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Automatic upgrade (recommended)

PrestaShop introduced automatic upgrade in version 1.4.4 and 1.4.4.1, which was then turned into a free module for earlier versions (starting with PS 1.3) and later versions (including 1.5.x).

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Warning

Note that this module is still experimental. Use at your own risk.

If you'd rather be safe, take the longer but more detailed manual instructions instead.

Downloading and installing the 1-Click Upgrade module

Simply follow the normal path to installing a module on PrestaShop:

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The module is now ready to configure and use.

The Configuration Screen

The module's configuration screen is available from the "Modules" list, by clicking on the module's "Configure" link;

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The configuration screen presents you with a series of sections, providing information, tools and settings.

Update

This section compares your version of PrestaShop with the latest stable one. You can quickly see whether you need to update or not. If you know that there is a newer version available than the one presented, you can trigger a version check by clicking the "Check if new version available" button.

If you want to check for a version other than a stable one (for instance, beta, RC or any other unstable version), click on the "More options (Expert mode)" button. This will open a new section, named "Advanced mode", where you can choose the distribution channel to which you want to update.

Advanced mode

This section enables you to pinpoint exactly which version you want to upgrade your current PrestaShop installation to.

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  • Channel. Choose the distribution channel that you want to use. The recommended selection is "Minor releases", which means "any stable release above the current one". The other options are:
    • Major releases. Only major stable releases above your own: 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, etc.
    • Release candidates. RC versions are deemed stable enough to be tested by the majority, but not stable enough to be the real release. Use at your own risks.
    • Beta releases, alpha releases. These are development versions. Use at your own risks.
    • Private release. Sometimes, the PrestaShop developers upload a private test version. If you have the right URL and hash key, you can update to this version easily using this channel. If you check the "Allow major upgrade" box, you indicate that are only interested in major releases.
    • Local archive. To be used if you have downloaded the version you want to upload to in the correct local folder, /admin/autoupgrade/download.
    • Local directory. To be used if you have downloaded the version you want to upload to in the /admin/autoupgrade/latest/prestashop folder.
  • branch. Indicates if anything is available in the chosen channel.
  • name. The name of the latest version in the chosen channel.
  • url. The URL to the latest version in the chosen channel.
  • md5. The hash check for the latest version in the chosen channel.

Checks

The "Checks" section gives you useful information on your current PrestaShop installation, and how it might interact with the automatic upgrade. You must make sure that all the checks are validated before you can launch the upgrade.

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All these indicators must be green for the upgrade to work. Otherwise, the upgrade button will not appear.

Version comparison

For the curious, the numbered differences between your current version and the latest version in the chosen channel.

In case you have make changes directly to the core files instead of using the overriding possibilities of PrestaShop, these lists can help you know if your changes are safe or not.
Nevertheless, you can improve the lifespan of your custom code by turning it into overriding files. See the developer documentation for more information.

Rollback

See below.

Backup options

These options enable you to have some control on the backup process:

  • Backup my files and database (required). It is not even an option: you must have your files backed-up, and the module will take care of this for you.
  • Back up my images. You should let the module take care of your images too, in order to be able to do a clean re-install again by re-uploading your files.

Upgrade Options

These options enable you to have some control on the upgrade process:

  • Preserve the original theme. The upgrade process overwrites the default theme with its latest incarnation. If you have made changes to the theme directly, you can protect these changes by choosing "Yes". As a reminder, it is NOT recommended to edit the default theme! You should make a copy of the theme, and make changes to that copy.
  • Keep default mails. An update might bring new default e-mail templates. By default, the upgrade will replace the existing ones with the ones from the newer archive, and add the new templates. If you have customized your templates, it is recommended you keep them. You would then have to customize the new templates in order to fit the general style of your shop.
  • Deactivate custom modules. It is recommended to choose "Yes" for this option, as some module might prove a hindrance when upgrading PrestaShop.

The Upgrade process

Once all the indicators are green, the update button appears in the "Upgrade" section, along with an indication of which Smarty version you are currently using, and the URL from which the new version will be downloaded.

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Is everything working fine? Congratulations, you know have successfully upgraded your PrestaShop install!

Rollbacks

Sadly, not all upgrades are successful – which is the very reason why you should always back-up all your files and data, and why PrestaShop performs an additional backup of said files and data by itself (which you should not always count on, obviously. Make your own backup first).

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