Upgrade by Performing NEW Install! (Windows IIS 7.5 ONLY)

[PS User]

Hello everyone!
After several attempt to contact the PrestaShop to find an answer to various of my problems, I finally got it down, by fishing it and try different method, with open-source, all I can say is you are on your own, PrestaShop Bug Tracker looks good, but does it work? That's a whole other concept!

Now! I have find a way to upgrade the PrestaShop by performing NEW install, instead the included "upgrade" when you see in the installation screen, then transfer files such as mailalert, blockveriouslinks, mails, followup etc. or any modules and file you customized into the new installation.

By performing new install, you make sure everything is fresh, unlike so called "update/upgrade", after several update from PrestaShop version 1.1 to 1.3.6, sooner or later the PrestaShop will cause your store instable; one thing PrestaShop group did not mention is when you update, do NOT copy your customized old file back to the updated PrestaShop unless you check for the file version, because it will causes your shop to stop functioning.

For those of you modified the modules such as mailalert, followup, sendtoafriend, blockveriouslinks, admin/AdminProducts.php, class/Product.tpl etc. make sure the version is same as the newer shop version, if not, you will need to change it again manually within the new install instead of copy the old one you customized to the newer shop.

1. Do a fresh install on the new version of PrestaShop if you’re upgrading from 1.3.1 to 1.3.6 for example.
2. Create a dummy database using MySQL command line, name the database anything you like.
3. After PrestaShop install, delete the dummy database using MySQL command line.
4. Go to /config/setting.inc.php and edit the database name to the one you’re currently using for the old shop.
5. Make sure both _COOKIE_KEY_ and _COOK_IV_ keys are replaced in the new PrestaShop install from the old version. (so all your employees and customer's account password still stay the same)
6. It’s best not to transfer the older modified PrestaShop file such as mailalert from modules folder, better just modified it again within the new installation unless both version are the same.

From what I have found out, modules is the BIGGEST killer that cause the upgraded PrestaShop fail to work on rest of the functionality, because some modules such as mailalert, will interfering with AJAX Search due to Javascript.

[Tropical Dream]

I was asking this exact same question!

But when you do an upgrade, doesn't it update your database also? By doing your system, don't we risk to have a database corruption? All our customers ill keep their accounts and passwords? Also, why do you say it's for IIS only?

I posted this related question but no one replied to me yet:

http://www.prestashop.com/forums/viewthread/92080/upgrading_prestashop/how_to_do_a_new_v1_dot_2_dot_4_install_but_import_manually_old_customer_v1_dot_2_dot_3_accounts

[Rodolfo]

Hello, I am reading a lot about upgrading and I agree with you thinking that perhaps a fresh install is "cleaner".

When you say only in windows...do you mean we can not follow this process in linux? I do not understand.

I have made a test, and I found problems when using data from a PS 1.2.5 database with a 1.3.7 database.

For example, I can not orde using transference.

I guess there will be more and more problems with this kind of "upgrade".

Did this work for you?

Thanks
RODOLFO

[Rodolfo]

Hello now after importing my database, I deleted prestashop folder, and I am trying to make again de install chapter. This is supposed to make an upgrade of the database. I will later tell you if now works¡¡¡

[Rodolfo]

Well I can't. PS installer tells me that a database exist...A Prestashop database already exists, please drop it or change the prefix.

Don't know how to carry on...

RODOLFO

[PS User]

Alrighty everyone, sorry for the long delay for replying, busy developing and FIXING the unstable PrestaShop software, it's a very powerful e-commerce, but lack of support, that's how it is with open-source program I guess, anyway, let answer fomr question ya?

+++ First of all, I want to THANK YOU PrestaShop Team to use my above upgrade suggestion on their new 1.4 Upgrade guide +++
(My guide and theirs looks very similar, humm... wonder why..., kind of funny they never return my question... :-x)

1. I never tried to do the above steps I mentioned using Linux, so for me, it's been successfully tested within Windows Server 2008 R2 Envirement.
2. Answer to Tropical Dream, normally, if you upgrade within the same version (like from 1.3.3 to 1.3.6; not 1.3 to 1.4), no, likely no DB upgrade.
3. Answer to Rodolfo, please see answer number 2 above, this method only work within the same version, such as 1.2.5 to 1.2.5, not 1.2 to 1.3!

Upgrade from 1.2.x to 1.3.x to 1.4.x using above instruction WILL KILL your database! Render USELESS! So... how do you upgrade from 1.3 to 1.4?

Following the guide from PrestaShop was a mistake, as I just done it 48 hours ago, if your shop was customized like the one I have, such as customer registration mangement and best price offer, offline credit card processing and Flash player with JavaScript motion picture etc., DO NOT follow the guide, you will receive 500 internal error from the server, and no, it's not just the permission error, more than that.

Step 1 Extract (do NOT drag, because if you do, the file permission will change in Windows) the PS 1.4 file by right-click and choose Extract All...
Step 2 Copy /config/setting.inc.php from old shop to the new shop you just extracted, and goto YourDOmain.com/install and perform upgrade.

DO NOT COPY ANYTHING ELSE! Make SURE you BACKUP your old database BEFORE yo do the steps above! Good luck. I'm out...