hj

Just picking up this thread again because a weird thing has happened…truly weird!

As mentioned previously, I succeeded in upgrading from 2.9.2 to 3.1.4, with only the minor glitch of an image widget not working correctly.

I’ve been busy since then, but today had a little bit of time to continue the upgrade process. So I went to log in to my admin to be greeted with the message that my database needed upgrading – and it wouldn’t let me go any further without hitting that button. So I hit the button and all was upgraded in the twinkling of an eye and I was allowed to log in.

But it was with no small measure of surprise that when greeted with the dashboard it clearly stated I was running WordPress 2.9.2.

WHAT!!!!

How can it be possible to have successfully upgraded to 3.1.4, then two weeks later log in again to find you are back on 2.9.2…???

I have logged in using several browsers, all caches and history cleared, and they all say the same…I’m running 2.9.2.

So apparently I uploaded all those new version files, upgraded the database, visibly saw that I was running 3.1.4, checked out the site and the admin (discovering the image widget glitch)……..but then log in 2 weeks later to discover it was all a dream?

WHAT IS GOING ON!!!!!!!

The whole (lengthy!) point of this process is to make sure the upgrade works. Reducing your site to the most minimal config is a way to do that.

Surely the upgrade works every time – it’s just the bits bolted to it (theme, plugins etc) which may not work. ??

My upgrade (so far!) to 3.1.4 has revealed that the theme is ok, but that several plugins have given up the ghost.

Believe me when I write this: Brother, I don’t blame you! ??

Seems like we’ve all been there, then!

Or if you can post a link to that theme then perhaps something close can be found that works with the latest version of WordPress.

The Z-Herald theme is totally off the radar these days. It was a free theme by Jinsona Designs https://www.web2feel.com/ but it’s not on their site any more. Bear in mind we’re going back at least 7-8 years here!

Hugh

Hi Jan,

Thanks for the reply!

That is what I was trying to avoid….having to upgrade every single release ?? Hence the question about the ‘milestone’ releases, ones that can’t be missed!

But you may be right and I’ll just have to do every blinking one… *sigh*

I’ve read the Codex page and have it bookmarked. I deactivate my plugins, and then upload/replace all files and folders EXCEPT wp-content and wp-config.php. I don’t change the theme and don’t know why I should need to…??

I don’t want to leave the theme to last – it’s an old theme and I need to know at which version it breaks apart. I don’t want to do seven laborious updates in TwentyTen and then find my theme (Z-Herald) doesn’t work!! I want to get to the latest working version with my theme intact, and run at that. I can then consider new themes which might be suitable to replace replace the existing one.

Hope that makes sense!

cheers
Hugh

thanks Tarun.

I just had a look at Webmaster Tools…..I’m already an hour in and none the wiser. Could take me all day!

I really don’t need a complex analytics tool…..I just want to stop Google at the front door. Shouldn’t require an IT degree, should it?….

regards
HJ

Hi Marios, thanks for the thoughts.

No, I’ve heard that robots.txt isn’t google-proof! I’m trying to find what is.

Regardless of the presence of my robots file, I still think it ‘matters’ that WP has a specific checkbox effectively saying “don’t index me”, but then outputs files that say “do index me”. I think that matters, because it’s craziness!

As for the meta tag, no I’m not using any SEO plugin – not yet, anyway. I have no idea if there’s anything in the theme that outputs the tag, ‘twould need a geek to know that ??

regards
HJ

I’m sorry you don’t feel people with visual disabilities are worth accommodating.

I’m not saying that at all, James. But truth be told you could have supported large text in edit fields long, long before now ?? What I am saying is that the reason you put forward is not the whole story!

You’re using a version of WordPress that’s 5 years old. That’s 5 years of bug fixes, and 5 years of security fixes, you’re missing. Of course some things don’t work as expected.

Well, they worked absolutely faultlessly for 5 years – the phishing attack has nothing to do with the operability of 2.9.2, although it may well say something about its security, I accept that.

But the point is it’s just code, and the code worked. Now there’s a slight glitch with it. I’m just trying to fix the glitch. I don’t intend changing my car just because the radiator’s leaking.

We do not support old versions of WordPress here.

Ah well, such are the times we live in…

Thanks for you patience and help, though – your links and tips are appreciated.

Hugh

Incidentally, I downloaded a fresh zip of 2.9.2 from that archive list you gave me (thanks). I’ve uploaded wp-admin and wp-include folders over the existing ones and lo behold some functionality has returned – well, at least hard carriage returns are recognised! Standard carriage returns still not reacting, though. On a typewrite you do 6 carriage returns you get six lines of space. Do that in my wordpress and you get none.

The text size was increased to improve readability for the wide variety of our users, including those with visual disabilities.

Come on, James, stop being so p.c.!! It’s all in the name of responsiveness, isn’t it! Don’t dress it up in health considerations, coz I’m getting sore finger-itis from having to scroll so much… lol

I can’t see any plugins with anything about Custom Fields. These are my plugins:

Blog in Blog
Category Posts Widget
Category Show
Easy Contact
Exclude Pages from Navigation
Executable PHP widget
FV All in One SO Pack
Highslide for WordPress
Image Widget
INclude It
Microkid’s Related Posts
Page Blocks
Page Menu Editor
Picasna
RB Internal Links
Recent Photos
Show Post Shortcode
Vibe SEO Pack
vSlider
Wordpress Download Monitor
WordPress Menu Sorting
wp-cache
WP-CMS Post Control
WP-PageNavi
WP Post Columns
wp-search
WP Super Cache
XWidgets

Thanks for the tip on 3.5, I might try upgrading that far.

cheers

but if it’s already broken at 2.9.2

It’s not much broken, just a bit of formatting trouble in the WYSIWYG…and even that isn’t the end of the world, just a bit untidy!

I downloaded 4.1.1 to have a look at it on my MAMP server. Wow!….it’s horrible, isn’t it! What on earth have they done to the editing window? The text inside it is huge (is this a childrens’ playbook?), you can’t drag out the edit window to make it bigger, the ‘Word friendly’ coloured toolset has gone mono and dull (for instance, you can’t see what text colour you have for instant colouring), excerpts and custom fields have disappeared…..I daren’t look further!

I guess this is all in the name of the holy grail, ‘responsiveness’ ?

What’s the most recent WP version

without

a responsive admin design? My site template isn’t responsive, I certainly don’t need responsiveness for admin, and I’d rather have the better, older edit interface.

Well I could send you a screen shot that proves it’s there!!… It says “You are using WordPress 2.9.2” and to the right is a button engraved with “update to 4.1.1”

Thanks for the link. But looks like way too much trouble! I haven’t even any idea how many versions there have been twixt then and now, but I sure ain’t going through all that mularkey. I’ll be copy-pasting into Blogger, I think! lol

cheers

Hi James,

No, I meant replace them from the original ‘pristine’ download, which I still have as an archived zip. Just not sure which might be the pertinent files..?

So there’s a big button winking at me on my dashboard saying ‘upgrade’…straight to 4.1.1. Should I hit it?…!

Come to think of it, I guess I was wondering if anyone knew which files control the posting interface / WYSIWYG bits of the admin. Might start with replacing those files.

bernbe and Jose, thanks for your answers.

I’ve heard about Wordfence but can’t install it because it requires WordPress 3+….. ??

Which brings me to jose’s suggestion of upgrading. That’s a fair point, and there is a button in my admin which says UPDATE to 4.1.1 or whatever. I’m tempted to hit that button….but am also afraid that what might happen might be worse than what I’m living with at the moment!

The point is my installation was working fine and I’d never have seen any need to upgrade – I drive an old car, I’m not a believer in upgrading! OK, I hear you say, but you might have avoided that phishing attack if you’d upgraded earlier. Yes I might. But the painless working of the site for 5 years, without tinkering, essentially makes me perfectly happy to run on old software – if it ain’t broke….

OK, it’s broken now, or something is very slightly broken (I think). But I’m not convinced, nor much interested in, loads of upgrading and updating. If I can get my old clock running again I’ll be quite happy ??

thanks, Keith.

I have in the meanwhile contacted my host and indeed been directed to the php.ini file which I managed to change to 64M… and it worked fine then!

That line will be useful to know, though, as I believe that would allow WordPress alone to use more memory without having to change allowance for my whole server space.

Thanks for your help.

thanks for the tip, Tara.

However, there is no ‘define WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’ in the sample config file in the 4.1 distro.

Remember, I can’t complete the install process due to this…. so I haven’t reached an admin panel where I can set it ??