How to update my modified 3.2.1 blog to 3.3

If you have made changes only in your theme and which is not Twentyten or TwentyEleven, then you can upgrade to the newer version without any fear.

Thanks for reply Orpatech

I’m using TwentyEleven. Am I totally f***ed then?

(Besides changes I recalled i my initial question I also altered header, footer and sidepanels)

Is it possible to upgrade from 3.2.1 to 3.3 without losing all modifications I have made in the editor?

Let that be a lesson to you young man, child themes are your friend!

Kidding of course. ?? It’s (probably) not the end of the world. You only made changes to the TwentyEleven theme?

Give this a try:

1. Backup your files and database. Easy advice and always step #1.

https://codex.www.ads-software.com/WordPress_Backups
https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Backing_Up_Your_Database
https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Restoring_Your_Database_From_Backup

2. Once that’s done, make a copy of the wp-content/themes/twentyeleven directory to something new like wp-content/themes/twentyeleven-frisyren.

3. Edit wp-content/themes/twentyeleven-frisyren/style.css and change the second line from

Theme Name: Twenty Eleven

to

Theme Name: Twenty Eleven Frisyren's Copy

Go into the https://your-blog-url/wp-admin/themes.php and select the theme copy you’ve just made.

You should be now using that separate copy of the theme and everything should look fine.

4. Now get the 3.3 download from https://www.ads-software.com/latest.zip and do a manual update.

https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Updating_WordPress#Manual_Update

I’m suggesting manual update because you do not want to mix and match files. The upgrade process now does incremental updates (I think, I’m an SVN addict myself so it doesn’t come up for me as an issue).

If something goes catastrophically wrong then restore your files and database and you’ll be back to square one.

Thanks a lot Jan!

Why doing something the easy way when you can complicate it? ??

Sounds a bit complicated (I’m at that level!!) but I will sort that out I hope.

I don’t really understand how a child theme works either and how you easily can
update with it. But just a thought, can’t I download 3.2.1 again and copy my content into it and let my current setup be the child?

Regards Frisyren

Sounds a bit complicated (I’m at that level!!) but I will sort that out I hope.

Eh, that’s not too bad. Try playing with add_filter() or add_action() now THAT’S complicated!

Making a copy of that theme directory and editing the copy’s style.css file is really simple. I just added the other items in to be complete.

If you just do steps 3 and 4 you’ll probably be fine. Although good file and database backups will save you someday…

You only made changes to the TwentyEleven theme?

I kind of missed your initial question or rather I did not fully understood what you meant.

Yes I made changes to theTwentyEleven theme, but I been all over in the editor, style.css, functions.php, header.php, footer.php and probably some more places.

In step 3. Copy wp-content… Do you mean the content.php then?

Thank you for taking your time, much appreciated.

/Frisyren

Yes I made changes to theTwentyEleven theme, but I been all over in the editor, style.css, functions.php, header.php, footer.php and probably some more places.

I figured that was the case. Since you are not sure what changes you made it’s easier to just make a new copy of the twentyeleven theme into a new directory called twentyeleven-frisyren.

You’ll still need to edit the copy’s style.css file and select that theme (Twenty Eleven Frisyren’s Copy) but once you do that you should be fine.

Ye, the upgrade button is tempting, but I read you lose every modification you’ve done if doing so, and I don’t want to lose mine.

Struggled hard for my modifications, read dozens of pages for every change so its 2-3 days of work to restore that…

Correct me if wrong

Cheers

but I read you lose every modification you’ve done if doing so, and I don’t want to lose mine.

You’re not wrong, but that’s why I asked if your changes were restricted to the themes/twentyeleven directory.

If you only made changes in that directory then the steps I gave you above will get you through this problem.

If you modified core files outside of the themes directory then that would be very bad. But from what you’ve stated that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Just modifying the Twenty Eleven theme is not that bad and all you need to do is copy the whole directory, modify the copy’s style.css file, select it and you are good to go.

It is really critical that you make backups and know how to restore those backups. If something goes really wrong, those backups will save you hours of grief.

The other thing you can do is make a backup of your site. Copy EVERYTHING down to your PC. Then export your database and save THAT locally too.

Run the upgrade. Then copy JUST that modified 2011 folder back up. You should be fine. And if not? Hey look! You have a backup! ??