WampServer

so i have 10.4.26 and want to update to 10.4.27
can i go to the maria db website and download it and overwrite the old files with the new ones?
how do we successfully update database versions without losing passwords/databases?

> maria db website and download it
NO

> and overwrite the old files with the new ones?
NO

MariaDB 10.4.27 is only for 64bit system

Go to https://wampserver.aviatechno.net/ and download installer addon MaraiDB 10.4.27 64bit for Wampserver then launch it as an administrator to add MariaDB 10.4.27 to Wampserver.

After, you can switch from MariaDB 10.4.26 to 10.4.27 by:
- Left-Click -> MariaDB -> Version -> 10.4.27

But without doing anything before neither the users nor the databases will be transferred to the new version!

Important Reminder: The transfer of databases between different versions of MySQL or MariaDB should be performed by EXPORT / IMPORT of SQL files using phpMyAdmin or a similiar tools of your choice. Do not copy the data folder between different versions of MYSQL or MariaDB. Databases from different versions of MYSQL or MariaDB are VERY unlikely to be compatible! You will also destroy the version of MYSQL or MariaDB that you copied the data folder to.

But there is a relatively simple solution to set up, it is to move the databases out of the tree of Wampserver and to indicate it to the new version of MySQL or MariaDB for which there will be only to carry out mysql_upgrade.
Everything is explained here:
MySQL - MariaDB - Moving databases <- This is a link

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Documentation Apache - Documentation PHP - Documentation MySQL - Wampserver install files & addons

i downloaded the new version and backed up my databases from the old version.
i selected the new version in wamp server then signed into phpmyadmin and imported the databases.
upgrade complete?

> upgrade complete?
Any users and passwords would be missing.

The users and passwords are stored in a table of the MariaDB version that was used.
It is not PHPmyAdmin that stores the users and passwords, it only displays the ones that are in MariaDB or MySQL.

My procedure to move the databases keeps all the users and passwords.

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Documentation Apache - Documentation PHP - Documentation MySQL - Wampserver install files & addons