XF 2.2 Moving a Xenforo forum WITHOUT host/server access or even "Super Administrator" access

[vintage]

There is a forum where the owner has passed on. There is a user who is an "admin", but they do not have access to the server/host. They DO have access to the admin.php panel. They are NOT a 'Super Administrator". The forum is on XF 1.1.2... yikes!
Is it possible to migrate the forum content and users to a new Xenforo installation WITHOUT access to the server/host?

I'm imagining it one might be able to scrape everything from the Xenforo forum admin account, except maybe the user passwords? Probably a big job, but possible? Maybe an addon could be made to help export the data? (No Super Admin access).

(PS, all the obvious things like approaching the family heirs and asking for access to the passwords are being attempted. I'm asking about other ways in case that doesn't work out and the server username/password is gone forever.)
(PPS, the current Xenforo is not at 2.2, but it is so old I though I should ask here.)

 

[Mr. Jinx]

You might be able to install a backup addon to make a database dump:

XF2 [8WR] Database Backup

NOTICE: This addon uses a lot of third party vendor packages and it can be hard to work out compatibility. As of now, if you want to use this package with XF2.3, you must be running PHP8. If you want to run this package using a previous version...

xenforo.com

Hopefully 'enableAddOnArchiveInstaller' is enabled so you can install add-ons using ACP.

 

[Paul B]

In many cases a family member can contact the host and request that the account/data is transferred.

 

[MySiteGuy]

If the family members (or whoever is the executor of the estate) have not given you access and permission to do this, then frankly it is highly likely what you are asking is help with criminal theft of an asset from this person's estate.

 

[vintage]

MySiteGuy: Don't worry, I wouldn't do anything without written permission. We may get permission but they do not appear to have any access to the host passwords.

edit to above, they are on XF 1.1.2 and the DO appear to have access to the admin.php panel, just not "Super" Admin.

 

[Max Taxable]

Good reminder to us all though, have a plan for this.

 

[MySiteGuy]

MySiteGuy: Don't worry, I wouldn't do anything without written permission. We may get permission but they do not appear to have any access to the host passwords.

edit to above, they are on XF 1.1.2 and the DO appear to have access to the admin.php panel.

Okay. FYI, I wasn't trying to be nit picky, rather I was trying to save you some legal grief if you didn't have permission. You never know how family might react!

 

[vintage]

Okay. FYI, I wasn't trying to be nit picky, rather I was trying to save you some legal grief if you didn't have permission. You never know how family might react!

Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out if it's even reasonably possible to migrate the content without the host/server access or even "Super Administrator" access to the forum.
(A promoted user has "admin" access, but not "Super Admin", access.)

 

[vintage]

You might be able to install a backup addon to make a database dump:

XF2 [8WR] Database Backup

NOTICE: This addon uses a lot of third party vendor packages and it can be hard to work out compatibility. As of now, if you want to use this package with XF2.3, you must be running PHP8. If you want to run this package using a previous version...

xenforo.com

Hopefully 'enableAddOnArchiveInstaller' is enabled so you can install add-ons using ACP.

I don't think the admin (not a super admin) can install addons.

 

[Paul B]

Promoting an admin account to super admin status is trivial.

Even then, you won't be able to make a dump of the database (unless you use that add-on) and download the server files (attachments, avatars, etc.) without access to the server.

Yes you may be able to upgrade the site, etc. but as soon as the hosting expires (due to unpaid bills), the site will be lost.

 

[vintage]

Promoting an admin account to super admin status is trivial.

If you have super admin access... they don't.

Even then, you won't be able to make a dump of the database (unless you use that add-on) and download the server files (attachments, avatars, etc.) without access to the server.

Is it imaginable to scrape the site?

Yes you may be able to upgrade the site, etc. but as soon as the hosting expires (due to unpaid bills), the site will be lost.

Yeah, that is the problem!

 

[Paul B]

If you have super admin access... they don't.

In XF1 it can be done by editing the config.php file but again it requires server access.

Is it imaginable to scrape the site

Not really.

 

[vintage]

In XF1 it can be done by editing the config.php file but again it requires server access.

That's potentially useful if they manage to get server access, thank you.

What's wrong with the scraping idea?

 

[Paul B]

It would require a significant amount of time and effort to convert the scraped data into something which could be inserted into the XF database schema.

 

[vintage]

It would require a significant amount of time and effort to convert the scraped data into something which could be inserted into the XF database schema.

Got it. I guess I was hoping maybe somebody has done it before...

 

[Kirby]

Not really.

Yes, it is.
I've done that a few times already in the past (not just for XenForo but for other software as well, doesn't really matter which software - the process is basically the same).
But as you've pointed out, it does require some effort.

 

[vintage]

I've done that a few times already in the past (not just for XenForo but for other software as well, doesn't really matter which software - the process is basically the same).

Kirby, did you do this yourself? Or is there a consultant that your recommend who could help?

 

[Kirby]

I've done it once or twice for my company (by scraping the live forums when we aquired hosted forums where no DB dump was provided by the hoster) and once for a friend of mine who lost acess to a XenForo Installation when the webhost got bankrupt (by scraping Google Cache,
archive.org, etc.) .