Checklists for Product Developers and Web Designers

Many DotNetNuke users have mentioned that they were having issues upgrading to DNN 4.6.2. After several successful, and sometimes not successful upgrades, This checklist, of procedure, works for me.

1. Backup your site and database
2. Make sure your current web.config file has two entries changed
   add key="AutoUpgrade" value="false"
   add key="UseInstallWizard" value="false"
   This will prevent a premature installation.
3. Carefully FTP over your new folders and files for DNN 4.6.2. Some installs required me to open every folder within the structure to make sure I got this part right.
4. Open the web.config, or release.config, file that is included with the DNN 4.6.2 build and transfer your database connection stings, Validationkey, and Decryptionkey values from your existing web.config file. Also change CustomError="RemoteOnly" to CustomErrors="Off". This change will allow you to see the errors during the install.
   
   If you are using the friendly URL provider by Scott mcCulloch's Ventrian software, and I think I might have a troublesome upgrade, (DNN 4.3 to 4.6.2 has become a difficult upgrade path for me), I will also restore the friendlyurl section, of web.config, to the original DNN code and, in the bin folder, replace Scott's  DotNetNuke.HttpModules.UrlRewrite.dll with the original one from the DNN build you are using.
   
   I then test my site to make sure that everything is working and the URLs are resolving correctly. 
5. Save your current web.config onto your local machine (for safe keeping). 
6. Transfer the new web.config file to the host server. 
7. Run the following URL http://www.yoursitename.com/Install/install.aspx?mode=install or http://www.yoursitename.com/Install/install.aspx?mode=upgrade - depending on your preference. 
8. If your install went smooth, I would then login, go to host settings, and clear cache and restart the application. 
9. If you are using the new Ventrian URL provider, after you are sure that the site is performing properly, transfer the Ventrian.FriendlyUrl.dll to your bin folder. Note:  The latest Ventrian friendly url provider changes are integrated into the core DNN beta posted today. So in the future, it will be just a matter of switching the attribute. 
10. Make the necessary changes, per Scott's instructions, to your new web.config file, transfer it to your site location and you should be good to go. At this point, you can change your CustomErrors back to the value of RemoteOnly. <customErrors mode="RemoteOnly">
11. At this point, the friendly URLs might not take right off. I again go to Host Settings and clear cache and restart the application and friendly URLs should now be working.

Side Note:
The dotnetnuke.httpmodules.urlrewrite.dll file is no longer used in DNN 4.6.2, they were all rolled into dotnetnuke.httpmodules.dll.

Because of this change, if I think I might have a troublesome upgrade, (DNN 4.3 to 4.6.2 has become a difficult upgrade path for me), I will also restore the friendlyurl section, of web.config, to the original DNN code and, in the bin folder, replace Scott's  DotNetNuke.HttpModules.UrlRewrite.dll with the original one from the DNN build you are using.)

The procedure listed above is what has worked for me.

I find on the older builds of DotNetNuke that the upgrade path to DNN 4.6.2 goes smoother if the original URL provider was replaced and tested on the site before the upgrade occurs.

I spent 24 hours trying to resolve an issue with a 4.3 to 4.6.2 upgrade. The higher admin functionality would not resolve their paths after upgrade. I don't know if it was a cache issue on the hosting server and I doubt it was caused by the Ventrian friendlyURL module.

With the dotnetnuke.httpmodules.urlrewrite.dll being replaced, common sense dictated that I should convert the URL provider to its original code prior to upgrade and try again.

I finally did a complete restore back to 4.3 and added the procedure above. It corrected the previous upgrade issues.

Buck