WampServer

Hello.
I have installed and running Wamp version just before the current. I want to upgrade to the latest version. Can you launch the update without overwriting the files? Is it erased my data that already exists?
thanks

Here is what I do! No guarantee's. But there is a Get Out Of Jail Free option (see If it all goes horribly wrong ) at the end of the document.

Please read and digest the whole document before starting the process.
Backup everything and anything before starting the process.



Before installing the new release.

This is not a simple click and go process. There are many things that can trip you up. However it is quite achievable with a bit of comon sense!
Dont start this process if you only have 20 minutes to get it done, that should be all you need, but depending on your skill level and the number of releases of all 3 pieces of software you are skipping it may take longer.


First Backup all your databases, thats your databases and not the ones that come with MySQL. Save the backups somewhere safe and readily available.

MySQL's databases are 'mysql', 'information_schema' and 'performance_schema' dont back these up, unless you know what you are doing and you know you need them.
Also you dont need the database called 'test' unless you used it for something you want to keep.

If your databases are small to medium sized you can use can use phpMyAdmin to do the backups.
If they are large and phpMyAdmin fails to back them up ( normally due to a PHP max_runtime limit ) you will have to backup using the mysqldump.exe. see [dev.mysql.com] for help on that.

Now if all your sites connect to their databases using 'localhost','root' and '' ( a blank password) there is nothing else to do.
if you set a root password and use ('localhost','root' and 'some_password_you_set' ) you just need to remember that password so you can recreate it on the new version of MySQL.
However if you have done things properly and created specific MySQL users and passwords for each of your site(s) you are going to have to go and find out what these userids and passwords are and make a note so you can recreate them after you have restored your databses on the new version of MySQL.
It is possible to query MySQL and generate script to automatically dump and restore these, but you are going to have to go and read that up on the MySQL site if you want to do that.


So now before we install the new WAMP Server

Start wampmanager, and remove the MySQL and Apache services.
wampmanager -> MySQL -> Service -> Remove service
wampmanager -> Apache -> Service -> Remove service

Now stop wampmanager.
rightclick wampmanager -> Exit

Rename your wamp folder to something eg 'wamp_old'

Now you can install the new version of WAMP Server, so lets do that.
Download and install the new WAMP, you can install onto any drive C;, D; E; etc, install it into the root of the drive i.e. C:\wamp, but dont install into C:\program Files\

Check your new install works by:
Starting WAMP if you didnt start it automatically out of the install.
1. Check the wampmanager icon in the system tray goes GREEN.
2. Run : wampmanager -> localhost
3. Click on the phpMyAdmin link on this page, and check this works also.

If you get problem with either, remember this new install does not have any of the config tailoring that you may have done to the previous release. So now would be the time to compare you old config's with the new ones and bring over anything from the old config that you need again on the new install.
Also remember you are upgrading Apache, MySQL and PHP. and paramters for all 3 of these may have changed/been added to/ or have been removed!!!! So dont just copy them over from your old wamp to the new. THERE BE DRAGONS !!!
This is also why we dont delete the old wamp folder, until we are sure the new install is working properly.

Specifically check these files, but depending on what you have done to Apache/PHP/MySQL there may be others, only you can know this.
https.conf,
\wamp\alias\phpmyadmin.conf,
\wamp\alias\sqlbuddy.conf,
\wamp\alias\webgrind.conf,

If you are using Apache 2.2.? make sure the Apache security looks like this:
Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all
Allow from 127.0.0.1
Allow from localhost
Allow from ::1
plus any specific ips you may have added so you can access Apache from your network eg.
Allow from 192.168.0

If you are using Apache 2.4.? the syntax changed to 'Require local' which covers all 3 of the above address's
Require local

If you had other ip address's on your local network add these using this syntax
Require ip nn.nn.nn.nn oo.oo.oo.oo ( a space delimited set of actual ips )
Require ip 192.168.0 ( for example, every ip in this subnet )


Your php.ini used by Apache
(use wampmanager -> PHP -> php.ini to access this ) it actually lives in \wamp\bin\apache\apachex.y.z\bin\php.ini but dont edit it directly use the wampmanager menu link

Your php.ini used by PHP CLI
only if you actually use the PHP CLI feature ( edit \wamp\bin\php\phpx.y.z\php.ini directly )

Compare your old and new versions, remember things may have changed, extentions added into the core of php and are therefore not required as extensions anymore etc.



Your my.ini.
again things change, parameters get deprecate, new ones are created etc.
For example if you are using INNODB databases you will have to activate the innodb parameters which are by default commented out.
You may well have to check the mysql website for some information, they supply a How to upgrade page for all releases.
This is just an example [dev.mysql.com]

Once this is all sorted out you can look at restoring your MySQL users and your databases.

Now you can just copy your \wamp_old\www\* folders to the new \wamp\www\

At this point if you use Virtual Hosts you can bring over your extras\https-vhost.conf remembering to check for the 'Allow from', 'Require' changes, and uncomment the 'Include conf/extra/httpd-vhosts.conf' line from your new httpd.conf file.




If it all goes horribly wrong
and you need to go back to the previous version you had running.

We can go back to our original wamp version by doing
Start wampmanager, and remove the MySQL and Apache services.
wampmanager -> MySQL -> Service -> Remove service
wampmanager -> Apache -> Service -> Remove service
Now stop wampmanager.
rightclick wampmanager -> Exit

rename the current \wamp folder eg. \wamp_new ( or if you are totally giving up you can delete this one and start from scratch again another day. )
rename the \wamp_old folder back to '\wamp'

Start wampmanager, the existing icon on your desktop should still work, and Install the MySQL and Apache services.
wampmanager -> MySQL -> Service -> Install service
wampmanager -> Apache -> Service -> Install service

You should be back to where you were before stating this process.
Remember to clear you browser cache or ( CTRL + F5 ) to ensure you dont get funnies happening.