Downgrade from 2.5 to 2.3.3

I’d say: delete WP (but keep your hands off the database) and upload and install 2.3.3. Undoubtely somebody has a better suggestion.

Hmm yeah… It sounds dangerous, this suggestion of yours. I’ll wait until someone answers, without the addition of “undoubtedly somebody has a better suggestion” ??

With any other, less destructive operation, I would have followed the lead and tried it out.

But, come to think of it: I do have a test site….

I think basically for downgrading you just gotta get the 2.3.3 files back on the server and restore the 2.3.3 wordpress database files.

Hope you have a good dump of your previous db. Use phpmyadmin if your db is smaller than 2MB or BigDump is your db is larger. This will get you your old db back.

Also change the wp-admin and wp-includes from the 2.5 install with the ones from the 2.3.3 install.

That’s what I did and had no problem. 2.5 was crashing my server.

Carlito, there isn’t much danger in deleting WP files since all data is in the database. In fact, it is advised to delete (except a few) when upgrading in the WP documentation. The only thing to keep an eye on is that you don’t forget to save the files in which you made changes. On the other hand, if you don’t have to go through it, it wouldn’t do it myself. It is the way I moved back to an older WP in the past and after that I made a test site with which I can mess as much as I want and try new versions before I put it on the real website (always handy).

Reverting to 2.3.3 from 2.5 without restoring the database will render you unable to log in to the blog. The password hashing changes cause this.

In short, restore the database backup you made before you upgraded. If you made one. If you didn’t, then you’re outta luck.

*Sigh*… I have no DB backup from before the upgrade, silly me. I thought I had tested enough when I saw WP running, so I deleted it to save space. Bummer.

I guess there’s no way back. This is a lesson to learn for me, but I have a workaround for my main problem: uploading images. So there’s no man overboard.

Thank you all for the feedback, I’ll set this topic to resolved.

Well, if you absolutely *have* to, you might be able to revert without restoring the database. You’d have to manually fix your password fields via this method:
https://www.tamba2.org.uk/wordpress/phpmyadmin/

right. you would need a backup of the old database coz 2.5 modifies it on upgradation.

Next time don’t worry about saving space on your host just download the database backup to your own system – and then you can delete it off the host as long as the backup is viable.

You need to have backup to your mysql and then overwrite your includes and also admin folder.

I actually had an issue with password after I downgraded but managed to reset it and has no problem with login now ^^

I did not backup my theme though so now I’m having problem with my theme ;~;

Actually, you don’t need the old database at all. This is how I did it..

Export your data out as an XML file (use the “all” authors setting if there’s more than one)

Delete (or move to another directory) the version 2.5 files

Create a new database

Upload the version 2.3.3 files, and install as “new”

Log in and delete the placeholder post (“hello world”). Also make sure that you re-create all the author names, if there is more than one.

Import in the XML file. (NOTE: If you have a lot of data, you may need to adjust the “upload_max_filesize” setting in php.ini..if you don’t have access to this file, contact your host..my host was very cooperative)

That should do it. In my case, my theme was slightly out of whack, but nothing big.

Good luck, and long live 2.3.3!

BTW, the reason I downgraded is because version 2.5 caused a couple of strange database errors, and it was overall just too slow and buggy.

*bumping* this up in case anyone else is interested

Hello guys ??

I noticed that my 2.3.3 never accepted to import the xml export file, probably because this is a 7 MB large file.
Say, Darkpress, if we edit the upload_max_filesize to a smaller value, does that mean wordpress can import the xml file in several attempts (like phpmyadmin when importing a big sql dump) ?

Given I made already many blog notes since the installation of 2.5, either I use the way you suggested, Darkpress, either I do a restore of html files with a reset of the password…

The upload_max_filesize needs to be a LARGER value than 2MB, and php.ini needs to be copied to the wp-admin directory, otherwise, the import of the XML file will fail, if it’s bigger than 2MB.

If you have a backup of your database from version 2.3.3, it’s better to use that. I had to use the XML method because I didn’t backup (yeah, stupid, I know) and version 2.5 messed up the database.

The XML method does work. Email me if you need assistance.

silverstategal [at] gmail [dot] com