In this video, we will take a look at how to install Better Preview and how to update it when a new version is released.

There are 3 ways to install Better Preview. We’ll go through each of them.
We’ll look at how to upload the package zip files, how to ‘Install from Web’, and how to install via the Regular Labs Extension Manager.

Installing

Upload Package File

The first way is by downloading Better Preview from the Regular Labs website and installing that zip file.
Let’s head over to the Regular Labs website where we can download a free version of Better Preview.

We’ll get into installing the Pro version later on in this video.

If Better Preview is not currently being featured on the front page, you’ll find it by clicking on “Extensions” in the main menu or you can save yourself a click and scroll down to the footer of the website. From this list choose Better Preview. Next, click “Download Free”, click “Download Free” again, save the package file to your computer and open the location you downloaded it to.

Ok, now back to our Joomla website. Let’s click on Extensions, mouse over Manage and then click on Install. Next we choose the ‘Upload Package File’ tab and then drag the file we just downloaded into the box. The upload and install will begin automatically.

Better Preview is now installed.

Install from Web

The second way is via the Joomla ‘Install from Web’ method.
Here we click on Extensions, mouse over Manage and then click on Install. Then we click on the ‘Install from Web’ tab.
Next, we search for Better Preview.

As you can see, the results are not very useful and we still have to look for ‘Better Preview’.
A little tip: remove the space from the name. So we search for betterpreview instead.
That’s better.

Now we click on the successful search result. Click on install and then click on install again.
And once again through this second method Better Preview is now installed.

Regular Labs Extension Manager

And now my favorite way of installing Regular Labs extensions!
Regular Labs has its own Extension Manager. This is a great way of installing, updating and managing all the Regular Labs extensions you want installed. So this is especially useful if you are using more than one Regular Labs extension.
To use this method, let’s first install the Regular Labs Extension Manager the same way as we explained before.
We’ll install it via the ‘Install from Web’ method.
So again, we go to Extensions > Manage > Install, and click on the ‘Install from Web’ tab.
Here we search for ‘extensionmanager’. So again, no space.
And there it is.
Click, click, click and it’s installed.
Now, let’s go to the Extension Manager via the ‘Components’ menu.

We now have the latest version of Extension Manager installed, which at the moment is version 7.1.2.
And what you see here is a Joomla 3.7.4 setup.
If you are using newer versions, things might look a bit different.

Well, as you can see, this is pretty self-explanatory. Want to install Better Preview? We just click on this install button and then click on “start” and that’s it!
You can install any other Regular Labs extension in the same way.

Pro version

So what about the Pro version?
If you have a subscription on the Regular Labs website you have access to the Pro version. But we need the Download Key for that.

We can find that on the Regular Labs website.
Once logged in, you can go to the ‘Download Keys” page by clicking right here.
So we just copy this Download Key and head back to the Regular Labs Extension Manager on our website.
Paste the key into this field, save it, and we’re all set.

Now we have access to all the pro extensions our Regular Labs subscription covers.
So we’ll just upgrade Better Preview to the Pro version.
Click ‘Update’, ‘Start’.
And now we have the Pro version installed.

Updating

Joomla updater

When a new version is released you will be able to update Better Preview via the Joomla updater.

To show you, we’ll just downgrade to an earlier version.

We now have an old version of Better Preview installed.
As you can see we now get a notification on the control panel that there is a new version available.

We can update to the latest Pro version of Better Preview via the Joomla updater.
Yes, that works.

Regular Labs Extension Manager

But we can also update Better Preview via the Regular Labs Extension Manager.
So let’s install back that old version of Better Preview.
Now we head over to the Regular Labs Extension Manager.
And here we can see the available update too.
We simply click this ‘Update All’ button and click ‘Start’.
And it is updated.

So now we have covered how to install and update Better Preview via the Joomla core installer.
And also how to do this very easily via the Regular Labs Extension Manager.