Updating WordPress to Version 2.7.1

WordPress 2.7.1 has been released as a security and maintenance update. If you are running any earlier version of WordPress, this upgrade is strongly recommended — particularly for the security fixes it contains.

What's New in WordPress 2.7

The 2.7 release was the most significant update to WordPress in years. The biggest change is the completely redesigned admin interface — cleaner, more modern, and considerably more usable than the old 2.6 panel. Beyond the visual overhaul, several important features were added:

• Automatic plugin and theme updates — update plugins and themes directly from the WordPress admin panel with a single click, no FTP required
• QuickPress widget — publish a post directly from the dashboard without going into the editor
• Improved comment management — inline editing, bulk moderation actions, and a cleaner comment queue
• Better bulk actions — apply actions to multiple posts, comments, or plugins at once
• Sticky posts — pin a post to the top of the front page
• Post locking — warns you if another user is editing the same post

WordPress 2.7.1 builds on this with additional bug fixes and a handful of security patches.

Step-by-Step Update Instructions

Follow these steps to safely upgrade your WordPress installation:

1. Back up your database — Use phpMyAdmin or the WP-DBManager plugin to export a full database backup. This is the most important step. If anything goes wrong, you can restore from this backup.
2. Back up your files — Download a copy of your entire WordPress directory (especially wp-content/ which contains your themes, plugins, and uploads).
3. Deactivate all plugins — Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins and deactivate everything. This prevents conflicts during the upgrade.
4. Delete old WordPress core files — Using FTP, delete all files and folders in your WordPress root except wp-content/ and wp-config.php. Never delete wp-content/ — it holds your themes, plugins, and uploads.
5. Upload new files — Download WordPress 2.7.1 from wordpress.org, extract the archive, and upload all files to your server. Skip wp-config-sample.php and do not overwrite wp-config.php.
6. Run the upgrade script — Visit https://yoursite.com/wp-admin/upgrade.php in your browser and follow the prompts to update the database schema.
7. Reactivate plugins — Return to Plugins and reactivate your plugins one by one. If any plugin causes an error after reactivation, that plugin may need to be updated or replaced.

Notes on the New Admin

The redesigned admin interface uses a collapsible sidebar navigation with a dark color scheme. It takes a short adjustment period, but most users find it considerably faster to navigate than the old layout. All the same functionality is present — it is just reorganized.

The automatic update feature for plugins is a major time-saver. Instead of manually downloading plugin zips and uploading via FTP, you can click "Update Automatically" next to any outdated plugin in the admin panel.

This is a recommended update for all WordPress users. The security fixes in 2.7.1 address several vulnerabilities in 2.6.x and earlier versions.