HOEI

The images on the left is a screen capture from The Land of Ozz before a WordPress upgrade. The image on the right is a screen capture just after the WordPress 2.2 upgrade was complete.

Step 1: Backup Database Tables and Files!!!

The first step in upgrading a standalone WordPress blog could not be more critical if you are using the default Kubrick theme on your blog. You can not simply backup the database and skip the files on your web server. You will likely make this mistake only once. I have customized the kubrickheader.jpg header image file, sidebar, header, footer, archive, and index pages. The most noticeable affect to the upgrade is the loss of the custom header image and any widgets manually added in the sidebar.

If you have already blown away/overwritten the files in your default WordPress theme without a backup, you have only a couple of options.

1. Recode in all of your widgets, scripts, and custom HTML
2. Ask your hosting provider to restore from last night’s backup.

Option one is my personally preference and it is going to be required to some extent if you are determined to stay with a default theme.   Loosing everything without a backup has happened to me in the past.  The bright side was that loosing all my custom code actually forced me into some much needed house cleaning of my sidebar.   I have never tried the second option and really don’t like that idea much anyway.

Please drop a comment if you are having problems with a WordPress upgrade or if you have some advice to add. Most of my blogs including this one use custom themes. Custom themes will “usually” not be overwritten when using an FTP client to copy your WordPress upgrade to the server. You still should not take chances and you should always backup your entire blog directory structure before an upgrade.