Upgrading from a previous version

Before you start...

... read this because it is very important: Always backup the files and the database of your current installation!!

You can do this using a database adminstration tool like phpMyAdmin etc. and a file manager! If you don't know how to do this you should better not proceed but ask someone who knows or use the ComfortUpdate instead.

The quick way (for minor version changes)

You can use this instruction if you are doing a minor upgrade  (for example from 1.86 to 1.87)

• Backup your files and database (did we already mention that?)
• Delete all the old files/directory except for
  • /config.php
  • /templates directory
  • /upload directory
• Copy the new files from the new LimeSurvey package to the existing location. Be careful to NOT overwrite your existing config.php (even if you do: You made a backup, didn't you, heh, HEH?). You can overwrite all other existing files.

The thorough way (for big version jumps)

Unfortunately there are a couple of things to consider, so please scan the following instruction closely.

Upgrading from version 1.45 or later to the latest 1.xx series

1. Download the latest version of LimeSurvey.
2. Prepare and save the old release
   1. Backup your installation directory files and SQL-based database just in case.
      1. At the command-line level, make a .zip or similar archive of the whole installation directory tree of files. e.g. tar cvzf foo.tgz cps100 will tar and zip the whole of the cps100 directory
      2. Using phpMyAdmin or similar to export all tables; or using the Limesurvey Administration button to backup the entire database
   2. Copy your config.php file and changed template directories separately for quick access later.
3. Replace all the installation directory files
   1. Delete all old files in the existing installation directory
   2. Upload and unpack the new code version into the same installation directory
   3. Edit or replace the config.php file:
      1. If your previous version was < 1.70: Edit the new config.php to reflect changed settings in the backup config.php file. Do not just overwrite the new config.php with your old one!
      2. If your previous version was >= 1.70: Simply replace the new config.php with your backup config.php (as the file format has not changed).
   4. Copy in your changed or new custom templates to the template directory.
   5. Double check the permissions set on the directories (write access to /tmp, /upload and /templates is required) as described in Installation
4. Modify the new database tables and finish the installation
   1. Once you open the URL to your LimeSurvey administration the database tables will be automatically updated (Beware!)
   2. Remove or rename the /admin/install directory as instructed by the installation script
   3. Check if any special, manual checks apply as listed below
5. You are done (:biggrin:) .

Special checks after an upgrade:

• from version 1.53/1.7x to 1.8x: The templates have been changed in a lot of places. Please check your customized templates if they are still looking right. If not you will have to edit your templates accordingly (check out the original templates to see what was changed)
  
• from a version earlier than v1.53: When upgrading from a version before v1.53 to the latest version, please check the global user rights of each user. There was a new superadmin right introduced in v1.53 that can give a user the same privilege as the master administration account created during the install. The upgrade script is guessing who to give this right to in the older versions.  As this is not perfect, it should be carefully checked.

Upgrading from a version earlier than v1.45 (v1.0 through v1.44)

Since the data structure and a lot of other things were changed, upgrading from any version previous to v1.45 is NOT possible (including NOT from v1.08alpha).  The most you may be able to do is import a survey structure itself (not the data, just the questions and other setup information) that you exported previously.  So make sure to export the survey from your old version before deleting it.  Then use the Survey Import feature once you install the new version of LimeSurvey to bring that old survey back in.  See the page Transferring an installation for more details.

Upgrade FAQ

What is the most actual LimeSurvey version that still supports PHP4?

The last release offering PHP4 support was version 1.82+.

Can I upgrade even if I have active surveys?

Yes, you can. Exceptions may be mentioned in the thorough instructions above. We strongly advise to test your surveys after upgrade to check if your design templates still work alright.