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edited May 22, 2015 at 10:18

dewd

Create a backup copy of the files in the WordPress folder.
Create a backup of the WordPress database. (make sure you know how to restore a database if you need to - we use heidisql to backup and restore).
Copy all site files to a local web server and set up the local web server to have exactly the same domain as your live site. On a windows machine editing c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts to add 127.0.0.1 example.com is required to ensure the browser resolves to the local machine.
Make a list of all active plugins.

Deactivate all plugins

Upgrade all plugins

Upgrade WordPress, following steps as proompted including upgrading database.

Before activating plugins, see if any more plugins need updating (this can happen - even if you've already completed a round of upgrading them)

Activate each plugin which requires activation 1 by 1. If you're prompted to upgrade plugin at this stage, upgrade it.

Test the site on both the front and back ends. If you get any unrecoverable errors, restore the back up site files to your local server and restore your live backup database and start again from step 6. If you get the same issues again, you may need to do some research into how to resolve them before going any further. If you need to restore you old live site in the meantime, restore the database, and then follow steps 14 and 15 below.

Following successful testing of the site on your local machine, copy the files from your local installation back to your live WordPress folder.

On your local machine, comment out # the entry made in your hosts file in 4 above.

Reverse what was done in 1) above by:

a) Changing web server config to point to live WordPress site. b) Restoring 404 redirect to what it was before you changed it

Test your site on the live domain.

Note that even though you'll only be upgrading files locally initially, you will be upgrading the live database, and any database backup's/ restores etc refer to the live database ie that used by the live site.

Make a list of all active plugins.

Deactivate all plugins

Upgrade all plugins

Upgrade WordPress, following steps as proompted including upgrading database.

Before activating plugins, see if any more plugins need updating (this can happen - even if you've already completed a round of upgrading them)

Activate each plugin which requires activation 1 by 1. If you're prompted to upgrade plugin at this stage, upgrade it.

Test the site on both the front and back ends. If you get any unrecoverable errors, restore the back up site files to your local server and restore your live backup database and start again from step 6. If you get the same issues again, you may need to do some research into how to resolve them before going any further. If you need to restore you old live site in the meantime, restore the database, and then follow steps 14 and 15 below.

Following successful testing of the site on your local machine, copy the files from your local installation back to your live WordPress folder.

On your local machine, comment out "#" the entry made in your hosts file in 4 above.

Reverse what was done in 1) above by:

a) Changing web server config to point to live WordPress site.

b) Restoring 404 redirect to what it was before you changed it

Test your site on the live domain.

Create a backup copy of the files in the WordPress folder.
Create a backup of the WordPress database. (make sure you know how to restore a database if you need to - we use heidisql to backup and restore).
Copy all site files to a local web server and set up the local web server to have exactly the same domain as your live site. On a windows machine editing c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts to add 127.0.0.1 example.com is required to ensure the browser resolves to the local machine.
Make a list of all active plugins.

Deactivate all plugins

Upgrade all plugins

Upgrade WordPress, following steps as proompted including upgrading database.

Before activating plugins, see if any more plugins need updating (this can happen - even if you've already completed a round of upgrading them)

Activate each plugin which requires activation 1 by 1. If you're prompted to upgrade plugin at this stage, upgrade it.

Test the site on both the front and back ends. If you get any unrecoverable errors, restore the back up site files to your local server and restore your live backup database and start again from step 6. If you get the same issues again, you may need to do some research into how to resolve them before going any further. If you need to restore you old live site in the meantime, restore the database, and then follow steps 14 and 15 below.

Following successful testing of the site on your local machine, copy the files from your local installation back to your live WordPress folder.

On your local machine, comment out # the entry made in your hosts file in 4 above.

Reverse what was done in 1) above by:

a) Changing web server config to point to live WordPress site. b) Restoring 404 redirect to what it was before you changed it

Test your site on the live domain.

Create a backup copy of the files in the WordPress folder.
Create a backup of the WordPress database. (make sure you know how to restore a database if you need to - we use heidisql to backup and restore).
Copy all site files to a local web server and set up the local web server to have exactly the same domain as your live site. On a windows machine editing c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts to add 127.0.0.1 example.com is required to ensure the browser resolves to the local machine.

Make a list of all active plugins.

Deactivate all plugins

Upgrade all plugins

Upgrade WordPress, following steps as proompted including upgrading database.

Before activating plugins, see if any more plugins need updating (this can happen - even if you've already completed a round of upgrading them)

Activate each plugin which requires activation 1 by 1. If you're prompted to upgrade plugin at this stage, upgrade it.

Test the site on both the front and back ends. If you get any unrecoverable errors, restore the back up site files to your local server and restore your live backup database and start again from step 6. If you get the same issues again, you may need to do some research into how to resolve them before going any further. If you need to restore you old live site in the meantime, restore the database, and then follow steps 14 and 15 below.

Following successful testing of the site on your local machine, copy the files from your local installation back to your live WordPress folder.

On your local machine, comment out "#" the entry made in your hosts file in 4 above.

Reverse what was done in 1) above by:

a) Changing web server config to point to live WordPress site.

b) Restoring 404 redirect to what it was before you changed it

Test your site on the live domain.

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created May 22, 2015 at 10:11

dewd

I have just upgraded a large WordPress site through a number of environments, taking each one completely offline whilst I performed the upgrade. We're using IIS as the web server, but since I appreciate most people use Apache, I'll try and keep the steps as generic as possible to apply to both setups.

These are the steps:

Take site offline (bear in mind we did this in IIS, so if using Apache, you would need to use Apache's config to do this):

a) Take a note of how 404 redirects are done in the web config. You'll need this later. Change 404 redirects to point to root of the site, e.g. http://example.com

b) Change web server config to point to a holding page in a separate folder structure to the one holding the WordPress site. We set up just one file, index.html with a "Website in maintenance" message.

The site is now shutdown and cannot be accessed or updated. It is effectively static whilst you upgrade it - unless you have another web config pointing to the WordPress folder. If you do, take this offline in the same way.

Create a backup copy of the files in the WordPress folder.
Create a backup of the WordPress database. (make sure you know how to restore a database if you need to - we use heidisql to backup and restore).
Copy all site files to a local web server and set up the local web server to have exactly the same domain as your live site. On a windows machine editing c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts to add 127.0.0.1 example.com is required to ensure the browser resolves to the local machine.
Make a list of all active plugins.
Deactivate all plugins
Upgrade all plugins
Upgrade WordPress, following steps as proompted including upgrading database.
Before activating plugins, see if any more plugins need updating (this can happen - even if you've already completed a round of upgrading them)
Activate each plugin which requires activation 1 by 1. If you're prompted to upgrade plugin at this stage, upgrade it.
Test the site on both the front and back ends. If you get any unrecoverable errors, restore the back up site files to your local server and restore your live backup database and start again from step 6. If you get the same issues again, you may need to do some research into how to resolve them before going any further. If you need to restore you old live site in the meantime, restore the database, and then follow steps 14 and 15 below.
Following successful testing of the site on your local machine, copy the files from your local installation back to your live WordPress folder.
On your local machine, comment out # the entry made in your hosts file in 4 above.
Reverse what was done in 1) above by:

a) Changing web server config to point to live WordPress site. b) Restoring 404 redirect to what it was before you changed it
Test your site on the live domain.