Migrating WordPress Content from MYSQL 4.0 to 5.0

In January of 2008 I wrote the post: Restore your WordPress Database From Mysql 4 to Mysql 5 Recently I had the need to update a blog for a friend trying to come out of the dark ages and update his WP blog from 2.6 to 2.9.2.   He ran the autoupgrade which progressed along removing his old files till at the end it went to update the database.   He still had MYSQL 4.0 .   WP 2.9.2 won’t run on MYSQL 4.0.   The process hung right there.   No way to go back, no way to go forward.

Note to WP, you probably should check the database version first, BEFORE updating all the WP files.

I got the call for “HELP”.   I had a copy of 2.6 and was able to get his blog back up and running.   It was time to upgrade his MYSQL.   He was on Godaddy hosting. I decided to try a simple upgrade approach knowing I could do it the old way from the previous post sited above.

The simple way worked perfectly.

1. Login to your Hosting account and make a new 5.0 MYSQL database
2. While that is being setup go to your existing database and click on the pencil to edit (Select Backup)   THe backup will be in your db-backup folder which you can access from FTP if you need to.
3. Once the backup is complete click the edit pencil on the New 5.0 database (Select Restore)   Use the file you just backed-up from the 4.0 database.

The final step is to change your wp-config.php file to point to your new 5.0 database.   That’s all there is to it.

If you have a different hosting company the routine might have a different way of backing up and restoring, but the process should work.

Once this was done, it was a simple auto-upgrade.   Yes, the jump from 2.6 to 2.9.2 went off without a hitch.   But don’t assume it will for you.   It all depends on your theme and plugins.