When looking online to learn more about certain software and features, you will find that people seem to use the terms update and upgrade interchangeably.  Yet the truth of the matter is that they two terms are incredibly different.  When it comes to your operating system or control panel, knowing the difference between updates and upgrades is key.  You will also want to know whether upgrades are necessary depending on the version of your software or operating system, and here we will take a better look at both terms.

UPDATES:

Updates are offered frequently by both operating system manufacturers and control panel makers.  These updates are usually small downloads that will add new features, improve security, or patch over a potential flaw in a program’s code.  Updating is absolutely essential and whether you are considering cPanel, Plesk, Linux, or ClientExec, you will find that it is generally best to download updates as soon as they become available.  This will help prevent any potential security concerns and ensure that you are always offering the top options available from within any of these programs.  The bottom line is that in reality, updates are absolutely essential.

UPGRADES:

Upgrades are slightly more optional, though still very worth your consideration.  An upgrade is an entirely new version of a program.  Upgrades are considerably more time consuming and can mean that you will need to reinstall everything that goes on top of them.  This can be easily accomplished by creating backups of your control panel or website in many cases, but you will find that an upgrade can take you offline.  Because of this, they are often recommended to be performed during scheduled maintenance and you will want to consider whether the new features and options are worth the added cost of buying a new version of the same program.

For all of you WHMCS lovers out there, we at LicenseCube know how excited you were about the release of version 4.4.1. This version had some very nice features including probably everyone’s favorite…features for better optimization of your machine.  This version also fixed some of their previous bugs, added support features, and many other improvements, making this an all-around awesome release for WHMCS!

Just as we are getting over our excitement, we are now introduced to WHMCS V4.4.2!  “What else can be added?” you ask.  Well, let’s take a quick look.

For this newest version, you can expect a lot of maintenance to any of the bugs that were previously reported and fixes to both versions 4.4.0 and 4.4.1.

Since there aren’t any database upgrades or template changes, if you are already running V4.4.1, upgrading to this latest version will be very simple.  If you are currently running on a version 4.4.0 or earlier, you an install the latest full stable version by following these steps:

• Begin by taking a backup of your database through a tool such as phpMyAdmin
• Unzip the contents of the zip file download to a folder on your computer
• Remove the images/logo.jpg file to avoid overwriting your customised logo
• Upload the files to your existing installation folder overwriting any existing files
• Visit the admin area to access the upgrade script
• Accept the license agreement
• Confirm you have backed up your database and click the upgrade button
• Once the script finishes loading, delete the install folder
• Before the upgrade is completed, you must update your custom template with any new or changed template files

We hope you will enjoy the latest version of WHMCS billing system!