1.3.7 upgrade to 1.3.8 - database upgrade failing

• What version of Zen Cart are you using? 1.3.7 upgrade to 1.3.8
• Has your site been upgraded? When? From what version(s)? trying to
• What addons have you installed? When? Admin profiles, admin backup
• In what ways is your site customized or different from a brand new uncustomized install?
• If you're encountering display/layout problems, post your site URL* so it can be seen in action.
• If you're encountering problems that could be related to your server or hosting company, include the name of your hosting company (not their URL).
• HAVE YOU LOOKED IN THE FAQ AREA for answers to your question? (ie: a search for your error message or what you want to edit/change, etc) yes
• Have you searched the FORUM for your error message or for answers to the question you're asking? yes
• WHEN did the problem "start"? How does that compare with other events of your hosting company, changes you've made to your site files/addons, or your admin settings, etc?
• If this is your first store, have you tested all aspects of transactions before going live?My issue is the upgrade itself. Our database is large (.sql uncompressed renders 400megs). I have tried phpmyadmin to do the backup and copy to a new test database. I have tried the admin > backup addon (restore after editing the .sql file to change the name of the database). I have tried my own mysqld/mysql from the console as well as another app to get a good clean copy of my live database restored in a new test database.

Each time I have a new copy of the database created from my current live database using the methods above, when I try to run the database upgrade from zc_install, I immediately end up with a page cannot be displayed error in less than 10 secs. If I then go into admin for my test shop, I see the message that the database needs to be a higher version which tells me the database upgrade didn't complete.

I have verified all the directory permissions. I've verified the configure.php files both have the correct settings.

Any other things to check?

Each time I have a new copy of the database created from my current live database using the methods above, when I try to run the database upgrade from zc_install, I immediately end up with a page cannot be displayed error in less than 10 secs.
Process is as follows:
create a new install with a new db
Apply a copy of your live DB to this new install
re-run zc-install and select "upgrads DB only"

Make your DB copy correctly
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=103

Sorry is this is what you are doing as I could not tell from your description

Yes that is what I've already attempted. Created a new install with a new db and copying live db to new install was done in 4 different ways all resulting in the same problem.

Our database is quite large.

4 ways to get copy of live db installed in test area:

PHPADMIN > export based on FAQ here.
my own command lines using mysql and mysqld.
DrByte's backup via zencart admin > edit .sql created to new test database name and then used admin to do restore
freeware that does a mysql backup and restore on large database.

In all 4 cases, when I tried to run the database upgrade only from zc_install, I received page cannot be displayed after it running for close to 10 secs and then when going to zencart admin in the 1.3.8 test area, it says the database versions is still not correct and needs to be upgraded.

I went line by line in the 137-138.sql file to see what database structure changes it completed and this is the first line that couldn't be performed. Table has 16,000 records.

ALTER TABLE paypal ADD COLUMN module_name varchar(40) NOT NULL default '' after txn_type;

Any ideas?

Taking the .sql file, I ran each statement individually and executed without any errors. So I'm good now.
Not sure why it didn't work to run it thru the database upgrade button in zc_install though.