Upgrading 3.3.1 to 4.1.5, Drupal 6, DB Error: no such table, with solution

[flug]

FYI, today I upgraded CiviCRM 3.3.1 to 4.1.5, Drupal 6, using the instructions at http://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC41/Upgrade+Drupal+Sites+to+4.1+-+Drupal+6

On Step 8, run the update script, I received this message:

 DB Error: no such table

Trying again gave another error (database partially upgraded - apparently getting partway through the update script leaves the database in a hosed state), so luckily I had followed the directions carefully and made a database backup before starting, and even more luckily the restore worked properly.

Reading another thread about a similar problem suggested updating through the successive versions.

So I tried that--upgrading to 3.4.8, running the update script, and then installing 4.1.0 and running the update script, before installing 4.1.5 again and running the update script.


Because I'm paranoid, I made SQL database backups after each step.  Also I opened each backup in a text editor and took a look at it, just to make sure it looked correct and complete (there isn't any real way to ensure that that backup worked OK short of installing it in another database, but you can at least do a quick sanity check, make sure it looks like about the right size, etc.)

The procedure of installing successive versions was successful and 4.1.5 is currently running on our server.

I posting this just in case anyone else has a similar problem.  Also, worth pointing out, when the upgrade instructions say "Make a backup" they really mean it!

Has anyone else had this problem?  It doesn't seem like it should happen during an upgrade from 3.3.1 to 4.1.5.

[Hershel]

There have been other reports that running upgrades from older versions can have problems. It depends on the nature of the old DB. If it itself was already upgraded, sometimes doing the latest upgrade in steps is indeed required.

Thank you for your feedback however--your post will be useful for others.

[jimsmith]

Thanks for this

It solved my problem too

[flug]

There have been other reports that running upgrades from older versions can have problems. It depends on the nature of the old DB. If it itself was already upgraded, sometimes doing the latest upgrade in steps is indeed required.

Yes, that may be it--we had at least one or two versions prior to 3.3.1, so the DB was upgraded at least once or twice before.