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In step three of the upgrade 2x to the latest 2x is says to do the following:
3.  Restore Modified Files

  Restore the following files from your backup:
      system/expressionengine/config/config.php
      system/expressionengine/config/database.php
  Restore the following folders from your backup:
      system/expressionengine/language/ (if you are using a language pack or previously modified the English language files)
      system/expressionengine/third_party/
      system/expressionengine/templates/
      themes/third_party/ (if it exists, and any additional third-party theme folders you had previously)

Do I have to restore from backup or is this just if I have made changes to these files (which I have not)?

I also just upload my files, I do not do the step where I rename the system folder to something else and then upload the new update. I wonder if step 3 pertains to those who have done that step? If so, those of us who do not rename the old system folder and upload the new system folder just leave things alone?

Recommendation:
You need to create steps for people who just upload like I do. And steps for those who rename their system folder something else and then upload the new update into a new system folder. Then you need to clearly separate the instructions for these two different steps. The way you have it now is too confusing. I am unsure of which instructions pertain to me and which don’t.

Hi Jose B,

Those files and folders listed are the only spots in your EE install that uploading a new set of EE files (from the download package, for the purposes of an upgrade) will overwrite, assuming you’re following instructions. Because of this, we ask you to make a backup of these files.

For example, your config.php and database.php files will contain configuration information in them necessary for your EE site to operate. The config.php and database.php files contained in a fresh download of EE are blank. So after you upload those to your server, you’ll need to restore the backup of config.php and database.php to system/expressionengine/config/.

Similarly, if you’ve added anything to

system/expressionengine/language/
system/expressionengine/third_party/
system/expressionengine/templates/

...other than what’s included in a fresh download of the EE software, you’ll need to restore those files to your installation as well.

These are the recommended steps to upgrade and update your installations of EE. If you choose to follow another route, please be aware that we cannot support those methods. If you run into a snag or break your site doing so, the first thing we’re going to ask you to do is follow the upgrade steps to the letter.

We’re not going to be writing up two separate methods for updating installations for the very reason that it would be unnecessarily confusing for end users. Our instructions do pertain to you, but it sounds like you’d rather not follow them. Like I said, that’s ok, but be aware that it may cause unreliability in your system.

Kevin I think we may be misunderstanding each other. And remember, I am just trying to figure something out before I proceed. So I was surprised by your answer

Our instructions do pertain to you, but it sounds like you’d rather not follow them.

I do not see where you get the idea that I do not want to follow instructions. I also would not have put it that way. 32 years of customer service has taught me that. I am just asking a question so that I can figure out what has to be done, how to proceed. I am a paying customer and should be respected as such. Never scold the customer. I am very disappointed about that. Back to my question.

The step I do not follow is this one:

Tip: Following these steps can ease the update process:

• Download ExpressionEngine and rename the system folder to system_new
• Upload system_new to the same location as the live system folder
• Rename your live system folder to system_old
• Rename system_new to the previous name of the live system folder.

Kevin, As it says “Tip” I did not get the impression that it has to be done that way.

What I am trying to determine is what are the upgrade instructions, meaning Does step 3 pertain only to those who follow the above “Tip”?

Is it because the upgrade version is the same as a new install version and hence that is why some files have to be replaced? Because a fresh install has files which as you mentioned are blank. I thought an upgrade was just an upgrade and not the same as a fresh install version of EE. Am I right in this new insight of mine?

If the update has to be done as per the above tip then I will do it that way. Let me know if that is so. Still even then it would bring up other questions which I will leave for some other time.

Please take the tone of this thread as one trying to figure things out before proceeding. I am confused about the instructions and if nothing else want to ensure that I do not mess up my websites. Half of my EE sites I do for others who rely on me to do things right. Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. And remember, I do not have your insight into this yet. So be nice.

Hi, Jose.

Upgrades are a series of files that you replace during an install process. It always is a good idea to rename your existing system folder so if you need to put things back, you can. I tend to do a slightly different method, I rename my system folder to /system_old - or any sort of different folder name. Then I copy over the system folder from the unzipped file and do the same thing with the /themes folder. I then backup the admin.php file and the index.php file in the root folder.

The images folder I tend to leave alone, since it is rarely updated.

We don’t distribute changed files only, we distribute the whole thing. So you’ll have empty config.php and database.php files, which you’ll need to replace with the /system_old versions. If you fail to do so, EE thinks it’s a brand new install.

So back to the upgrade - after ftping up the /system and the /themes folders, you’ll need to copy across the third_party folder, any /themes/third_party with the exception of the safecracker_file folder. That’ll be the newer one.

Then once you’ve copied over the new index.php and admin.php, making changes to them as needed, you visit http://example.com/admin.php and the update will be ready to be started.

Does that help?

Yes Sue, that helps. I now understand that the different versions of EE are not just an upgrade but all the files needed for a new install too. So that is why certain files need to be re-uploaded from our backup. I should have realized this when there were not two versions of EE per version (such as an upgrade and a full install version). You have to forgive me. My military training (10 years Navy) taught us to have specific step by step instructions and to give them that way to, which I am not good at. The military has to do it this way as people’s lives are at stake. I am spoiled by this way of receiving instructions and when they are not that way my mind tries to see various scenarios where the “ball can be dropped” or where problems can arise. So hence my questions. Thank you for being patient with me.

Hi Jose,

Let me apologize if I came across harsh. That wasn’t my intention at all, and I certainly wasn’t trying to scold you. I understood that you were asking a question because you were confused, but your confusion seemed to stem from trying to use an alternative method for upgrading without understanding why we recommend upgrading the way we do. In that case, the way to alleviate confusion is to follow the directions. Once you understand the process, you can then start modifying it to fit your desired workflow.

You seemed to be saying that our instructions should be molded to fit your way of doing things, and otherwise, they don’t pertain to you. I was simply letting you know that they pertain to all users upgrading EE, and Sue helped outline some of the reasons why. If you find a reliable method for updating your systems that doesn’t follow those instructions, that’s totally fine. The instructions we have written up, however, have proven to be the easiest to understand for newer EE developers. For simplicity’s sake, we need to keep a single, prescribed method of updating EE.

Like Sue said, we only distribute a full package of all the EE files. New installations and upgrades alike can come from this package, so the upgrade instructions are important to follow so that upgrades go through smoothly.

Is there anything else we can help you with?

Thanks Kevin. I appreciate what you posted. I accept your apology.

I now see what has to be done, its scarry. Let’s see if I can upgrade one site tomorrow. Cheers. Close out this thread.

Jose

Glad we could help. Let us know if you have any trouble with the upgrade and we’ll be glad to help out again!