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In order not to tamper with our vbulletin board and cause to malfunction, you can have a test forums. This is something that vbulletin allows as long as you keep it private (not public).
In order to have your testing forums, follow the steps:
1. Download a copy of your databse. Compress it into a zip folder. THe name of the databse should end with .sql.zip
2. Have on your server a copy of the forums folders.
3. Get your licensed copy of vbulletin (the installation package and license number)
Now, let us begin:
Let us assume that you are doing to run the testing forums on a website with the domain myserver.com
3. Copy the entire directory of the forums to the testing domain. Let us say it is:
From now on, your testing forums will have the link
4. Go to the vbulletin DO_Not-LOAD package. Get the file TOOLS.PHP and upload to
5. Go to the Upload package and get the installation folder. Upload it to the core directory.
Now do not do anything with it. We will create the database.
6. First of all, check the original forums database and note the username associated with it. If not sure, check the Config.php in the original forums and you will see inside it the required information. The location of the config.sys is core/includes/
7. Create a new blank empty database and give it a unique name. Let us name it Test.
8. After you create it, you will need to associate it with the username that is the same one indicated in the original forums' config.php
9. Through PHPadmin or any other app on the server, import the zip database to the Testing database. That's it for now. If any syntax error appears, then make sure the database that you are importing has the extension: .sql.zip Otherwise, it will not work. The process may take some long time and you may think that the process is not responding. BE patient! Until the end!!
Now, you have the website fully cloned with one little problem! The copy that you have still points to your original domain and original forums. We will need to change this.
10. Enter the website as follows:
You will be prompted to enter the license number. If an error message appears, check if you have uploaded the TOOLS.PHP and Installation directory to their correct respective places.
11. Enter the license number.
12. A page will appear with lots of options. Look for an option that talks about location. Click it and you will find it refers to the original forums domain. Change it to the testing domain. IMPORTANT: Be specific. Is it https://www. or https:// or www. that you want to put at the beginning of the website? Only one of them will work.
13. Delete TOOLS.PHP and Installation directory
Now you are ready to use the cloned forums for testing. REMEMBER: The cloned forums will be performing exaclty as the original one. THerefore, it is important that you turn off registration and protect it in a way that does not show to users. This measure is something that we do in respect of vbulletin copyright rules.
In order to have your testing forums, follow the steps:
1. Download a copy of your databse. Compress it into a zip folder. THe name of the databse should end with .sql.zip
2. Have on your server a copy of the forums folders.
3. Get your licensed copy of vbulletin (the installation package and license number)
Now, let us begin:
Let us assume that you are doing to run the testing forums on a website with the domain myserver.com
3. Copy the entire directory of the forums to the testing domain. Let us say it is:
PHP Code:
www.myserver.com/testing
HTML Code:
www.myserver.com/testing
HTML Code:
www.myserver.com/testing/core/admincp
Now do not do anything with it. We will create the database.
6. First of all, check the original forums database and note the username associated with it. If not sure, check the Config.php in the original forums and you will see inside it the required information. The location of the config.sys is core/includes/
7. Create a new blank empty database and give it a unique name. Let us name it Test.
8. After you create it, you will need to associate it with the username that is the same one indicated in the original forums' config.php
9. Through PHPadmin or any other app on the server, import the zip database to the Testing database. That's it for now. If any syntax error appears, then make sure the database that you are importing has the extension: .sql.zip Otherwise, it will not work. The process may take some long time and you may think that the process is not responding. BE patient! Until the end!!
Now, you have the website fully cloned with one little problem! The copy that you have still points to your original domain and original forums. We will need to change this.
10. Enter the website as follows:
HTML Code:
www.myserver.com/core/admincp/tools.php
11. Enter the license number.
12. A page will appear with lots of options. Look for an option that talks about location. Click it and you will find it refers to the original forums domain. Change it to the testing domain. IMPORTANT: Be specific. Is it https://www. or https:// or www. that you want to put at the beginning of the website? Only one of them will work.
13. Delete TOOLS.PHP and Installation directory
Now you are ready to use the cloned forums for testing. REMEMBER: The cloned forums will be performing exaclty as the original one. THerefore, it is important that you turn off registration and protect it in a way that does not show to users. This measure is something that we do in respect of vbulletin copyright rules.
