Title: Clarification on WordPress update ?
Last modified: August 20, 2016

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# Clarification on WordPress update ?

 *  Resolved [maharg](https://wordpress.org/support/users/maharg/)
 * (@maharg)
 * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/clarification-on-wordpress-update/)
 * The release of version 3.2 advised “You’ll notice in your first update after 
   3.2 that we’ll only be updating the files that have changed with each new release
   instead of every file in your WordPress installation…”
 * With the exception of making the essential backups, disabling plugins, etc. why
   then the need for the rather convoluted process described in “Upgrading WordPress
   Extended”. Surely now, with the support for incremental upgrades, this should
   not be necessary ?
 * Perhaps I’m missing a vital point here ?

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

 *  [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/)
 * (@esmi)
 * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/clarification-on-wordpress-update/#post-2210858)
 * Manual upgrades may require you to upload all files. It’s going to vary from 
   situation to situation. Having details of how to upgrade every file isn’t going
   to hurt, is it?
 *  Thread Starter [maharg](https://wordpress.org/support/users/maharg/)
 * (@maharg)
 * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/clarification-on-wordpress-update/#post-2210887)
 * Hi Esmi,
 * Yes I understand that but as a WordPress beginner, rightly or wrongly I’ve understood
   from various blogs and other sources of info, that the only safe way to update
   the installation is – not to use the automatic update, but to use the process
   as described in ‘Upgrading WordPress Exended’.
 * Should one use auto update by default and only resort to manual update when problems
   occur ?
 * Hopefully you’ll put me right on this !
 *  [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/)
 * (@esmi)
 * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/clarification-on-wordpress-update/#post-2210911)
 * > the only safe way to update the installation is – not to use the automatic 
   > update, but to use the process as described in ‘Upgrading WordPress Exended’.
 * Whilst that might have applied some time ago when automatic updates were only
   available via 3rd party plugins, it’s no longer the case. WordPress has its own
   1-click automatic update that you can use quite safely. However, it is still 
   recommended that you backup your database, deactivate all plugins and switch 
   to the default WordPress theme before carrying out an automatic upgrade.
 * > Should one use auto update by default and only resort to manual update when
   > problems occur ?
 * Yes.
 *  Thread Starter [maharg](https://wordpress.org/support/users/maharg/)
 * (@maharg)
 * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/clarification-on-wordpress-update/#post-2210986)
 * Esmi – excellent !
    many thanks for being so helpful
 *  Thread Starter [maharg](https://wordpress.org/support/users/maharg/)
 * (@maharg)
 * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/clarification-on-wordpress-update/#post-2210987)
 * Well – I started this thread because I was hopefully looking forward to a simpler
   upgrade path afforded by the incremental upgrade feature.
 * I’d forgotten one major problem – shared servers and the consequential file ownership
   issue!
 * The website I’m working on is hosted on a shared server so the 1-click automatic
   update isn’t going to work. So regretfully it’s back to manual upgrades !
 *  [andyartooz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/andyartooz/)
 * (@andyartooz)
 * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/clarification-on-wordpress-update/#post-2211024)

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

The topic ‘Clarification on WordPress update ?’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Installing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/installation/)
 * 6 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [andyartooz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/andyartooz/)
 * Last activity: [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/clarification-on-wordpress-update/#post-2211024)
 * Status: resolved

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