Title: update to 3.0 while completely changed theme?
Last modified: August 19, 2016

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# update to 3.0 while completely changed theme?

 *  [jooosty](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jooosty/)
 * (@jooosty)
 * [15 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-to-30-while-completely-changed-theme/)
 * I’m currently using wordpress 2.9.2 along with the titan 2.9.2. I completely 
   customized the theme including changes in all kinds of files such as index.php,
   header.php, sidebar.php etc and ofcourse the css-file.
 * I’ve got 2 questions:
    – Can i safely update to WordPress 3.0 (while not upgrading
   the theme to 3.0) without having my website completely being destroyed? – Is 
   there a way to work with some kind of a child theme in which you can also change
   the php-files? That way I could update the theme without any worries and my changes
   could remain.
 * Thanks in advance!

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

 *  Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * (@ipstenu)
 * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist
 * [15 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-to-30-while-completely-changed-theme/#post-1549619)
 * > Can i safely update to WordPress 3.0 (while not upgrading the theme to 3.0)
   > without having my website completely being destroyed?
 * Depends. What folder is your theme in? If it’s in /default, I THINK you’re okay
   this time, but I would strongly suggest making a backup first.
 * > Is there a way to work with some kind of a child theme in which you can also
   > change the php-files?
 * Yes 🙂 [http://op111.net/53](http://op111.net/53)
 *  Thread Starter [jooosty](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jooosty/)
 * (@jooosty)
 * [15 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-to-30-while-completely-changed-theme/#post-1549638)
 * The folder in which my theme is, is: wp-content/themes/titan.
    I already made
   a backup, but is it possible to safely return to 2.9.2 after having done the 
   upgrade to 3.0?
 * I read that tutorial in advance, but the thing is: they are focussing in that
   instruction on the css file. They don’t really mention any new files you make
   in your child theme concerning the php files which are in the theme…
 *  Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * (@ipstenu)
 * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist
 * [15 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-to-30-while-completely-changed-theme/#post-1549644)
 * Your theme will be fine until you upgrade that theme 🙂
 * Once you make your child css file, you can put your altered php files in the 
   new child folder, and THEY will be called instead of the parent versions. 🙂
 * As for downgrading, make a good backup of your database and ALL files before 
   you upgrade, and you’ll be okay.
 *  Thread Starter [jooosty](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jooosty/)
 * (@jooosty)
 * [15 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-to-30-while-completely-changed-theme/#post-1549653)
 * ok, tnx a lot!
 * but is when making the child theme php files, is it possible to only change the
   things you want to change, an let the rest be called from the parent folder?
 *  Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * (@ipstenu)
 * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist
 * [15 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-to-30-while-completely-changed-theme/#post-1549656)
 * Yes 🙂 That’s exactly how it works.
 * Make the CSS to point to the parent, and make any CSS CHANGES you need. You only
   need to put the changed css in the style.css file.
 * Then put ONLY your changed php files in that folder.
 * The rest get called by the parent 🙂 Done. Have a beer.
 *  Thread Starter [jooosty](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jooosty/)
 * (@jooosty)
 * [15 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-to-30-while-completely-changed-theme/#post-1549660)
 * haha, the beer won’t be a problem 😛
 * little last (off-topic) question:
    what’s a good programm to backup the whole
   WordPress setup?
 * You already deserve a beer 😉
 *  Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * (@ipstenu)
 * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist
 * [15 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-to-30-while-completely-changed-theme/#post-1549671)
 * > what’s a good programm to backup the whole WordPress setup?
 * I just do it manually. Copy everything from my public_html folder every night
   to my backup drive (See [http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Backups](http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Backups)
   for basic directions). But. There are some plugins that can do this if you need
   help.
 * [http://pluginbuddy.com/purchase/backupbuddy/](http://pluginbuddy.com/purchase/backupbuddy/)–
   Costs money, but is highly recommended by some people I trust 🙂
 * [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-backup/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-backup/)–
   Free but only does the files, I think.
 * There are a lot more here: [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/tags/backup](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/tags/backup)

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

The topic ‘update to 3.0 while completely changed theme?’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Installing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/installation/)
 * 7 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/)
 * Last activity: [15 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/update-to-30-while-completely-changed-theme/#post-1549671)
 * Status: not resolved

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