Unraveling the Mysteries of Updating WordPress Manually

If you’re one of the many looking to build a website or blog without learning to code, WordPress is likely at the top of your list. Regularly releasing new versions to enhance performance, fix bugs, and address security issues, WordPress is an excellent choice for anyone wanting to create a website quickly and easily. Automatic updates may be a feature for most WordPress sites, but when the update process fails, updating WordPress manually may be the best way to ensure a smooth and secure site. In this article, we will examine how to update WordPress manually.

Step One: Back Up Your Website

Before taking action to update your website, it is essential to first and foremost back up your WordPress site to prevent any data loss. Following the relatively simple backup process could spare you major headaches if something goes wrong during the update. Here are the steps to backing up your website:

1. First and foremost, log in to your WordPress dashboard and install a backup plugin. Excellent options include UpdraftPlus, Duplicator, or WP-DB-Backup.
2. Select your desired backup plugin and activate it. Configure it according to your preferences.
3. Finally, follow the prompts to initiate and complete the backup process.

Step Two: Download the Latest Version of WordPress

After backing up your website, the next step is downloading the most recent version of WordPress. To do this, navigate to the WordPress website and select ‘Download WordPress.’ Save the file to your computer to move on to the next step.

Step Three: Deactivate All Plugins

To prevent any plugin conflicts, the next step before updating WordPress manually is to deactivate all your plugins. Follow these steps to deactivate your plugins:

1. Login to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Select ‘Plugins’ from the left sidebar.
3. Choose all plugins by clicking on the checkbox beside ‘Plugin’ in the table header.
4. Select ‘Deactivate’ from the ‘Bulk Actions’ dropdown menu.
5. Finally, click on the ‘Apply’ button to deactivate all plugins.

Step Four: Connect to Your Website via FTP

To transfer downloaded files to your web server, you need to connect to your website via FTP. File Transfer Protocol, or FTP, is the means of moving files between your computer and web hosting server. Here are the steps to connect to your website via FTP:

1. Start by installing FileZilla FTP client on your computer.
2. Once installed, launch the FileZilla FTP client on your computer.
3. Enter your FTP login credentials, including your server address, username, and password.
4. Click ‘Quickconnect’.

Step Five: Upload the New Files

After connecting to your website through FTP, it’s time to upload the latest WordPress files. Here’s how you can achieve this:

1. Extract the ‘WordPress.zip’ file downloaded earlier to a specific location on your computer
2. Login to your FTP client, navigate to the root directory of your WordPress installation, and delete the wp-admin, wp-includes, and wp-content folders.
3. Select all the files and folders except the ‘wp-content’ folder in the WordPress folder you extracted and upload them to your web server’s root directory.
4. After uploading the files, visit your website to ensure they are accessible and working correctly.

Step Six: Run the WordPress Upgrade Script

The final step is to run the WordPress upgrade script that updates your website’s database to the current version. Here are the steps to follow:

1. In your web browser, visit http://example.com/wp-admin/upgrade.php (remember to replace the ‘example.com’ with your domain name).
2. The upgrade script runs automatically, and you should see a message reading ‘WordPress database upgrade complete’.
3. If everything goes smoothly, login into your WordPress dashboard and reactivate your plugins.

The Bottom Line

Updating your WordPress site manually shouldn’t be overly complicated. Following each of these steps can help get your website up-to-date and more secure. If you’re hesitant about doing it yourself, don’t hesitate to seek WordPress experts’ professional help. Remember to back up your website before an update, as this precaution can save you time and help avoid trouble. Happy updating!