By Andrew Weitzen, Bronze Inc. (c) 2010

Bronze is the publisher of several online Internet journals including: InternetHandholding.com, DomainNames.gs, DotNetNuke.bz, Programmer.bz, Software.vg, WebHosting.vg

First, backup your database.

Second, backup your DotNetNuke installation. Copy all the files from your DotNetNuke webserver folder to another location.

If something goes wrong, hopefully this will be enough to restore your installation.

Reference

Installation / Upgrade Instructions by Shaun Walker, DotNetNuke Chief Architect - 6/15/2006
www.dotnetnuke.com/Community/Forums/tabid/795/forumid/107/threadid/45348/scope/posts/Default.aspx

DotNetNuke - DNN Installation Upgrade Options and Instructions - good article, created 5/22/2008, modified 7/28/2009
http://my.re-invent.com/helpdesk/KB/a166/dotnetnuke-dnn-installation-upgrade-options-and-instructions.aspx

Suggested DotNetNuke Site Upgrade Path - 12/31/2007 original post, but lists as of this date up to 5.02.02. A list of DotNetNuke versions and what you version you should upgrade to.
www.willstrohl.com/Blog/tabid/66/EntryId/102/Suggested-DotNetNuke-Site-Upgrade-Path-s.aspx

DotNetNuke Included Upgrade Instructions

In the Documentation folder in the readme file are these instructions.

Application Upgrades

- make sure you always backup your files/database before upgrading to a new version

- BACKUP your web.config file in the root of your site

- unzip the code over top of your existing application ( using the Overwrite and Use Folder Names options )

- browse to localhost/DotNetNuke_Community (or whatever you have used for your url) in your web browser

- the application will automatically execute the necessary database scripts and provide feedback in the browser

Step by Step Upgrade Instructions for DotNetNuke

1. Give to the poor, do pentitence, fast, wear sack cloth and sit barefoot for 27 hours. You can watch TV.

2. Create app_offline.htm in your root bigger than 512 bytes to shutdown your application. Try not to keep your application down long, because search engines do not like this message.

3. Backup your database and folders of your current DotNetNuke installation.

4. Make a copy of your web.config from your website.

5. Check the suggested DotNetNuke upgrade path from above. Presuming you are up-to-date, download the newest DotNetNuke Version Upgrade from here and unzip into a convenient folder.

http://dotnetnuke.codeplex.com/releases/view/40641#DownloadId=106722

6. Read the documentation in the Documentation folder.

7. Copy release.config to web.config in the upgrade folder.

8. Merge your current web.config custom changes into the new web.config copied from release.config. Make sure you get your web.config from you website, not the one you uploaded to your website originally. DotNetNuke updated your web.config so you need to get the one from your website. Wherever you make a change, put a comment so you can find your changes next time. See this article for changes to make.

www.dotnetnuke.bz/Articles/tabid/156/DotNetNuke/146/DotNetNuke-WebConfig-Changes-for-ReleaseConfig.aspx

9. Upload your upgrade folder files over top of your existing DotNetNuke installation. Hold your breath.

10. Rename app_offline.htm to anything else.

11. Go to /install/install.aspx?mode=upgrade

Follow the onscreen instructions. Write down any errors and investigate.

12. Test your application. Fix what you can and proceed or abort and restore from backup. Your application should now be live.

13. Redo any other custom changes. I update the FCKeditor and remove the fontname and fontsize options. See

www.dotnetnuke.bz/Articles/tabid/156/DotNetNuke/100/DotNetNuke-FCK-Editor-Remove-Buttons-for-Fontname-and-Fontsize.aspx

14. Buy yourself an ice cream sundae.

15. Repeat for your 2 dozen other DotNetNuke installations.