Looking for someone to fix my website after wordpress update!
Every time WordPress releases an update it’s not uncommon to receive frantic, desperate, panic-stricken requests for help from well-intentioned citizens who “did it themselves”!
“…after downloading the most recent wordpress update (3.4.2) none of the pictures are showing up. I really need some help fixing wordpress and our website’s code.”
Updating a WordPress website isn’t for beginners, the faint-of-heart or even the site’s owner (who hired a designer and developer). It’s for professionals, who will protect you from an outbreak of I-updated-now-it’s-broken-itis.
BEFORE updating WordPress, these 3 beautiful steps should take place:
- Back up the database and FTP to a safe place (I backup to hard drive & external)
- Back up the PHP files and FTP to a safe place (I backup to hard drive & external)
- De-active all of the active plugins (this is important)
Now we can update WordPress:
- Update WordPress
- Update themes that have updates available
- Update plugins that have updates available
- Re-activate all of the recently active plugins
Now: test, test, test!
It’s possible that something broke as a result of the update or because of the way the update was done. Maybe a plugin conflicts with another plugin. And/or a theme conflicts with a plugin, or vice versa. If “none of the pictures are showing up” it could be any number of issues. An outdated plugin may need to be replaced. Or maybe the theme itself is outdated and is no longer compatible with the latest version of WordPress.
Like my grandpa always says, “If it isn’t one thing, it’s two”!
If a WordPress site is broken after an update, it might be a matter of exploratory surgery. Sometimes it requires a lot of poking around and research. It could be an easy fix or a horribly complicated repair job.
That’s why the MOST IMPORTANT STEP when updating a WordPress site is:
back up the database and the files!
