Hi there,

I'm just trying to Forest Gump my way through WordPress and I created a basic WordPress Web site 2 years ago with the Atahualpa theme. I now understand I need to upgrade my WP version.

I understand I should also upgrade my Atahualpa theme to 3.7.3.

Could you please so kind as to share the url of where I would download version 3.7.3 so as to upgrade?

How might I then FTP the 3.7.3 files/folders over to my WordPress Web site?

Or would be it be more advisable to use some plugin?

Thanks so much.

See HOWTO: upgrade Atahualpa to a new version

Hi Juggledad,

This is not an easy task for a newbie so I ask for your understanding.

This is very complicated the first time. Maybe when one does this regularly it becomes easier but right now this is full of lots of steps.

I need to upgrade my WordPress version along with the Atahualpa theme.

I read your helpful post.

I was reading in another place that before I upgrade WordPress I should back up WordPress with something called the plugin WordPress Database Backup to back up the database. Is that the best approach?

If so, might you please share the url to this plugin WordPress Database Backup so that I could download it?

Would it be best to then use this same plugin WordPress Database Backup to back up my Atahualpa theme?

Or would I use a different DataBase Backup plugin to back up my Atahualpa theme?

If so, could you please share the url to that Atahualpa theme DataBase Backup plugin?

So, then once I have the plugin WordPress Database Backup installed on my hard drive I would launch it and it would automatically back up WordPress? Presuming that it works to then automatically backup my Atahualpa theme, I should have all the files needed in case either of the upgrades goes badly, is that correct?

Now, once backed up I would first need to install the new WordPress version, correct?

I'm not sure how I would manually install the new WordPress version?

Is there a way to manually install the new WordPress version?

I've only read about clicking upgrade now that's supposed to magically appear somewhere in WprdPress?

Or do I have to visit some Web site to obtain the new WordPress version?

Once I have the new WordPress version installed, then I need to turn my attention to installing the new my Atahualpa theme, correct?

I would vsiti http://wordpress.bytesforall.com and somewhere I would find the new Atahualpa theme?

Is it under New Themes or something similarly named?

Then I unzip the new Atahualpa theme.

Your explanation states...

D) Copy in your images, deleting the supplied images
at this point, you can copy in your favicon, delete the theme supplied header images and add your own images into the header.

- I don't know what a favicon is or if I have one? The supplied images - are they dated or how can I detect which ones to delete? What images would I add into the header?

E) Check for any patches
Go to the 'New Versions, & Updating' forum (http://forum.bytesforall.com/forumdisplay.php?f=12) and review and PATCHES/BUGFIX's for the release and apply them.

- How does one "apply" patches for the Atahualpa theme?

H) Upload the theme folder to your host
FTP the new version's folder to the 'wp-content/themes' themes folder on your host. Put each version in a new folder like atahualpa353, atahualpa364 etc. (See http://forum.bytesforall.com/showthread.php?t=4887 for an explaination of FTP)

Note: You can also re-zip the theme at this point and then use Wordress and add a new theme and select this zipped file.

- Um... I'm totally lost on this step. I know I can FTP in Windows Explorer using XP Pro to drag and drop folders. How do I know which folders to drag over?

I) Activate the theme
Go to the Wordpress Dashboard, Appearances, Themes and activate the new version. With the theme versions in different folders, you can switch between versions in case you missed something.

- How does one "activate" the new version at that point? Will a pop up box appear with an activate box to check?

Thanks for all your help and patience.

The instructions for a manual update are pretty straight forward and many of the things you are asking such as how to activate a theme and where can you download the newest version of WordPress is basic WordPress info. With that in mind it would be quite difficult to give you a step by step since you don't appear to understand some of those basics. You also ask for links to the theme and to plugins which are all available on wordpress.org and quite easy to find.

The instructions for manually installing WordPress are available at wordpress.org but you may be able to do the auto upgrade depending on how old your current version is.

This may sound like I don't want to help you but from what you are asking it seems like the best course of action might be to set up a test site and do a trial run of an install and manual upgrade. You might also look around wordpress.org for tutorials etc.

If you are unable to follow the directions in the post that I pointed you to (and wrote) you might be best off finding a friend who is more computer savy and asking them to teach you how to do it and have tehm make you do it under thier watchful eye. Eithor that or you should hire someone to do this type of technical work for you.

As for finding links to plugins, one word: google
that's what I would have to do to answer your question....

What are the security issues or are there just feature updates addressed by version 3.7.3 from the Atahualpa version of 2010?

Thank you.

bug fixes and feature additions

Thank you so very much for all your help.