To be clearer, can I simply download the full package and just overwrite my files via ftp upload? Or will that cause a problem? Would I have to disable all my plugins first or does that not matter? If it overwrites settings, that is okay - easy fix - but the base installation needs to work properly.

Ideas? Thoughts? Suggestions?

Elizabeth,  the best way is to solve the problems one by one.
Can you list your major issues on your live site?

Can you log in and use the admin panel? Or are you completely locked out from your site?

I can log in and use the admin panel. For the most part, myself and my members can operate on the site with little issue. I wish I could list all the issues, but I am still finding them. What I know off the top of my head at the moment...

Plugins working on dev site but not live site:

Message (Mailbox 7206 - nothing above 6690 will work on live site)

Photomeme (SQL errors; e500.php - server admin looking into that to be sure it isn't a non-Oxwall issue)

Advanced Photo

Smileys

Comment Votes

Speed Optimizer

Most of the developers have looked between the two sites to try and figure out why they work on one but not the other. With identical installs and no distinguishable error messages, we are concluding there is something wrong with the live sites 1.7 update.

Base Feature Issues on the 1.7 Upgrade / Live Site

Periodically, all role permissions disappear (every single box is unchecked). Also, the live site doesn't get updates like the dev site does. I have to manually install everything when I didn't have to do that in 1.6. I have no idea why, but sometimes, almost all of the plugins throw up the update flag when the dev site shows no updates either, and when I click to update, nothing happens except the update notice goes away.

It is completely random when these things happen with no error messages or error logs reported.

I hope all that information helps. I really think I just need to fix the 1.7 install on the live site and hope you have a good way of doing that.

Elizabeth, since we don't provide support on third party  plugins, I can help you only with the issue related to our plugins and core functionality.

Can you provide me ( in PM) with admin access details to your dev and life sites?

i had same problems with update after many painfull days i done a full install then in ow includes config put my old db. salt details in first i backed up everything 3 times then deactivated every plugin (dont delete remove them you lose all info ) and switched to default theme uploaded full install and run install into a second db then changed congif and reactivated plugins

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