Moving Forum from Test Server to new server and retain changes

[OakleyForum]

I currently run a vBulletin 4 forum and am planning on transferring to Xenforo. I currently installed Xenforo in Xampp on my computer to test it and make customizations to it.

So right now I installed Xenforo and imported my vBulletin database to have some content to work around. Now I have been making customizations to the style and installing mods.

My question is, If I finish customizing it and adding addons. Is there any way to transport the forum to my live site, then import the live database to the site. I know that you can't reimport data, so I would have to somehow clear all of the imported data.

If anyone has any advice for doing this it would be very helpful.

 

[Paul B]

Guide here for importing: http://xenforo.com/community/threads/importing-guidelines.25325/

To transfer it from your PC to your server, upload the files, create the database with the same user and password and import the database.

Basically just copy the files and database from your PC to the server.

Finally update the Board URL in the ACP.

 

[OakleyForum]

What about the vBulletin database that I imported into the PC test version? I need to re-import the database since the test one isn't up to date.

 

[Paul B]

You need to wipe and start again, as the guide I linked to in the post above explains.

The next step is the most important; using phpMyAdmin or similar, take a backup of the database.
This backup will then be the clean master database, which can be used over and over again until you're ready to do the import for the final time.
The backup should be taken before you create any categories, forums, or test users, make any posts or add any content at all.

 

[Dodgeboard]

I've never tried the method I am about to suggest, but it may work. This importer allows you to skip certain steps....perhaps on the second import you could skip all but the posts....? it's worth a try since your test board is still offline and not in production. Try it before you switch over and have a backup of the mod'ed database in case something goes south.

http://xenforo.com/community/resources/import-tools-by-waindigo.1255/

 

[Paul B]

If all but the posts are skipped then the content won't be up to date, including users.

 

[Dodgeboard]

Could he reimport, but skip items that were already imported?

By allowing you to undo steps, skip steps and recover previous imports, and by skipping over any IDs that have previously been imported when you run a step more than once, this add-on makes debugging an importer or performing a staged import easier than ever.

Like I said, I've not played with it but since this is a test database, nothing to lose, providing he has a backup to play with.

 

[Dodgeboard]

@Oakley

If it is style changes that you are trying to preserve, you can export those changes and then reinstall them to your database after the new import.

 

[Dodgeboard]

If all but the posts are skipped then the content won't be up to date, including users.

OT: WOW. You just hit 20,000!