Importing users via an excel file

Lone Wolf

Well-known member
Hi I'm a total luddite and we suffered to a corrupted database on an old vb install from one of my previous websites. My webmaster at the time said he was only able to save an exported file (it's an excel file, csv or something) of users leftover from that board.

I've looked at the file and it's just usernames and email addresses, no passwords or anything. The webmaster is long gone and I was wondering if there was any way that I could use this file to recreate my userbase for that board on XenForo? If not, then is there any way to recreate it on vb or some other forum software and then import it into xenforo instead.

It's always sad to see a community die away and a lot of those ex-members have said they'd like to see it revived. Does anyone have any ideas how to achieve this?
 
ImpEx (vBulletin's importer) can import users from a CSV file to vBulletin. Then you can import from vBulletin to XenForo using the built-in importer.

There is no direct CSV user import for XenForo. If you have access to a programmer then you can make one.
 
I use ImpEx for this. Running it stand alone, importing cvs, and then importing that database in xenforo via the vb module. Works great.
 
I use ImpEx for this. Running it stand alone, importing cvs, and then importing that database in xenforo via the vb module. Works great.

How do you run it standalone?

ImpEx has it's own manual:

https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/impex

Basically you install vB, install ImpEx, run ImpEx through your Admin CP, select the "txt_file" system, point it to the CSV file.

I keep getting errors. I uploaded impex to my test vb install. On the config file I put in the target database details and set the source database to 'false' since I dont have an online database to import from.

When I go to the VB ACP and then Import --> Import, I get the error below...

Unable to add cookies, header already sent.
File: site/forums/impex/ImpExFunction.php
Line: 522

Line 522 is the last line in that file and is blank. Any ideas what's going wrong?
 
I can use the Impex Text File Importer to add users without a problem but it deletes my existing user database (except Admin). It's lucky I tried it on a test install and not live!! Is there any way around this?
 
I can use the Impex Text File Importer to add users without a problem but it deletes my existing user database (except Admin).

Did your vB forum have users? I was under the impression this was a temporary vB installation for the purpose of importing to XenForo in which case there would only be an admin account.

ImpEx does nondestructive imports. The only exception is if you run two consecutive imports on the same vB database. In the case of two imports, if you fail to close out the import session on the first one then the second import will start by deleting the previously imported data. Be sure to close the import session between imports when using ImpEx.
 
I should have explained better. I have split the Text Files into custom usergroup lists.

For example I load in custom usergroup list 1 and then move all the users from 'Imported Users' to 'Custom 1'

Then I load in list 2 but all the users from before get deleted. I guess I could load them all in as one list but it would take forever to put them into usergroups again
 
If you need to run the import in batches then you will have to close out the import session between each batch. Otherwise it will delete the previously imported users every time you re-run the user module.

To close out the import session you need to click the cleanup link at the top of the ImpEx page.
 
Doing that gives me lots of errors...

Deprecated: Assigning the return value of new by reference is deprecated in /site/demo/forums2/includes/init.php on line 55

Deprecated: Assigning the return value of new by reference is deprecated in /site/demo/forums2/includes/init.php on line 107

Deprecated: Assigning the return value of new by reference is deprecated in /site/demo/forums2/includes/init.php on line 111

Deprecated: Assigning the return value of new by reference is deprecated in /site/demo/forums2/includes/init.php on line 119

Deprecated: Assigning the return value of new by reference is deprecated in /site/demo/forums2/includes/init.php on line 130

Deprecated: Assigning the return value of new by reference is deprecated in /home/cricista/public_html/demo/forums2/includes/init.php on line 134

Deprecated: Assigning the return value of new by reference is deprecated in /site/demo/forums2/includes/init.php on line 142

Deprecated: Assigning the return value of new by reference is deprecated in /site/demo/forums2/includes/init.php on line 211

Deprecated: Assigning the return value of new by reference is deprecated in /site/demo/forums2/includes/init.php on line 389

Deprecated: Assigning the return value of new by reference is deprecated in /site/demo/forums2/includes/class_core.php on line 2552
 
and this...

Impex Help page

Deleteing Impex Session.

There seems to have been a problem with the database.
ImpEx Database error​

mysql error: Invalid SQL: DELETE FROM datastore WHERE title='ImpExSession';​

mysql error: Table 'cricista_forums2.datastore' doesn't exist​

mysql error number: 1146​

Date: Thursday 13th 2011f October 2011 02:04:48 PM​
Database: cricista_forums2​
MySQL error: Table 'cricista_forums2.datastore' doesn't exist​
 
...deprecated things...

New PHP doesn't like old ImpEx.

Try disabling error reporting by adding this line to your impex/ImpExConfig.php file:

Code:
error_reporting(0);

Deleteing Impex Session.

There seems to have been a problem with the database.
ImpEx Database error​

mysql error: Invalid SQL: DELETE FROM datastore WHERE title='ImpExSession';​

mysql error: Table 'cricista_forums2.datastore' doesn't exist​

mysql error number: 1146​

Date: Thursday 13th 2011f October 2011 02:04:48 PM​
Database: cricista_forums2​
MySQL error: Table 'cricista_forums2.datastore' doesn't exist​

Make sure the target information is correct in your impex/ImpExConfig.php file, including the table prefix.
 
Thanks Jake, that fixed it. i tested the imports and it worked fine.

BUT now when impex asks for my customer number, it accepts the number and then redirects me back to the 'enter customer number' screen again. It's an infinite loop.

impeX + vb = super buggy.

cant someone write one for xenforo so we dont have to deal with this complicated headache anymore.
 
BUT now when impex asks for my customer number, it accepts the number and then redirects me back to the 'enter customer number' screen again. It's an infinite loop.

That means you are entering the wrong customer number. Or at least a different number than the one for which your ImpEx package was downloaded.

And make sure cookies are enabled in your browser.
 
That means you are entering the wrong customer number. Or at least a different number than the one for which your ImpEx package was downloaded.

And make sure cookies are enabled in your browser.

No it's the same number I used to get in before and it doesn't say that the number is wrong. It says something about the customer number being accepted and then redirects me back to the 'enter the customer number' screen again.

Anyway that's not a problem anymore because it wont even let me log into my ACP now. I got to forums/admincp and enter my details, it says 'Welcome Admin' and then takes me back to the enter your login details ACP screen again.

It's a good job it's just a test forum!
 
Both of those things sound like cookie problems.

Did you change the cookie domain or path in the Admin CP? If you changed the cookie settings in vBulletin to something invalid or out of scope then cookies will cease to function. You can reset the cookie settings by uploading the tools.php file (from the do_not_upload folder in the vB zip file) to your install/ directory (in vB), then run it from your browser.
 
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