diff --git a/backup/db/postgres7.php b/backup/db/postgres7.php
index 0ddafc5b7dc..3afe71539ce 100644
--- a/backup/db/postgres7.php
+++ b/backup/db/postgres7.php
@@ -51,24 +51,14 @@ function backup_upgrade($oldversion=0) {
     }
 
     if ($oldversion < 2006042801) {
-        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_backup_log
-            ALTER COLUMN "time" TYPE integer,
-            ALTER COLUMN "time" SET DEFAULT 0,
-            ALTER COLUMN laststarttime TYPE integer,
-            ALTER COLUMN laststarttime SET DEFAULT 0,
-            ALTER COLUMN courseid TYPE integer,
-            ALTER COLUMN courseid SET DEFAULT 0');
-
-        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE mdl_backup_courses
-            ALTER COLUMN lastendtime TYPE integer,
-            ALTER COLUMN lastendtime SET DEFAULT 0,
-            ALTER COLUMN laststarttime TYPE integer,
-            ALTER COLUMN laststarttime SET DEFAULT 0,
-            ALTER COLUMN courseid TYPE integer,
-            ALTER COLUMN courseid SET DEFAULT 0,
-            ALTER COLUMN nextstarttime TYPE integer,
-            ALTER COLUMN nextstarttime SET DEFAULT 0');
+        table_column('backup_log', 'time', 'time', 'integer', '', '', '0');
+        table_column('backup_log', 'laststarttime', 'laststarttime', 'integer', '', '', '0');
+        table_column('backup_log', 'courseid', 'courseid', 'integer', '', '', '0');
 
+        table_column('backup_courses', 'lastendtime', 'lastendtime', 'integer', '', '', '0');
+        table_column('backup_courses', 'laststarttime', 'laststarttime', 'integer', '', '', '0');
+        table_column('backup_courses', 'courseid', 'courseid', 'integer', '', '', '0');
+        table_column('backup_courses', 'nextstarttime', 'nextstarttime', 'integer', '', '', '0');
     }
 
     //Finally, return result
diff --git a/lib/db/postgres7.php b/lib/db/postgres7.php
index f27fe07c06a..85c23e6106a 100644
--- a/lib/db/postgres7.php
+++ b/lib/db/postgres7.php
@@ -1544,18 +1544,14 @@ function main_upgrade($oldversion=0) {
             }
         }
 
-        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_course_request
-            ALTER COLUMN "password" TYPE varchar(50),
-            ALTER COLUMN "password" SET DEFAULT \'\'');
+        table_column('course_request', 'password', 'password', 'varchar', '50', '', '');
 
-        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_course
-            ALTER COLUMN currency TYPE varchar(3)');
+        table_column('course', 'currency', 'currency', 'varchar', '3');
 
         modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_course_categories
             ALTER COLUMN path SET DEFAULT \'\'');
 
-        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_log_display
-            ALTER COLUMN module TYPE varchar(20)');
+        table_column('log_display', 'module', 'module', 'varchar', '20');
 
         modify_database("","DROP INDEX id_user_idx");
         modify_database("","DROP INDEX post_lastmodified_idx");
diff --git a/mod/lesson/db/postgres7.php b/mod/lesson/db/postgres7.php
index fad2d9b161c..2a37294c1ac 100644
--- a/mod/lesson/db/postgres7.php
+++ b/mod/lesson/db/postgres7.php
@@ -318,30 +318,38 @@ function lesson_upgrade($oldversion) {
         execute_sql('DROP TABLE '.$CFG->prefix.'lesson_essay', false);
 
         // properly set the correct default values
-        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_lesson
-            ALTER COLUMN activitylink TYPE int8,
-            ALTER COLUMN activitylink SET DEFAULT 0,
-            ALTER COLUMN dependency TYPE int8,
-            ALTER COLUMN dependency SET DEFAULT 0');
+        table_column('lesson', 'activitylink', 'activitylink', 'integer', '8', '', '0');
+        table_column('lesson', 'dependency', 'dependency', 'integer', '8', '', '0');
 
         modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_lesson_timer
-            ALTER COLUMN lessontime SET DEFAULT 0,
-            ALTER COLUMN lessonid SET DEFAULT 0,
-            ALTER COLUMN userid SET DEFAULT 0,
+            ALTER COLUMN lessontime SET DEFAULT 0');
+        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_lesson_timer
+            ALTER COLUMN lessonid SET DEFAULT 0');
+        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_lesson_timer
+            ALTER COLUMN userid SET DEFAULT 0');
+        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_lesson_timer
             ALTER COLUMN starttime SET DEFAULT 0');
 
         modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_lesson_branch
-            ALTER COLUMN lessonid SET DEFAULT 0,
-            ALTER COLUMN timeseen SET DEFAULT 0,
-            ALTER COLUMN userid SET DEFAULT 0,
-            ALTER COLUMN retry SET DEFAULT 0,
-            ALTER COLUMN pageid SET DEFAULT 0,
+            ALTER COLUMN lessonid SET DEFAULT 0');
+        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_lesson_branch
+            ALTER COLUMN timeseen SET DEFAULT 0');
+        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_lesson_branch
+            ALTER COLUMN userid SET DEFAULT 0');
+        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_lesson_branch
+            ALTER COLUMN retry SET DEFAULT 0');
+        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_lesson_branch
+            ALTER COLUMN pageid SET DEFAULT 0');
+        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_lesson_branch
             ALTER COLUMN flag SET DEFAULT 0');
 
         modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_lesson_high_scores
-            ALTER COLUMN nickname SET DEFAULT \'\',
-            ALTER COLUMN lessonid SET DEFAULT 0,
-            ALTER COLUMN gradeid SET DEFAULT 0,
+            ALTER COLUMN nickname SET DEFAULT \'\'');
+        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_lesson_high_scores
+            ALTER COLUMN lessonid SET DEFAULT 0');
+        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_lesson_high_scores
+            ALTER COLUMN gradeid SET DEFAULT 0');
+        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_lesson_high_scores
             ALTER COLUMN userid SET DEFAULT 0');
     }
 
diff --git a/mod/quiz/db/postgres7.php b/mod/quiz/db/postgres7.php
index e1cf2f4aff6..719aa5b8de7 100644
--- a/mod/quiz/db/postgres7.php
+++ b/mod/quiz/db/postgres7.php
@@ -1216,16 +1216,10 @@ function quiz_upgrade($oldversion) {
                                  id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
                                  modulename varchar(20) NOT NULL default 'quiz'
                               );");
-        // create one entry for all the existing quiz attempts
-        modify_database ("", "INSERT INTO prefix_question_attempts (id)
-                                   SELECT uniqueid
-                                   FROM prefix_quiz_attempts;");
-    }
-
-    if ($oldversion < 2006042802) {
         // this block is taken from mysql.php 2005070202
         // add new unique id to prepare the way for lesson module to have its own attempts table
         table_column('quiz_attempts', '', 'uniqueid', 'integer', '10', 'unsigned', '0', 'not null', 'id');
+        // create one entry for all the existing quiz attempts
         // initially we can use the id as the unique id because no other modules use attempts yet.
         execute_sql("UPDATE {$CFG->prefix}quiz_attempts SET uniqueid = id", false);
         // we set $CFG->attemptuniqueid to the next available id
@@ -1235,6 +1229,13 @@ function quiz_upgrade($oldversion) {
 
         modify_database('','CREATE UNIQUE INDEX prefix_quiz_attempts_uniqueid_uk ON prefix_quiz_attempts (uniqueid);');
 
+        modify_database ("", "INSERT INTO prefix_question_attempts (id)
+                                   SELECT uniqueid
+                                   FROM prefix_quiz_attempts;");
+    }
+
+    if ($oldversion < 2006042802) {
+
         // Copy the teacher comments from the question_essay_states table to the new
         // question_sessions table.
 
@@ -1275,7 +1276,8 @@ function quiz_upgrade($oldversion) {
         execute_sql('DROP TABLE '.$CFG->prefix.'quiz_attemptonlast_datasets');
 
         modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_question
-            ALTER COLUMN qtype SET DEFAULT \'0\',
+            ALTER COLUMN qtype SET DEFAULT \'0\'');
+        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_question
             ALTER COLUMN version SET DEFAULT \'\'');
 
         // recreate the indexes that was not moved while quiz was transitioning to question lib
diff --git a/mod/scorm/db/postgres7.php b/mod/scorm/db/postgres7.php
index 9d6e4f24531..23f18ab85b1 100755
--- a/mod/scorm/db/postgres7.php
+++ b/mod/scorm/db/postgres7.php
@@ -232,7 +232,8 @@ function scorm_upgrade($oldversion) {
     if ($oldversion < 2006021401) {
        table_column("scorm", "", "version", "VARCHAR", "9", "", "", "NOT NULL", "reference");
 
-       modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_scorm ALTER COLUMN width SET DEFAULT 100, ALTER COLUMN height SET DEFAULT 500');
+       modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_scorm ALTER COLUMN width SET DEFAULT 100');
+       modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_scorm ALTER COLUMN height SET DEFAULT 500');
        // there is an extra constraint key1, we should drop this
        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_scorm_scoes_track DROP CONSTRAINT prefix_scorm_scoes_track_userid_key1');
        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_scorm_scoes_track DROP CONSTRAINT prefix_scorm_scoes_track_userid_key');
diff --git a/mod/wiki/db/postgres7.php b/mod/wiki/db/postgres7.php
index b1786b637fc..da338e649f9 100644
--- a/mod/wiki/db/postgres7.php
+++ b/mod/wiki/db/postgres7.php
@@ -147,9 +147,12 @@ function wiki_upgrade($oldversion) {
 
     if ($oldversion < 2006042801) {
         modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_wiki_pages 
-            ALTER COLUMN content SET DEFAULT \'\', 
-            ALTER COLUMN refs SET DEFAULT \'\', 
-            ALTER COLUMN content DROP NOT NULL,
+            ALTER COLUMN content SET DEFAULT \'\'');
+        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_wiki_pages 
+            ALTER COLUMN refs SET DEFAULT \'\'');
+        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_wiki_pages 
+            ALTER COLUMN content DROP NOT NULL');
+        modify_database('', 'ALTER TABLE prefix_wiki_pages 
             ALTER COLUMN refs DROP NOT NULL');
     }