Totally new, need big time help!

[FoxPro5]

Hi guys and gals -

I currently have a very small phpBB based forum (I think I paid $10 for it) that I created about 9 months ago. There are less than 50 members on the forum and the traffic is pretty slow. The problem is, no one ever comes to my forum because of the phpBB format as they are used to vB based forums. Plus I'd really like to grow it and make it much more user-friendly.

So I purchased the latest vBulletin software for $85 and it's sitting on my computer here ready to be installed.

I need help doing 3 things:
1) Find a hosting company or space somewhere.
2) Transfer my old phpBB forum to the new vB.
3) And I need someone help me set up the new vB forum.

I have virtually NO web skills other than working with Microsoft Front Page and transferring HTML documents from my computer via FTP to my current business's website.

Can anyone here please help me with making this transition as smooth as possible! Pretty please?!?!? :) Thanks in advance.

[Foxtrot]

Is there an easy way to integrate phpBB database with vB's?

Since your site is 9 months old, with only 50 members.. what about starting fresh?

[FoxPro5]

In my searching, I guess vB offers a conversion software that will take phpbb to vB. Not exactly sure how it works.

The forum has A LOT of info that I would hate to loose...and would take hours and hours to manually transfer it. Starting fresh would be a last resort.

[Foxtrot]

If you can link me to the conversion script, I can do it for you.

[FoxPro5]

If you can link me to the conversion script, I can do it for you.

Ummm what's a script?? :o

All I could find in my Google search was something called "vBulletin ImpEx" that supposedly takes phpBB and converts it over to vB??

The back of my ears are still dripping wet over here. :(

[StrongMotive]

Ummm what's a script?? :o

All I could find in my Google search was something called "vBulletin ImpEx" that supposedly takes phpBB and converts it over to vB??

The back of my ears are still dripping wet over here. :(

Yeah, you can use impex. You can download it from your vBulletin members area under download vbulletin

[FoxPro5]

Ok, found it and dl to my desktop. Thanks for pointing that out.

Now all I need to know how to do is use it....:cool:

[StrongMotive]

http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/main/impex

[FoxPro5]

Can someone tell me the proper order to get this done??

Do I need to find a hosting place and a domain name first, and then install vB there before I transfer my old phpBB forum over to it?

Can I install vB myself to the new hosting site using FTP? Or does a web developer need to do something like this?

I'm so lost, it's not even funny....

[Knight Rider]

Where is your original site hosted?

[StrongMotive]

Can someone tell me the proper order to get this done??

Do I need to find a hosting place and a domain name first, and then install vB there before I transfer my old phpBB forum over to it?

Can install vB to the new hosting site using FTP?

I'm so lost, it's not even funny....

Yes you do need to find a hosting place and a domain. Make sure your new host has PHP 4.3.3 & MySQL 4.0.16 at minimum. Then you transfer PHPBB over then install vbulletin, yes you upload your files using FTP and then install via /install/install.php.

[FoxPro5]

Where is your original site hosted?

Forumsplace.com

The server is s10.forumsplace.com

My forum is http:// _____.s10.forumsplace.com

[FoxPro5]

Yes you do need to find a hosting place and a domain. Make sure your new host has PHP 4.3.3 & MySQL 4.0.16 at minimum. Then you transfer PHPBB over then install vbulletin, yes you upload your files using FTP and then install via /install/install.php.

I'm assuming PHP 4.3.3 and MySQL 4.0.16 can be found on most beginner hosting plans for <$10 month?

Would you recommend any particular company that offers help to do something like this? I'm not asking for it to be free, just to be done so I don't have to worry about it anymore! :D

[l SKN l CHRIS]

i own a webhosting company and if you were a client i would do it for free

i obviously wont give a link because of adertising but pm me if your interested

and i can do all the work for you without you using my hosting too but it will cost more

pm me

[Knight Rider]

FoxPro5, as i told you in your PM, you are hosting in a "free-hosting", well, kind of after the $10. You cannot get your backup from them, that means you can't transfer your forums to vB. You will have to start fresh:

from ForumsPlace:

Q: Can I get an SQL dump of my board?
A: No, at this time for a multitude of reasons we do not offer SQL dumps of our hosted boards. We do have nightly backups made of every board we host, so rest assured that your data is safe.

[FoxPro5]

Thanks Knight, I understand that now.

I also have my issues resolved and my new vB forum went online yesterday. :) I've slowly been rebuilding it, but it's not a huge deal.

Thanks for everyone's help!