vb4 to XenForo

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JonUrban

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I have a 15 year old vB4 Forum (quadraphonicquad) that I am seriously considering upgrading to XenForo. I have a few questions:

1) Since 2.x just came out, would I be better, or is it possible, to upgrade to 1.x first, then upgrade to 2.x?
2) How difficult is the conversion. I am not a web expert, I know just enough to keep the forum running.
3) The forum is hosted by URLJet and I checked with them and they do support XenForo
4) I have only heard good things about XenForo and not so good things with vB (I actually bought vB5 but never used it because of all of the bad reviews)

Can you fill me in on what I would need to do, and the best way to go about it? The forum is a small usage forum, the number of active members is less than 500, although there are probably 3000+ registered members. It was a vB3 forum and at one time did have the home page option, but that is no longer used.

Thanks in advance!

:-jon
 
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You can do either - you can import directly into XF2, or import into XF1, then upgrade to XF2.

The importers are very straightforward and require no programming or specific knowledge.

Once you purchase a license, there is a dedicated import support forum where you can post for help and advice.
 
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JonUrban said:
I have a 15 year old vB4 Forum (quadraphonicquad) that I am seriously considering upgrading to XenForo. I have a few questions:

1) Since 2.x just came out, would I be better, or is it possible, to upgrade to 1.x first, then upgrade to 2.x?
2) How difficult is the conversion. I am not a web expert, I know just enough to keep the forum running.
3) The forum is hosted by URLJet and I checked with them and they do support XenForo
4) I have only heard good things about XenForo and not so good things with vB (I actually bought vB5 but never used it because of all of the bad reviews)

Can you fill me in on what I would need to do, and the best way to go about it? The forum is a small usage forum, the number of active members is less than 500, although there are probably 3000+ registered members. It was a vB3 forum and at one time did have the home page option, but that is no longer used.

Thanks in advance!

:-jon
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I did this about three years go and a very happy I did.

Two things:

  • Make sure you first do a test import, and make sure you know your routine for restoring as it was if things go wrong (database and files). If in doubt try it on a test site first (everyone should have that)
  • Get the necessary redirect script or your SEO will probably take a bit of a dive.
 
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Thanks guys. I am very sure that I will take the plunge. I just want to make sure I don't forget to do anything along the way.

Is there a FAQ or Conversion Tips document or web page that goes over what has to be done and what to look out for?
 
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Thanks for those links Brogan. So as I understand it from quickly reading through, I can buy XenForo, install it on my web space with the vB, have a clean working XenForo forum, and then import data from the closed or copy of the vB forum and database into the empty XenForo?

I assume the users and passwords will transfer along with the forums and threads. At that point I would have 2 working forums with identical data?
 
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That's correct.

For test imports, to avoid downtime on your existing site, I would recommend importing from a backup/copy of the VB installation.

Then when you are ready to do the actual final import, close the VB site and import directly from there.

The pre-sales FAQ shows what is imported - http://xenforo.com/community/threads/pre-sales-faq.4951/ - essentially all standard forum content such as forums, threads, posts, members, passwords, etc.
 
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Another question. Is there a user manual that can be accessed before purchase to see how things are done the XenForo way? I know enough about vB4 to make my forum run and look the way I want it, but I am sure it's all different.

I started the 3 day demo but it's hard to get the feel for the software with no database or forum structure.

One other thing, is the price to add the add-ons the same after you buy the initial software?

Thanks
 
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Brogan,

Thanks for all of your help. I have another question. Can I buy the software and set it up on a local machine to play around with and not be on athe web? I would assume I'd have to set up a MySQL environment.
 
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I would definitely recommend a local install for anyone running XF.

It allows you to test things without affecting your live site (or server), such as add-ons, customisation, upgrades, etc.
 
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Being a pain again - - - - :). I am ready to buy XenForo, and I want to be able to run it locally first to get the hang of it.

I just downloaded and installed MySQL on my computer, but am not sure how to install the php. I am really good with PC's, but not so good with web stuff. Can you point me in the right direction here? Thanks guys
 
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You need MySQL, PHP, etc. Typically the easiest way is to install MAMP or something similar. That gives you everything you need. Then you just create a database, start the mysql server and install XF.

Edit: I was going to link to various posts that explain all of this but you can't view them yet. Once you've got a license for XF, there's lots of help on here on how to do what you want.
 
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