The Best Way to Upgrade a Manual WordPress Installation — Importing WordPress to SimpleScripts

WordPress features an automatic upgrade option since version 2.7, which apparently often works. Great. But what if it doesn’t work? Or what if you manually installed a prior version?

The detailed WordPress manual upgrade instructions inform you that indeed, you don’t want to perform a manual upgrade. So you feel stuck with say, Wordpress 2.3.2. And you are depressed.

Actually, you are merely a few clicks away from an up-to-date Wordpress installation. I show you what to do, below.  I do however make one assumption: your web host features SimpleScripts. Most do.

Life Improvement Through Software Import

First, we will import your manual installation to SimpleScripts. The entire process can be carried out via the SimpleScripts dashboard.

The first step is to locate the SimpleScripts button in your host’s cPanel.

Then find the WordPress link.

In the WordPress menu, click on the “Import” button.

Once on the import page, you’ll see two import options. One is to import from a manual installation. Enter the url of your manual installation in the text box.

If everything went well, your imported installation is listed as shown below. Now your WordPress installation is managed by Simple Scripts.

Next is the fun part: upgrading to the latest and greatest WordPress.

Life Improvement Through Software Upgrade

Under your installation listing, click on “Upgrade Available.”

At the upgrade page, be sure to read carefully where it says “Read Carefully!”

It would be prudent to follow the listed precautionary steps. Certainly you want to deactivate your plugins. Backups are good, too.

When you’re ready, agree to the legal terms and click on “Upgrade Now.”

Back at the SimpleScripts page, your newly updated WordPress installation will be listed.

Now is a good time to log in to the WordPress dashboard, activate your plugins, and make sure your blog looks right. If not, you will need to restore from backup, or tweak a few files. I never had any problems with an upgrade, though.

You’re almost done. In fact, maybe you are done. But most likely the automatic upgrade did not bring you to the latest version of WordPress since you imported from a manual installation, and the “Upgrade Available” link is still shown.

So, now you can again deactivate your plugins, and iteratively upgrade using Simple Scripts. First click on “Upgrade Available,” and then repeat the previous upgrade process. To be extra safe, you can activate your plugins, make sure your blog looks good, then deactivate your plugins each time.

Finally, your WordPress installation will be up to date, with no upgrade option shown.

Now you have the latest version of WordPress. Awesome! I recommend logging in to WordPress and checking out some of the new features.