How to Revert a Windows Update

Posted on by Denise Lasky
Category: Common Fixes | Tags: , , , , ,
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Windows periodically checks for the latest updates and security features for your devices. Automatic updates are implemented with the intention of running your device smoothly and securely. With top security in mind, most Liquid Web servers are set to automatically install these updates thus saving you the task of remembering to implement critical updates or patches.

The vast majority of the times, windows updates complete successfully, keeping you and your customers safe.  These updates rarely cause any server issues, but you may find that you want to roll back an update due to an unforeseen server change.  Fear not, in this tutorial we’ll show you how to easily undo a Windows update on 2016, 2008R2 and 2012R2 servers.

Note
Liquid Web customers have the option to install automatic updates themselves. In these cases, security patches are updates fall under the responsibility of the account owner.

 

Server 2016 with Windows 10

  1. Click on the Start button, search for Windows Update and hit Enter.
  2. Go to View Update History and select Uninstall Updates.  Click the update you are wanting to uninstall/remove. (Generally, these are the most recent installs.)
  3. When the installed update window comes up, you can see the updates by name, KB number, type of program, version, and even the date of installation.
  4. Select the update and choose Uninstall.  Follow the on screen instructions.
  5. Depending on the update, there may be a need to reboot the server to complete removal.
  6. While you are still in the Windows Update screen, select the offending update and click Hide Update.  ** Once the Update is fixed and it is safe to install, then you can go in and manually install it on your system.

Complete the removal of the update by rebooting the server.

 

Server 2008R2 and 2012R2 with Windows 7/8

  1.  Go to the Start button and select Control Panel.
  2.  Go to Programs >> Uninstall a program.
  3.  Select the program and right-click to Uninstall.
  4.  Select the update you would like to revert.
  5.  Select Yes to uninstall the selected update.
  6.  Select the Restart Now button.
  7.  While you are still in the Updates screen, select the offending update and right-click, to select Hide Update.  ** To re-instate the update you can manually install it on your system.

Complete the removal of the update by rebooting the server.

Still having issues with reverting a Windows update? Liquid Web customers enjoy 24/7 support with our Managed Dedicated and VPS servers. Find out today why we are the most loved in hosting!

 

How to Install MySQL on Windows

Posted on by David Richards | Updated:
Category: Tutorials | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Reading Time: 2 minutes

If you’re using a Windows-based server to host your content, you may using Microsoft’s database server product, MSSQL. However, licensing restrictions can make using MSSQL difficult, especially for small businesses. Microsoft offers a free version of MSSQL called MSSQL Express that will be suitable for many users, but this version does have limitations on database size and memory usage. If you need a more robust database solution but want to try something with a lower cost (like a free, open-source database server), you could try MySQL database server.

MySQL is a standard part of the typical Linux server build (or LAMP stack) but is also available for use on Windows operating systems. Depending on your needs, you could fully develop your database in MySQL. Many popular Content Management Systems (CMS) also use MySQL by default, so using MySQL to manage those applications may be beneficial. MySQL and MSSQL can be run on the same server at the same time, so you’re free to use both or to experiment as needed.

Installing MySQL on your Windows server is as simple as downloading an MSI Installer package and clicking through a few options.

  1. Download the MySQL Installer from dev.mysql.com. The two download options are a web-community version and a full version. The web-community version will only download the server, by default, but you can select other applications (like Workbench) as desired. The full installer will download the server and all the recommended additional applications. (You’ll also be asked to create a user account, but you skip this part by scrolling down to the bottom and clicking “No thanks, just start my download”.)

    mysql_installer_download

  2. Run the installer that you downloaded from its location on your server, generally by double-clicking.
     
    Note
    You can use this same MSI Installer to upgrade currently installed versions of MySQL as well! As is typical, the first step is accepting the license agreement, then click Next.

    license agreement

  3. Determine which setup type you would like to use for the installation:
    1. Developer Default: this is the full installation of MySQL Server and the other tools needed for development. If you are building your database from the ground up or will be managing the data directly in the database, you’ll want to use this setup type.
    2. Server Only: if you only need MySQL Server installed for use with a CMS or other application and will not be managing the database directly, you can install just the server (you can always install additional tools later).
    3. Custom: this setup type will allow you to customize every part of the installation from the server version to whichever additional tools you select.

      setup type

  4. Install the server instance and whichever additional products you selected. Then begin the configuration process by selecting the availability level (most users will use the default, standalone version).
  5. Complete the configuration process by following the on-screen instructions. You’ll want to make sure to install MySQL as a Service so that Windows can automatically start the service after a reboot or can restart the service if it fails. For additional, step-by-step instructions, see MySQL Server Configuration with MySQL Installer.

Have other thoughts or questions? Our Sales and Support teams are available 24 hours by phone or e-mail to assist. Reach out to us by opening a support ticket at support@liquidweb.com, giving us a call at 1-800-580-4985 or, open a chat with us and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have!

Top 4 Lessons Learned Using Ubuntu

Posted on by Michael McDonald | Updated:
Category: Getting Started | Tags: , , , , ,
Reading Time: 5 minutes

When choosing a server operating system, there are a number of factors and choices that must be decided. An often talked about and referenced OS, Ubuntu, is a popular choice and offers great functionality with a vibrant and helpful community. However; if you’re unfamiliar with Ubuntu and have not worked with either the server or desktop versions, you may encounter differences in common tasks and functionality from previous operating systems you’ve worked with. I’ve been a system administrator and running my own servers for a number of years, almost all of which were Ubuntu, here are the top four lessons I’ve learned while running Ubuntu on my server.

Continue reading “Top 4 Lessons Learned Using Ubuntu” →

Rollback a Plugin or Theme Using WP-CLI

Posted on by Luke Cavanagh
Category: Managed WordPress | Tags: , , , ,
Reading Time: 2 minutes

WP-CLI makes it very easy to rollback plugins and themes as well as update plugins and themes on sites all from command line. This is useful if you see your site is broken by a newer version of the theme or plugin. In this article, we’ll be running through some valuable commands for rolling back your site.

If you need to rollback a plugin on a site to a previous version, you can find the previous version number from the development tab of the plugins listed on WordPress.org. To find the slug of the plugin, you will need to go to the WordPress.org plugins. In the case of Contact Form 7, the plugin slug is contact-form-7.

Note:
You can also find the plugin or theme slug by going to your WordPress files and typing in:
wp plugin list

wp theme list

Pre-flight

Rollback a Plugin to a Previous Version

If you need to test that the command is correct, you can always use the flag –dry-run at the end of the command:

wp plugin update contact-form-7 --version=5.0.5 --dry-run

In the following example, to rollback Contact Form 7, you can use this command:

wp plugin update contact-form-7 --version=5.0.5

 

Activate A Particular Version of a Plugin

If you need to install and activate a previous version of a plugin, run:

wp plugin install contact-form-7 --version=5.0.5 --activate --force

 

Update All Plugins

If the plugins you updated have been fixed and you now need to update all plugins, the example command is:

wp plugin update --all

Excluding A Plugin

If you want to update all plugins, but need to exclude a specific plugin (in this case WooCommerce), run command:

wp plugin update --all --exclude=woocommerce

 

Rollback a Theme to a Previous Version

If you did need to rollback a parent theme to a previous version, you could use this command example which would rollback the Storefront theme to version 2.4.0:

wp theme update storefront --version=2.4.0

 

Update Theme to Current Version Release

If you know wanted to update the Storefront theme on a site to the most current version, you could use this command example;

wp theme update storefront

 

Using a mix of these WP-CLI commands will enable you to easily rollback a plugin on your site, rollback a theme, or update all plugins. It will also update all plugins, but exclude a specific plugin from being updated.  Our Managed WordPress product comes with WP-CLI installed along with easy, automatic updates.  Check out how our Managed WordPress platform can streamline your work today!

SSL vs TLS

Posted on by Cameron Paxton | Updated:
Category: Getting Started | Tags: , , , ,
Reading Time: 4 minutes

You may have first heard about TLS because your Apache service needed to be secured using TLS for a PCI scan (Payment Card Industry: PCI scans are a standard to ensure server security for credit card transactions). Or maybe you noticed that your SSL also mentions TLS when you are ordering the certificate. Beyond where you heard the names, the question is, what is this mysterious TLS in relation to SSL and which of the two should you be using? Continue reading “SSL vs TLS” →

Install Multiple PHP Versions on Ubuntu 16.04

Posted on by Echo Diaz | Updated:
Category: Tutorials | Tags: , , , , , , ,
Reading Time: 2 minutes

In this article, we will be discussing how to install Multiple PHP Versions on Ubuntu 16.04. Ubuntu 16.04 LTS servers assign the PHP 7.0 version by default. Although PHP 5.6 is currently EOL (end of life) as of December of 2018, some applications may not be compatible with PHP 7.0. For this tutorial, we instruct on how to switch between PHP 7.0 and PHP 5.6 for Apache and the overall default PHP version for Ubuntu.

Continue reading “Install Multiple PHP Versions on Ubuntu 16.04” →

Updating PHP 5.6 to 7

Posted on by Echo Diaz | Updated:
Category: Common Fixes | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Reading Time: 3 minutes


PHP is a programming language that can run with Apache or Microsoft IIS and works with your server to execute the requests that make up your website. 88% of online sites run on, soon to be vulnerable PHP 5.X technology. At the close of this year, scheduled by Dec 31, 2018 security support will end for our dear old friend PHP 5.6, meaning bugs and security fixes will not be tended to and could lead to security vulnerabilities. Each PHP version gets supported actively for two years while the third year only gets critical security updates. Luckily, the PHP gods had smiled upon us and extended the life for just a year longer than the typical PHP version before giving us the new year deadline. For all of you developers out there wanting to know exactly what is changing, here’s a helpful migration guide from PHP 5.6 to PHP 7.X.

Continue reading “Updating PHP 5.6 to 7” →

How To Check the Version of Apache

Posted on by dpepper | Updated:
Category: Tutorials | Tags: ,
Reading Time: 1 minute

Apache’s newer version, 2.0, is necessary to take advantage of key features not available in older versions. Among them are:

Continue reading “How To Check the Version of Apache” →