Following the copy with a rebuild only fixes packages that are in your repository list for the new version of R… any packages that have already failed compatibility testing will remain broken, and they are the ones you are most at risk from. is NOT a safe thing to do, since the whole reason R sets up a new library is to avoid mixing incompatible packages. Indeed, others, including Jeff Newmiller, suggest this approach is problematic. Some people suggest copying your old personal library to a new location and ensuring that the new version of R recognizes it (others take the opposite view, saying that a new version of R is a good time to start with a clean slate and only install packages that you need moving forward).

There are multiple approaches to dealing with this: When I upgraded to R 4.0, all of the packages I had downloaded while using version 3.61 were no longer recognized.

When you update R, the biggest challenge is that your personal library of packages no longer works. No matter which method you use, for most people, the challenge comes not in updating R, but in what comes as a result. There are also packages to do the updating: updateR for Mac, and installr for Windows. Install that, and it will overwrite your current version. The easiest way to update R is to simply download the newest version. HAPPY FRIDAY! The daily build has 🌈rainbow parentheses!!!! 😍🙌👏🥳🎉🎊 /HrgGEaH1SO- Lucy D’Agostino McGowan JHow to Update R

Updating r studio