There may be instances where you need to install updates on a ColdFusion server that isn’t connected to the internet, or you’re facing difficulties installing updates through the ColdFusion Administrator page despite having an internet connection. In such cases, knowing how to manually install updates and packages is essential.

This guide will walk you through a simple and efficient method to manually install ColdFusion updates and upgrade packages in an offline or online environment. Although the steps outlined here are based on the most recent update available at the time of writing, the instructions assume that ColdFusion is running on a Windows operating system. However, the process is identical for Linux-based installations, so these steps apply to both platforms.

Step 1. On a machine with internet access, download the latest ColdFusion update installer and the package repository (Hotfix and packages repository) from Adobe’s official update site:

ColdFusion 2021 updates

ColdFusion 2023 updates

Once downloaded, verifying the checksum is recommended (but optional) to ensure the integrity of the files.

Step 2: Copy the downloaded ZIP file containing the update and package repository to your ColdFusion server. Unzip the folder and rename it to “bundles.”

Step 3: Move the extracted bundles folder to the ColdFusion installation directory. For ColdFusion 2023, the default location is at C:\ColdFusion2023\bundles. Replace the existing bundles folder with the new one.

Step 4: Stop all ColdFusion services. Then, open the Command Prompt as an administrator.

Step 5: Navigate to  C:\ColdFusion2023\jre\bin and run the below command:

  java -jar -Djdk.util.zip.disableZip64ExtraFieldValidation=true                                                     C:\ColdFusion2023\bundles\updateinstallers\hotfix-010-330680.jar

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update installation. Once the installation is finished, ColdFusion services will start in the background, but they may or may not appear in the Windows Service Management console. You must manually stop or kill the ColdFusion-related processes in the Task Manager and restart the services via the Windows Service Management console.

Step 6: Log in to the ColdFusion Administrator page and check the “Settings Summary” to confirm the update level and build number.

After installing the update, check the package manager for any missing packages. You can install these packages using either the command-line tool (cfpm.bat) or the Package Manager UI. Typically, the update process also upgrades packages, but it’s good to confirm if you need to upgrade the packages by checking the Adobe Update release notes.

Additionally, check the Adobe update article to see if further actions are required, such as upgrading the connector or adjusting any JVM arguments that may affect your application.

Roll back an installed update:

If needed, you can roll back a ColdFusion update to a previous version. This can be done either via the ColdFusion Administrator page (by using the “Uninstall” button under the Package Manager—Core Server section) or via the command line if the ColdFusion Administrator page is not available.

Step 1: Stop all the ColdFusion service and open the command prompt as an administrator:

Step 2:  Navigate to C:\ColdFusion2023\jre\bin and run the uninstaller command:

java -jar C:\ColdFusion2023\cfusion\hf-updates\hf-2023-00010-330680\uninstall\uninstaller.jar

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the rollback. After uninstalling, ColdFusion services will again start in the background. You must manually restart them through the Service Management console after terminating any active ColdFusion processes in Task Manager.

Best Practice: Backup Before Installation or Rollback

Before installing or uninstalling any updates, take a full backup of the entire ColdFusion2023 folder. This ensures you can recover from any unforeseen issues during the process.