Pass the Xanax please..... Where do I start, to do an upgrade?

After a month of working with my merchant bank, security scanner and hoster to try and become PCI compliant, it appears that zen cart 1.3.8 would help make me more secure. However....3 easy steps? LOL um......

On host monster, they use fantastico, where it will do an install for you on zen cart. i am thinking it would be easier to do a fresh install and then reload the database? What would i lose beside my template and add ons doing it that way?

I am truly in panic mode now. I read the upgrade file and barely understand it.
It made me cry :cry:

Thanks for the upgrades, they were really needed but I am afraid this is beyond the scope of my understanding. :shocking:

Calm down. It's not as daunting as it seems.

Don't use Fantastico. In my experience, they take a while to get the latest version. You're much better off downloading 1.3.8 and installing it yourself. I started out by installing Zen Cart from Fantastico, came to this forum and found out they were at least 2 releases behind. I scrapped that install, installed it manually and haven't looked back.

If you can create a second database (or tables in the existing one), I suggest you install 1.3.8 in its own folder without the demo products and then duplicate your template, mods and database (back up the existing one and restore it to the "new" database). You could be pleasantly surprised.

The best way to duplicate your template is to use something like WinMerge to compare your files to the 1.3.8 files. WinMerge will find and highlight the differences for you.

Mary Ellen ~
Been awhile and good to see you. :smile:

You make it sound so, hmm, easy. LOL Just downloaded 1.3.8 and excited to see it. Lots of great changes and additions. I am printing out your suggestions for reference.

Nonetheless, think I will wait until after the holiday shopping season to upgrade. That way if I bomb, well, it will have minimal impact on the site. :wink:

Thanks ZC development team!

Here's to buying customers with large credit card limits -- :cool:

Hi Cheryl :smile:

I'm planning to try updating a test site first and then possibly trying to recreate two old prototype sites (which are still 1.2.6! :blink:) before even trying the live sites. I'll probably do the Fan Odyssey site first (no sales and few products) first. If everything is smooth, I'll do Holzheimer's last. If I have any doubts at all, I'll wait until after the holidays to do Holzheimer's.

Host Monster has fantastico deluxe and does install zencart, but it is as you said....right now the version they have is 1.3.7.1.

I have always had someone more knowledgeable than myself to do an install. All those changes in files just confuses me terribly :) I can say with certainty that I am sure i had stuff in files where it should not be.

My problem is that the install files are written for someone who understands the language...half the time I end up scratching my head and saying huh??:censored:

So, say i wanted to do a clean install. The mods I have more than likely are not compatible and I figured out how to do those, so a reinstall if they are compatible, i can fight through. It's my template and all the changes that I really want to keep...I am just rambling now. Anyway, thanks for the support...I have no idea what I will do, but at this point, definitely waiting until after christmas :)

thanks again!

It probably won't be as bad as you think. I had to take the Holzheimer's site from 1.2.6 to 1.3.7 and I didn't have a problem. I'm sure you'll be able to do it and there's a whole forum of people who will give you all the support you want.

Thank you so much for your support. I had an idea last night but not sure if it would screw up my current cart. Say I was to create a new folder on my server/hoster and call it Zen (the current one is called shopping). I upload all the folders from the 1.3.8 into this Zen folder while still keeping my current zen. Could I play with the new one and leave the old one as is until I get the changes and things made to the new one? Then just delete the old one?

And uploads....ok, this one has me. To install the new zen do I just upload all the folders that come in the zipped file? What about the other items that are in there? do those go up too? Is my stupidity showing yet? :)

If i do this....will i have two admins? Will that mess anything up?

ok, enough for now. I have to go have a drink :):no:

yes, you can (and it is recommended) have a test site in a different directory form your live shop - a separate database is also recommended.

Upgrade procedures are described in depth in your /docs/ directory and in many places on the forum and WIKI.