It is likely that the database information is different than the info stored in the wp-config.php file. Who is your host? Do they offer cPanel access?
First, on your Dashboard (where WP takes you when you login) in the upper left it will tell you what your current version number is.
Second, what issues with connecting to the database are you having? Your site host says ‘everything is working correctly’ – do you agree or not? Can you be specific about what problems you’re having?
While I do think it’s a great idea to update, if for no other reason than to keep your site more secure (old versions are more vulnerable), a lot depends on what version you’re on NOW, because *how* you update may depend on just how old a version you’re using….you may not be able to jump to the current version depending on how old your database is, and you may have to ensure that you’re using current versions of PHP and MySQL. In some cases incremental updates may be a better path to coming current (doing updates in stages until you get to the current one).
Also you’ll need to research your plugins, some may not be compatible with the current version of WP……some may still work, others may not, but you’ll want to know beforehand which ones may give you trouble, and seek out newer alternatives ahead of time.
As an example, on one of my sites, a critical plugin in use won’t work with WP 4.5 so we are stuck at 4.4.2 for the time being until the plugin gets updated…on other sites I was able to find alternative plugins to replace the ones that were no longer being supported.
SO post back with more info including your current version and what problems you’re encountering and someone here will be better able to help you prepare for and execute an update strategy.
