Do I need to Update BEFORE updatig?

[<-T M T T->]

Sounds odd but while going from 3.6.4 to the latest 3.8.1 all uploaded and whatnot I cannot get install.php to start. In fact it is "Forbidden". So I tried and 777'd everything and allowed all cookies on my browser, disabled all my firewalls just to see if it made a difference and no, still no go. So I put everything back (Cookies, 755, firewalls) and in another instance I opened my site and now she is not only turned off but ... VB is overcorrupt whereas where my boards were is now a smoking pile of bits and bytes.

So I Went back to my FTP, and uploaded a copied image of my file structure off the server BEFORE I did this and am now back up and running. .... whew.

What am I doing wrong (oh and how many copies of "Forums" should one have?) I Have onw in .www and another in public_html

Thanks all I am still MySql and PhP inept so take it easyon me.

[Steve Machol]

Do NOT run install.php. Run upgrade.php.

[<-T M T T->]

Wait so Steve I was using the [http://www.example.com/forums/install/upgrade.php] replacing the example with my url thing. Is that what I am not supposed to do? Using that (which is right out of the manual) is when i get the forbidden error and nothing happens.

[<-T M T T->]

Yep still same ol'. Isn't the Upgrade script found in the install folder?

[Steve Machol]

What are you doing and what happens when you do it?

[<-T M T T->]

I installed 3.6.4 two years ago, and have not made any patch upgrades. So I went and downloaded 3.8.1 and uploaded all the files needed (Everything in the renamed "upload" folder) to my directory and ran the script line above to start the upgrade to 3.8.1.

I get a "forbidden" warning and my forums dissapear when I go to my url directly. I rebuild my directory with my old mirror image and all is fine. It seems I cannot get the upgrade to start. I just renewed my owned license in January ... but then again I am not even making it to the part where I get to enter that info.

[Steve Machol]

'Forbidden' means that either you did not upload the files to the correct directory, or directory and/or files have the wrong permissions. In general files should be 644 and directories 755.

[<-T M T T->]

Now that you mention it Steve I have two "fORUMS" folders .. One in Public_html and another in www. It did the same thing on both. I think I am going to have to look this weekend at my individual folder permissions and see what they are listed. Public_html should be 755?

[Steve Machol]

The 'www' directory is just a symlink to the 'public_html' directory. They are one and the same.

[<-T M T T->]

Well Steve I gotta thank you. I re chmod'd my folders and lo and behold I uploaded same as before, Fired in the script and I got a 404, a forbidden and all of a sudden after refreshing ... It started and I am upgraded. Still confused as to why it was trippin'