Updating phpBB3 is a very important step in keeping your forum secure, fast, and bug free. Updates can fix critical security holes in phpBB3 forum, improve the phpBB3 php files and phpBB3 database code by optimizing it. It can even improve the captcha code, so you have less spam bots on your forum.
You would need a FTP client like Filezilla, FTP account, web browser, and the phpBB3 update zip file from phpbb.com to update phpBB3 on your web server.
You should first backup your phpBB3 folder, and database on your web server.
Tutorial for updating phpbb3 to the latest version.
1. Download the update zip file for phpBB3 from phpBB3
download the update zip file for phpBB3
 2. Log in to your phpbb admin panel click on Back up your database link in maintenance tab.
click on Back up your database link in maintenance tab in admin panel
3. Click Select All and Submit button.
Click Select All and submit button
 4. Click restore link and pick your backup to download, and press “Download back up” button.
Click restore link and pick your backup to download
5. Upload your phpBB3 update files you downloaded from phpbb.com to the root directory of your forum
Upload your phpBB3 update files you downloaded from phpbbcom to the root directory of your forum
6. Go to system tab and press the update link
go to system tab and press the update link
7. Read the instructions, and press “proceed to next step” button.
read the instructions, and press proceed to next step
 8. Click update database.
Click update database
 9. Click update my database now.
Click update my database now
 10. Click “continue the update process now” button.
Click continue the update process now
 11. Scroll to bottom of the page and click download modified archive file
Scroll to bottom of the page and click download modified archive file
 12. Pick archive type and click “download” button.
pick archive type and click download button
13. Unzip downloaded archive and upload the files to the root directory of phpbb3.
unzip downloaded archive and upload the files to the root directory of phpbb3
14.When you uploaded the files to the root folder of phpBB3, click “continue update now” button.
When uploaded click continue update
15. phpBB3 update successful if you did everything right.
phpBB3 update is successful
 16. Delete or rename your install directory in the root of your phpBB3 folder on your web server.
delete or rename your install directory on the root phpbb3 folder
 Congratulations, you are done updating your phpBB3 forum. All you need to do now is visit your forum, and see if everything is working right. If it is not, then restore your database, and your old phpBB3 backup files.
Thanks a lot for this relevant information. I updated from phpBB-3.0.5_to_3.0.7-PL1. Regards
I’m glad you successfully updated to the latest version of phpBB3. Thanks for the comment. Updating phpBB3 seems kind of difficult compared to Joomla, Drupal, Wordpress, and other web based programs. I hope phpBB4 will make updating and installing MODs a lot easier.
step 14 >>Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_IF, expecting T_FUNCTION in /home/easteduc/public_html/webboard/includes/session.php on line 1838
help me,please.
Not sure, how to fix this, tapihob. But, you can try overwriting your phpbb3 files with the new phpBB3 install files from the full phpBB3 install files you download from phpBB.com, but do not overwrite your config file for phpBB3 and don’t upload the install folder. This is how I fixed a phpBB3 forum which refuse to update.
I recommend phpbb.com/community and forumpromotion.net for forum help.
You can also ask your web host and other forums for help.