Title: Trouble upgrading WordPress Last modified: August 19, 2016 --- # Trouble upgrading WordPress * [davidlyness](https://wordpress.org/support/users/davidlyness/) * (@davidlyness) * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trouble-upgrading-wordpress-1/) * I currently have WordPress 2.8.4 and am attempting to upgrade it to 2.8.5. However, every time I attempt the “upgrade automatically” option and enter my username and password, I get something along the lines of the following error message: * “Downloading update from [http://wordpress.org/wordpress-2.8.5.zip](http://wordpress.org/wordpress-2.8.5.zip). * Unpacking the update. * Could not copy file: /public_html/wordpress/wp-content/upgrade/wordpress-2.8.5/ wordpress/wp-comments-post.php * Installation Failed” * This happens whether I use the FTP or the FTPS method of upgrading. It seems that there is some issue with permissions, but I’m not sure which permissions to change, I’ve tried to leave them all at their defaults. I sometimes have the same problem with plugins, but multiple attempts at installing the plugin (often only one more attempt after the first failed attempt) seem to result in a successful installation. * Any thoughts on how I can fix this? Thanks very much in advance! Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total) * [dragonsjaw](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dragonsjaw/) * (@dragonsjaw) * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trouble-upgrading-wordpress-1/#post-1251362) * I had that problem with a past upgrade. THIS WORKED FOR ME: * All you need to do is rename the folder upgrade to ‘upgrade1’ (or remove) and then rerun the upgrade automatically link. WP will recreate the upgrade folder and proceed. (wp-content/upgrade) * And make sure you have disabled plugins first * hth ~bobbi * Thread Starter [davidlyness](https://wordpress.org/support/users/davidlyness/) * (@davidlyness) * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trouble-upgrading-wordpress-1/#post-1251420) * I tried the steps you suggested, but the problem still seems to persist. * Thread Starter [davidlyness](https://wordpress.org/support/users/davidlyness/) * (@davidlyness) * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trouble-upgrading-wordpress-1/#post-1251508) * Bump. * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trouble-upgrading-wordpress-1/#post-1251509) * > Could not copy file: /public_html/wordpress/wp-content/upgrade/wordpress-2.8.5/ > wordpress/wp-comments-post.php * Is that file there in the upgrade folder? * My guess is either the source (i.e. the upgrade folder) isn’t downloading correctly, or the destination has incorrect permissions. * WordPress should have these permissions: [http://codex.wordpress.org/Changing_File_Permissions](http://codex.wordpress.org/Changing_File_Permissions) * Also, who owns the WordPress files? Is it your ID or someone else? * Thread Starter [davidlyness](https://wordpress.org/support/users/davidlyness/) * (@davidlyness) * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trouble-upgrading-wordpress-1/#post-1251513) * The file is there in the upgrade folder. * The WordPress files are owned by my user ID, but they’re in the ‘nobody’ group( apart form the upgrade folder, which is both owned by me and in the group ‘myuserid’). As far as I can tell from the URL you provided, my permissions are correct – I could not find the cgi-bin folder on my server though, I suspect the hosting provider keeps those files somewhere else. * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trouble-upgrading-wordpress-1/#post-1251514) * I bet it’s the nobody group that’s killing it :/ I would, at a guess, see if I can change the group to ‘myuserid’. Your ISP might be able to help. * If that fails, try making the files 777 and then running the upgrade. If that works, change it back to 755 and we’ll have to see if we can sort out the group thing. * Don’t worry about cgi-bin, by the way. * [tomazl](https://wordpress.org/support/users/tomazl/) * (@tomazl) * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trouble-upgrading-wordpress-1/#post-1251518) * Hi! * I read all the posts and tried every suggested hint. Nothing worked. Then I just backuped the whole WordPress installation to a local drive, deleted WordPress installation on server and copied backup back to server. Automatic upgrade then worked like a charm on first try :). Take care about any directories/files that may need special rights re-established. * I hope I will not have similar upgrade problems later on when new upgrade becomes available. I know this is not a real solution, more like time saver workaround. * Thread Starter [davidlyness](https://wordpress.org/support/users/davidlyness/) * (@davidlyness) * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trouble-upgrading-wordpress-1/#post-1251520) * Hi, * I tried what tomazl suggested – I backed up my original installation, and then copied all the files to my local machine, and then back to the web server. This changed the group to my user ID. I attempted to perform the upgrade, but I ran into the same error. * I then tried changing every file in the directory to have permissions 777, but the upgrade failed again, with the same error. * As an extra note, a plugin upgrade is failing too – Google Reader Shared is attempting to upgrade to v4.0.1, but I’m fairly sure it’s not a problem with this particular plugin, as the built-in WordPress upgrade feature doesn’t seem to be working either. * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trouble-upgrading-wordpress-1/#post-1251521) * > I backed up my original installation, and then copied all the files to my local > machine, and then back to the web server. This changed the group to my user > ID. * YAY! * > I attempted to perform the upgrade, but I ran into the same error. * Delete this folder: `/public_html/wordpress/wp-content/upgrade/` * Recreate the folder (make SURE it’s owned by you:you) * Then try the upgrade. * Thread Starter [davidlyness](https://wordpress.org/support/users/davidlyness/) * (@davidlyness) * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trouble-upgrading-wordpress-1/#post-1251522) * I tried the steps you suggested, but the same problem keeps happening. It’s not always the same file in that ‘fails’ the upgrade – for example, just now I got“ Could not copy file: /public_html/wordpress/wp-content/upgrade/wordpress-2.8.5/ wordpress/wp-admin/includes/taxonomy.php”. * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trouble-upgrading-wordpress-1/#post-1251523) * What are the perms and ownership on that file? * Something’s weird on your server permissions, is all I can think. When WP downloads into that folder it does it as nobody and gets stupid… * Thread Starter [davidlyness](https://wordpress.org/support/users/davidlyness/) * (@davidlyness) * [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trouble-upgrading-wordpress-1/#post-1251527) * The permissions on the file are 644, group and owner both myuserid. Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total) The topic ‘Trouble upgrading WordPress’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [installation](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/installation/) * [upgrade](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/upgrade/) * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 12 replies * 4 participants * Last reply from: [davidlyness](https://wordpress.org/support/users/davidlyness/) * Last activity: [16 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trouble-upgrading-wordpress-1/#post-1251527) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics