-- creating new column of TIMESTAMP type ALTER TABLE `ospos_sessions` ADD COLUMN `temp_timestamp` TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP(); -- Use FROM_UNIXTIME() to convert from the INT timestamp to a proper datetime type -- assigning value from old INT column to it, in hope that it will be recognized as timestamp UPDATE `ospos_sessions` SET `temp_timestamp` = FROM_UNIXTIME(`timestamp`); -- dropping the old INT column ALTER TABLE `ospos_sessions` DROP COLUMN `timestamp`; -- changing the name of the column ALTER TABLE `ospos_sessions` CHANGE `temp_timestamp` `timestamp` TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP();