# Upgrading Elasticsearch on Windows from zip install **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [January 15, 2019, 6:47pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/upgrading-elasticsearch-on-windows-from-zip-install/164354 "2019-01-15T18:47:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nahallac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8e8cbc/32.png) [@nahallac](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/nahallac)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 6:47pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/upgrading-elasticsearch-on-windows-from-zip-install/164354/1 "2019-01-15T18:47:06Z")
Hi all, I am in the process of planning an upgrade from an Elastic Stack installed before my time. I've got all of the relevant upgrade docs (starting with the upgrade guide), but have a question about upgrading using the MSI when the previous install looks like it has used the unpacking a zip method. When I run the 5.6 MSI installer it doesn't detect the previous install (5.3.2 - installation files in c:\elasticsearch and path.data/path.logs/path.repo in e:\elasticsearch), presumably because there are no reg keys set by an installer? What I wanted to know was the optimal way to upgrade using MSI in this situation? Should I essentially treat it as a new install and migrate the indices data in and update config files or is there a way to get the MSI to detect the previous version? Thanks in advance ---
**Author:** ![nahallac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8e8cbc/32.png) [@nahallac](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/nahallac)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 8:44am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/upgrading-elasticsearch-on-windows-from-zip-install/164354/2 "2019-01-16T08:44:18Z")
I've been through an upgrade from zip install to MSI install in our Dev environment using the following process: Stop then delete the Elasticsearch Windows service Install Elasticsearch from MSI using all default directories but unchecking the option to start the service after install Copy all defined values from the 'old' elasticsearch.yml into the newly generated one in c:\ProgramData\Elastic\config Start the service Not sure that this is the best way though and that I haven't missed anything so please do chime in if there are other considerations. For example I haven't worried about copying over anything in jvm.options because the MSI's defaults were fine ---
**Author:** ![DavidTurner](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/davidturner/32/22453_2.png) [@DavidTurner](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/DavidTurner)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 8:47am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/upgrading-elasticsearch-on-windows-from-zip-install/164354/3 "2019-01-16T08:47:47Z")
> [@nahallac](#): > > I've been through an upgrade from zip install to MSI install in our Dev environment using the following process: The process you describe sounds reasonable to me. ---
**Author:** ![nahallac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8e8cbc/32.png) [@nahallac](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/nahallac)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 8:52am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/upgrading-elasticsearch-on-windows-from-zip-install/164354/4 "2019-01-16T08:52:28Z")
Thanks David, I appreciate the validation. Hopefully this will help anyone who comes across it as it doesn't appear to be covered in the MSI install KB - unless I have missed something 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 8:52am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/upgrading-elasticsearch-on-windows-from-zip-install/164354/5 "2019-02-13T08:52:30Z")
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