Upgrade of a module

This is the long version of the workflow you find under Modules.

Rather sooner than later, you get a warning that updated versions of installed modules are available. It's not necessary to upgrade them right away, a site that works with a certain module won't collapse immediately, but at a certain time you'll have to do it. 

Warning: when updating a module it's Best Practice to do this on a test-site first, to take the site offline and to make a backup of your site

Workflow

Preparation

• Log in as 1st-user: on a given point in the process you will run update.php, and you can do that only as 1st user. Ordinary administrators can't do it.
• download the updated version of the module: When you go to Administer>>Reports>>Available Updates, you find a list with all the modules. Next to a module that needs to be updated, you find the download link.
• extract the file. You'll have a tar.gz-file. Extract it (that's possible with 7-Zip), and keep it handy.

Install and enable the new module

This is the moment that, especially if you update the module in a production-site, you go into maintenance-mode (Administer>>Site configuration>>Site maintenance, and that you make a backup of your site.

• install the new module: with an FTP-reader, upload the folder of the downloaded module under http//your_site/sites/all/modules over the old module. When asked what to do with files that are already installed, say 'overwrite when older'.
• look if the new module is enabled: Administer>>Site building>>Modules, tick the module if necessary.

Run update.php

• After installing a new module, you have to check if your database needs to be updated. You do that with update.php. To run it, look on the upper part of the same page where you enabled the module, and click on update.php. Another way of running the program is to write 'http://your_website/update.php' in your browser.
• Press Continue when you performed all the steps that are mentioned.
• You can see a list of versions under Select versions. Often it will say No updates available. Press update.
• Go back to the Administration pages

Check permissions

Look if all the permissions are still ok for the module

Configure module

See if the updated module needs to be reconfigured.

 This is the moment to go out of maintenance-mode. Administer>>Site configuration>>Site maintenance

When all is well, your site should be up and running again.

Go back to 'Maintenance of the site'