Upgrade Drupal 5.x website to Drupal 6.x version

Before upgrading from Drupal 5.x to Drupal 6.x version, we need to follow the below mentioned steps.

• Make a backup of all files and database. If anything goes wrong during upgrade process, than you can restore your Drupal 5.x web site. Must make a copy “Files” and “Site” Folder from the Drupal installation directory on your local system.

• If your site needs some particular module, ensure that those modules are available because few Drupal 5.x modules are still not available.


• Disable all contributed modules and set your Drupal site to default theme such as Garland or Bluemarine. You should upgrade modules and themes after you have completed core Drupal upgradation.

• Login in Drupal 5.x web site administrator panel. Navigate to modules setting page. Disable update_status module and uninstall this module.


• Again in Drupal 5.x admin panel, navigate to Logs -> Status report
If there is any problem fix it before upgrade.

• Upgrade all installed modules to its latest version available for Drupal 5.x


• Set your Drupal site to off-line mode. This can be done as follow. In Drupal admin panel Navigate to : Administrator -> Site Configuration -> Site maintenance -> select site status as off-line -> Save Configuration.

• Now using any FTP delete all files and folder from the Drupal installation directory.


• Download the latest version of Drupal 6.x from drupal.org. Unpack the files and upload it to the Drupal installation directory.

• Copy and paste “Files” and “Site” Folder from your backup to Drupal installation directory.


• If other system files such as .htaccess or robots.txt were customized, re-create the modifications in the new versions of the files using the backups.

• Run update.php by visiting http://www.example.com/update.php (replace www.example.com with your Drupal installation's domain name and path).


• Replace all custom old modules to their latest version compatible with version 6.x

• Re-enable custom and contributed modules and re-run update.php to update custom and contributed database tables.


• Upload any new theme for your site and enable it.

• Now you have updated your Drupal 5.x website to Drupal 6.x . Now login to admin panel and set your website status to online mode.