 2.9 manually.
Again! if you feel any difficulty or have any issues, do let me know! I will try my best to sort if out for you!