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### Upgrading from YaBB 2.x

If you are trying to upgrade your existing YaBB 2 installation, there are a few simple steps that need to be taken in order to correctly complete the process. Before you begin, however, please make sure you have a full backup of your working YaBB. It is also advised that you inform your users you will be upgrading before you begin.

As soon as you're ready, place your forum into Maintenance Mode by going into your Admin Center and under the section titled "Forum Configuration", click the link "Forum Settings". There you will see a checkbox with the label "Maintenance Mode". Check this box and save the change.

#### Upgrading

1. If you are upgrading from a "beta" version of YaBB 2.0, open Settings.pl from your website and add $cookiesession_name = "Y2Sess-55694"; into the file if it does not already exist. This will set the session cookie name for your upgrade and will prevent any problems when you're finished.
2. If you are upgrading from a YaBB 2.0 beta earlier than YaBB 2.0 Pre-Release, open FixFile.pl inside a text editor and change the path to Perl to match your server's requirement.
3. If your upgrading YaBB 2.1 ... Continue
4. From the new YaBB 2.2.1 package, upload the following files (using AscII transfer), overwriting existing/old versions. NOTE: /* at the end of a path, means ALL sub-folders and files
   - cgi-bin/yabb2/AdminIndex.pl
   - cgi-bin/yabb2/FixFile.pl (chmod 755)
   - cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl
   - cgi-bin/yabb2/Admin/*
   - cgi-bin/yabb2/Help/*
   - cgi-bin/yabb2/Modules/*
   - cgi-bin/yabb2/Languages/*
   - cgi-bin/yabb2/Sources/*
   - cgi-bin/yabb2/Variables/*
   - cgi-bin/yabb2/Templates/? ......See Note: 1
   - (using Auto or Binary transfer)(Do NOT upload or overwrite /Attachments/ and /Smilies/)
     public_html/yabbfiles/* ......See Note: 1
5. In your Old forums cgi folders, *delete* the following unused YaBB files:
   - cgi-bin/yabb2/Admin/AdvSettings.pl
   - cgi-bin/yabb2/Sources/ICQPager.pl
   - cgi-bin/yabb2/Variables data folder, *delete* the following files so YaBB can regenerate them:
   - cgi-bin/yabb2/Variables/Admin.helporder
   - cgi-bin/yabb2/Variables/Gmod.helporder
   - cgi-bin/yabb2/Variables/Moderator.helporder
   - cgi-bin/yabb2/Variables/User.helporder
6. Note 1 - If you plan on keeping your OLD Y2.1 Template and it is the Old default template (revised), rename "your" default folder AND yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default.css, Then upload ALL the folders and files in Templates
7. Once the uploading and deleting is complete, DO NOT visit your board just yet. If you are upgrading from YaBB 2.0, anything earlier than YaBB 2.0 Pre-Release, point your browser to FixFile.pl and run this utility. This will update the file structure for your YaBB 2 data.
8. As soon as FixFile.pl has finished, delete that file so it cannot be run again!
9. Now verify CHMODs and You may then visit your forum again.