Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with update

How to Install Newest Version of Wordpress?

chara — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 07:39:05 -0800

I'm having a horrible time trying to update to WordPress 2.8.6 on my dotster domain. Perhaps you could help a PHP-illiterate sista out? Background details:

I currently have Wordpress 2.8.4-3, installed via dotster's easy-as-pie Wordpress installer. This is the latest update that said installer offers.

When I try to install the new version automatically via my Wordpress Control Panel, I get a screen that asks me for:
Hostname
Username
Password
FTP or FTP (SSL)

After a lengthy google-fu session, I found out that my hostname is (ftp.d1091973.dotsterhost.com) and my username is (f197443.admin)
but whenever I enter my info, I get the following error message:

Warning: ftp_rawlist(): open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/tmp) is not within the allowed path(s): (/usr/local/pem/vhosts/197443/webspace/siteapps:/usr/local/pem/vhosts/197443/tmp) in /usr/local/pem/vhosts/197443/webspace/siteapps/15742/htdocs/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpext.php on line 203 Warning: ftp_rawlist(): Unable to create temporary file. Check permissions in temporary files directory. in /usr/local/pem/vhosts/197443/webspace/siteapps/15742/htdocs/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpext.php on line 203

Unable to locate WordPress directory.

Installation Failed

I have no idea what this means. I don't even know how to access my temporary files directory.

Help?

Snow Leopard upgrade

Science! — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:01:05 -0800

Does the $29.99 upgrade version of Apple's OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard come with iLife and iWork 09 like the box set, or will it update older versions of iLife and iWork to the 09 version? I own a macbook running 10.5 and I want to buy the $29.99 update, but I'd really like to also update iLife and iWork. I have the iLife apps that came with my macbook, and I bought iWork 08. Will the upgrade version of Snow Leopard update these apps or do I have to spring for the box set?

A link to an article or store site detailing this would be appreciated.

How to sync Twitter and Facebook Fan Page

Fluffy654 — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:16:10 -0800

How do I sync a twitter account with a Facebook Fan Page? Please note that I am not asking about Facebook Personal Profiles but the Facebook Pages that organizations have. I want to be able to update twitter by updating the Facebook Page Wall. I also want to be able to update the Facebook Page Wall by updating Twitter. I have tried both the Twitter and Selective Twitter Applications for Facebook but neither of them work.

iPhone Has Me Captive!

icebourg — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:59:05 -0800

How to stop iPhone OS 3.0's captive portal page? This is a dumb thing to waste my question on, but the new functionality of iPhone OS 3.0 has broken my wifi connection at college.

Now whenever I connect to a network with a captive portal, iPhone helpfully opens the page so I can login. This works great, except at university where you get a captive portal telling you to login via VPN.

Unfortunately, if I hit cancel on the iPhone's window so I can go over and turn on the vpn, the iPhone disconnects me from the network. No network connection = no vpn connection.

How can I turn off this new iPhone feature? Or exempt my college's network?

I've looked at all the options I could find and didn't see anything relevant. Hopefully I'm just overlooking something obvious.

Automatically updating multiple Excel worksheets from one "master" worksheet?

entropicamericana — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:54:41 -0800

How to automatically breakout Excel worksheets based off one "master' worksheet? I inherited an Excel spreadsheet that is being used to to track individual orders. It is built so each order has its own row and the columns reflect various information (i.e. state)

My boss wants data entry done on the "master" worksheet. Then he wants the other sheets to automatically update given certain criteria. (For example, all orders placed in California.)

Let's say the state column is Column A and the values are simple two letter postal codes.

How would I write a function that would say if A2 is CA, then paste 2 here and if A2 is not CA, go to row 3 and check for CA?

Wasn't broken but Apple fixed it anyhow

R_Nebblesworth — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:45:39 -0800

Why did the latest OS X update break Java and how do I fix it? Pretty self explanatory, but - I recently updated me MacBook to 10.5.7. Now, numerous websites employing Java interfaces don't work at all, or only work partially. For instance, clicking various buttons (e.g. "Login" - pretty crucial) does nothing on some of these, like Westlaw which I use for both school and work (I'm a law student). On others, Java and now that I think of it, Flash-based entities just never load - what I'm talking about here is stuff like games on armorgames.com or whatever.

Is this just me or are other people running into this? Any way to fix it? It happens in Firefox and Safari but seems worse in Safari.

Can Outlook attachments change themselves?

youngergirl44 — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:39:07 -0800

Is it possible for an email attachment in Outlook to 'update' itself from a network drive? My attachment is not the same now as it was when I first received and viewed it. My company uses Word documents with embeded Excel objects. These documents are saved on a network drive, then emailed to me as an attachment using Outlook. When I get the email, I open the attachment, print the document, and close out of the attachment and message. I do not make or save any changes to the document or the email message.

If I find any problems with the printed document, I'll reply to the sender and tell them what I think should be changed. Then they'll send back a revised document - it has the same filename as the original document.

This has happened twice: I'll get a 'revised' document on which the Excel object does not appear to have been changed. I'll ask the sender, and they insist the changes have been made.

If I open the document from its location on the network drive I see that the sender is correct and the revisions have been made. If I close the network document and then open the attachment again, the changes are there and I cannot go back to what I originally saw (no changes).

Why would the attachment be 'updating' from the network drive instead of remaining as originally sent to me? Does it have something to do with the temporary Outlook files in the OLK folder?

Other perhaps relevant points:
* The embedded objects are not linked to a separate Excel workbook. They have either been copied from an external workbook or created within the Word document.
* I'm running Windows XP Professional SP3 and Office 2003 and I kinda assume everyone else is too.
* My boss receives the same email and attachment I do, but often doesn't open the message or attachment. I asked him to look at one I was having problems with earlier today - his attachment showed the updated version of the file.
* I know for sure I did not open an older email and print the wrong version of the document.
* My computer is always connected to the network drive on which the documents are saved.

This is making me look crazy because I keep asking the sender of these documents to make changes that have already been made.

In SQL, how do I use the results of a SELECT to perform row-specific UPDATEs?

adipocere — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:37:00 -0800

In SQL, how do I use the results of a SELECT to perform row-specific UPDATEs? I'm looking to slightly denormalize a relatively normalized set of tables, namely myclasses, myusers, and a many-to-many table called myclassestomyusers, by putting the name of the instructor (in "LASTNAME, Firstname" format) back into an empty column named Instructor in myclasses.

Note: This is a toy example of a vendor app and database. Yeah, I know denormalizing is naughty. It is what is required here, so that's that.

I have a nice little command which does the appropriate JOINS and spits out instructor names in the format required. However, I do not know how to appropriately weld this to an UPDATE:

SELECT UPPER(myusers.lastname) + ', ' + myusers.firstname AS InstName

FROM myclasses

INNER JOIN myclassestomyusers

ON myclasses.classid = myclassestomyusers.classid

INNER JOIN myusers

ON myclassestomyusers.userid = myusers.userid

UPDATE myclasses

SET myclasses.Instructor = ???what???

Obviously, I can do this programmatically. I'd like to do it at a stroke: a SQL command or two, partially to know it can be done, but also for my own learning experience.

Additionally, what is this technique called? I've flipped through Joe Celko's SQL Puzzles looking for something relevant but have found nothing appropriate (or have been unable to recognize it).

Speed suck

zenpop — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 11:26:54 -0800

Recent Mac software update crippled my online speed/connection. The other day I allowed the Software Updater to run on my iMac. Included in the OSX update was some sort of Airport tweaking as well. Now my connection to the internet has slowed considerably. I've posted 'help' questions on Apple's website and MacFixit. No one answers. I've rebooted both the computer and the cable modem, and router. Nada.

Anyone here have any suggestions? Can I 'undo' the update that happened to Airport in that update? (No, I don't run Time Machine on my computer).

Thanks

When is the New iphone being released?

peatree — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:40:34 -0800

I know Apple keep their cards close to their chest, but has anyone got a rough idea when the new iphone might be coming out?!

A Microsoft product that thinks it knows what's best for me? Perish!

ChasFile — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:13:00 -0800

When I do Add -> Existing Web Site in Visual Studio 2008, if the existing site was created in an earlier version of .net (say 2.0 and I'm running 3.5) Visual Studio automatically starts an update wizard to convert the site to 3.5. How do I turn off this behavior so that it simply imports the web site without updating it? I know this is possible because the first time I did this it happened flawlessly, but at the time I didn't un-check the "automatically update sites next time" check box. Gah.

Help this man scan, if you can

onshi — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 05:33:28 -0800

Anti-virus and anti-malware scanners mysteriously unable to update -- how to tell if I have a virus, and what to do about it? This week I started getting annoying, malware-style popups on my PC (32-bit Vista). A full scan came up with nothing beyond a few of the usual tracking cookies, so I tried updating definitions to give it another go... but both Windows Defender and Symantec AntiVirus were strangely unable to do so despite the fact that my internet connection apparently working fine in all other respects. Symantec's manual definitions download also fails inexplicably, and I installed the free version of AVG Anti-Virus only to find that it, too, has proven unable to update itself.

This may be jumping to conclusions, but I suspect that my PC is infected with something smart enough to protect itself by preventing popular anti-virus software from updating.

How can I confirm this? What should I do about it? For example, can you recommend any lesser-known but safe and reliable anti-virus scanners to which this malware is not immune? I can't afford to throw money away on Norton or some other popular anti-virus software if the same thing is going to happen.

What are some great ways to passively stay informed on a subject?

mockdeep — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:23:55 -0800

There are a number of subjects which I don't have a particular interest in, or don't have the time to spend researching, but I would still like to keep up to date on when new information comes up. For example, I have a friend who suffers from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, a condition for which the most popular treatment currently is simply to prescribe lots of pain killers. It occurs to me occasionally to look it up and see if there have been any new developments, but I think it would be great if I could receive updates when they come up, perhaps in an RSSesque fashion. Is there an effective way to receive automatic updates on a subject like this?

How to update Iphone 3G manually without the use of iTunes software?

omaralarifi — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:00:46 -0800

How to update my Iphone 3G manually to version 2.2 without iTunes? my current version is 2.0.1 (5B108) I had received Iphone 3G as a gift and I am residing oversea (not in Europe) in which the country's telecommunication company smart card works with my Iphone.
But in terms of updating new firmware version 2.2 through itunes wont work.
the Itunes mention when I connect the device "The simcard inserted in this iPhone does not appear to be supported"

There must be a way to upgrade without the need of itunes software.

If you found the solution could you please explain it to me step by step because I am new with iphone or ipod gadget.

thanks a lot!

How do you upgrade the Oracle client in Linux RHEL 4 (64-bit) from 10.2.0.1 to 10.2.0.4?

idb — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:18:57 -0800

How do you upgrade the Oracle client in Linux RHEL 4 (64-bit) from 10.2.0.1 to 10.2.0.4? I need to upgrade a 64-bit linux oracle client install from 10.2.0.1 to 10.2.0.4. Our helpful DBAs insist that the only way they know how is with the GUI-based patch thing. Is there really no command-line patch I can apply? If so, where do I find it?

Software Update has no permission

silsurf — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 06:00:57 -0800

G5 PPC Tower never lets me auto update software? I have two computers, a G5 tower and a Macbook.

They are running the same OS X level, except one is Intel and hte other PPC. For as long as I have had these two computers, the PPC never allows any software (other than the Apple Software Updater) to auto update, like when the software does a version check and a dialog box comes up to ask if you want to update. I say yes, it downloads the updates, prompts me to install and restart the software, then I get a dialong box that basically says I do not have permission to execute. The wording is not alwasy exactly the same. Here is a screen shot from the CyberDuck attempt this morning:

Any thoughts appreciated.

Henry

Password for used iMac?

megatherium — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:53:51 -0800

I have an old fruit-flavored iMac that I bought on eBay for $100. iTunes wanted to update itself, and I said OK. But now it wants a password that apparently was set by the original owner before it will update. How can I bypass this?

how do i update wordpress on webfaction?

Paleoindian — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 02:59:17 -0800

how do i update wordpress on webfaction? I have a blog hosted on webfaction that is built on wordpress. I am currently using version 2.2.2 and I need to update. The latest version of wordpress is available on webfaction however I do not know how to go about performing the update. Can someone help me?

OSX upgrade to OSX Server: Headache free?

chillmost — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 04:55:11 -0800

I will be upgrading a MacPro running 10.4.11 to 10.4.11 Server. What, if anything, could go wrong? My company has a MacPro file server with a client version of Tiger running. As the number of employees has grown that need to get and place files, we often run into the 10 user limit imposed by Apple's client OS, hence the update to Server. There are some other advantages to this as well, but the unlimited clients and connections is the main plus for us. I have a few questions about this, the answers to which I could not find out in the tubes. This either means that it is a relatively painless process, or I'm not using the right search terms.

1. Will the user accounts remain untouched? The accounts themselves will probably remain okay, but what about user preferences? Finder? Other Apps?

2. Will people that connect to the server have to recreate the aliases they use to do so? Not much of a big deal but it'll be nice to know what to expect on Monday morning when my phone's ringing and people are complaining that they can't connect to the server.

3. Are there any other changes that I'm not thinking of that might cause a headache after I update?

Note: we are staying with Tiger because of a change in the way Leopard handles text encoding in applescript which would cause all of our scripts to break. The time it would take to rewrite them all would be huge.

How to add movies automatically to my Netflix queue?

joseywales — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:46:38 -0800

Automatically add newly released movies to my Netflix queue? I have been with Netflix for many years now, and with their recent "Watch Now" library coupled with my purchase of the Roku player I seem to spend as much time watching the streaming movies as I do with mailed DVDs. What I'm wondering is if there's any software or firefox add-on that would automatically add any newly available "Watch Now" movies to my Watch It Now queue.

Anybody out there know of such a method?

Java update crashes IE7

JtJ — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:21:12 -0800

Just installed latest Java RE 6 update 5 and IE7 crashes on opening. Have restored system and cancelled Java updates (for now) but....anyone else had this problem? Did you find a fix? I'm running Vista Ultimate on a Dell Inspiron 530 about 9 months old. Grateful for any thoughts....

How to easily update an online map when abroad?

XiBe — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:53:45 -0800

[TravelFilter] What would be an easy and cheap way to get a map update of my brother whereabouts for his year-long asian trip? (this is a follow-up to this thread)

My brother is going to be one the road for more than a year, backpacking with no personal computer, and getting Internet access as he can find it (cafés, hotels, etc.). We're planning on building a blog for him to write about his trip to us, but knowing where exactly he is could be a cool addition to the site.

I don't quite know how to tackle this. Here are my ideas so far:
- He sends the name of his current city by e-mail, and we update the (static) map by hand. But that's laborious.
- We code a gmaps/y!maps/whatever hack where he could just send in his current city to a form, and the map updates itself based on that new information. But that requires coding, obviously. (would be cool is this existed as an online service).
- We make him carry around some sort of GPS-updater that automatically send data to a server, which produces the map - as I've seen some hobby runners do here and there. But that's expensive as heck.

Do you have any idea or suggestions about handling that kind of data easily, cheaply, and from afar?

Thanks a lot.

Don't call me, I'll call you. No, seriously, I'll call you. Don't call me.

aristan — Fri, 23 May 2008 09:10:05 -0800

I'm currently out of work and looking for a new job. I share a cell plan with my family, but thanks to the combination of my having little money coming in and my sister & her boyfriend deciding that text messages are super fun, my phone's been cut off. So now I have dozens of resumes floating around with a bad phone number! How do I let prospective employers know my new number? It's easy to update Monster.Com, Career Builder, etc, but I've sent out lots of resumes direct. What's the best way to update everyone with a new phone number? I want to appear professional and not overly pushy or like a dead beat who can't pay his bills!

BIOS update failure

cog_nate — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 11:44:05 -0800

I tried updating my computer's BIOS the other night. The update didn't work, and now neither does my computer. I have a Gigabyte motherboard (model GA-K8NS Ultra-939). I tried updating the motherboard using Gigabyte's @BIOS utility. It would save a backup of the BIOS, but would not write the new version of the BIOS. I swear I soft rebooted (Restarted Windows) without a problem after trying to update it. Yesterday I turned the computer on (cold start) and after POSTing it would not boot; all I got was a black screen. That was bad. I tried booting Windows in Safe Mode -- it would get as far as "multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS\System32\Drivers\Mup.sys" and then freeze. (See these for some
POST info and the last bit of the last line I just mentioned.) That seemed worse.

So, it seems to POST correctly but will simply not boot up regardless what I try. I popped in a linux liveCD to see it it would boot; it would start loading but then freeze. I've sent Gigabyte a support request via e-mail, but don't expect to hear enlightening things from them in reply.

It definitely is the BIOS, right? Anyone know whether there's another way to update or reprogram the BIOS without performing radical surgery on the motherboard? (This motherboard is dual-BIOS, but when I enter the Q-Flash utility it freezes. Could I have a technician replace the borked BIOS with the good one?) Could it be a different problem?

Thanks in advance.

Be my guide to Charlotte, NC

Terminal Verbosity — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 11:37:52 -0800

What's a family of four to do in Charlotte, NC? My wife and two kids (five and seven) will be in Charlotte from June 9-14. We're staying at the Westin on College and Stonewall and are logistically limited to places we can walk or take public transportation. So what is there to do in downtown Charlotte for kids and what is there to do for adults that accommodates children? Restaurants, museums, planetariums...all recommendations welcome. Is there anything going on that week specifically we should check out?

Also, I'm missing a large book festival in Chicago for this trip; are there any good used book stores in that area I can hit?