How to remove a super admin?

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  • mp3u
    Member
    • Apr 2009
    • 38

    How to remove a super admin?

    I had my forum setup for me by a developer. I just looked at the Admin CP and checked Administrators and he is still set up as a Super Admin, when I tried to change his setting I couldn't. For the sake of security I would like to be able to remove all Super Admins except myself (the site owner). Is there a basic step by step instruction on how to do this? I'm new to all of this so if anyone could help explain it in easy terms I would appreciate it.
    Regards,
    D
  • Zachery
    Former vBulletin Support
    • Jul 2002
    • 59097

    #2
    You'll need to edit the includes/config.php file:

    PHP Code:
        //    ****** UNDELETABLE / UNALTERABLE USERS ****** 
        //    The users specified here will not be deletable or alterable from the control panel by any users. 
        //    To specify more than one user, separate userids with commas. 
    $config['SpecialUsers']['undeletableusers'] = ''

        
    //    ****** SUPER ADMINISTRATORS ****** 
        //    The users specified below will have permission to access the administrator permissions 
        //    page, which controls the permissions of other administrators 
    $config['SpecialUsers']['superadministrators'] = '1'
    Last edited by Zachery; Thu 17 Sep '09, 1:57pm.

    Comment

    • Ashkarita
      Senior Member
      • Feb 2003
      • 228
      • 3.8.x

      #3
      He's probably in the protected usergroup. Go to your config.php file and remove his userid from in there under super admins and deleteable/unalterable users - just wherever his userid is, take it out
      Whoopdie Doo

      Comment

      • mp3u
        Member
        • Apr 2009
        • 38

        #4
        Hey thanks for the extra quick replies - looking for the config.php file at the moment. Where is it normally setup?

        Comment

        • mp3u
          Member
          • Apr 2009
          • 38

          #5
          I've looked just about everywhere at this stage but I can't seem to find config.php.... could the name of the file have been changed to stop me from deleting the user name?

          Comment

          • ChopSuey
            Senior Member
            • Apr 2009
            • 1164
            • 4.0.0

            #6
            Code:
            /forum/includes/config.php

            Comment

            • mp3u
              Member
              • Apr 2009
              • 38

              #7
              Thanks again - ok, I found the file and the user id's. I don't want to do the wrong thing here. I can't change the file directly by clicking on it, what's the best/safest way to edit this without doing any damage? Do I have to use a php editor? If so, could anyone recommend one for windows?
              Last edited by mp3u; Thu 17 Sep '09, 2:28pm.

              Comment

              • mp3u
                Member
                • Apr 2009
                • 38

                #8
                I just tried the following and got a database error:

                I copied the config.php file into a php editor, deleted the unwanted users and saved as config.php. I then renamed the existing config file to config.php.newer (there was already a config.php.new file) - then i uploaded the edited config.php file. This caused an error so i deleted the edited file and changed the name on the old file back and all is working again. Still have the problem of how to delete these users though...

                Comment

                • ChopSuey
                  Senior Member
                  • Apr 2009
                  • 1164
                  • 4.0.0

                  #9
                  You could have just downloaded the file to your desktop and edit the user id's like Zachery said. Without changing anything else. What else did you change?

                  Comment

                  • mp3u
                    Member
                    • Apr 2009
                    • 38

                    #10
                    I don't have the ability to download this from my server (rackspace cloud sites) - so I copied it and pasted it into a free php editor (DzSoft PHP editor) then saved as a PHP file. Would changing the name of the original config.php file to config.php.newer have caused a conflict with the new file?

                    Comment

                    • ChopSuey
                      Senior Member
                      • Apr 2009
                      • 1164
                      • 4.0.0

                      #11
                      You were supposed to overwrite it, not make a new file.

                      Comment

                      • beishe8
                        Senior Member
                        • Oct 2005
                        • 6782
                        • 4.2.X

                        #12
                        You do not need a PHP editor to do it.
                        WordPad is fine.


                        vB5 is unequivocally the best forum software, but not yet...

                        Comment

                        • ShareToronto
                          New Member
                          • Nov 2006
                          • 15
                          • 3.6.x

                          #13
                          I'm bumping this b/c I have a question...

                          I gave this guy admin access in order to clean up the board, but he didn't do a good job & I don't see how to put him back as registered user from Admin.

                          Does Admin automatically mean you are a Super admin?

                          I don't see a save button anywhere to save the changes, & when I went to ban him, it said I wasn't allowed.

                          Do I have to go into the file like the OP here had to?

                          Thanks


                          Michelle

                          Comment

                          • beishe8
                            Senior Member
                            • Oct 2005
                            • 6782
                            • 4.2.X

                            #14
                            Originally posted by ShareToronto

                            I gave this guy admin access in order to clean up the board, but he didn't do a good job & I don't see how to put him back as registered user from Admin.

                            Does Admin automatically mean you are a Super admin?
                            No. You have to give the permission in the config.php file.

                            I don't see a save button anywhere to save the changes, & when I went to ban him, it said I wasn't allowed.

                            Do I have to go into the file like the OP here had to?
                            Yes.


                            vB5 is unequivocally the best forum software, but not yet...

                            Comment

                            • ShareToronto
                              New Member
                              • Nov 2006
                              • 15
                              • 3.6.x

                              #15
                              Ok, I'm lost.

                              First, my hosting company helped me to find the config file, but it wasn't under the path above, it was in one of the few folders I saw called "includes".

                              So I moved it to my computer, opened it in notepad & I don't even see myself listed as an admin, let alone him or anyone else.

                              I'm pasting what I see...

                              -------------------
                              // ****** PATH TO ADMIN & MODERATOR CONTROL PANELS

                              ******
                              // This setting allows you to change the name of the

                              folders that the admin and
                              // moderator control panels reside in. You may wish to

                              do this for security purposes.
                              // Please note that if you change the name of the

                              directory here, you will still need
                              // to manually change the name of the directory on the

                              server.
                              $config['Misc']['admincpdir'] = 'admin';
                              $config['Misc']['modcpdir'] = 'modcp';

                              // Prefix that all vBulletin cookies will have
                              // Keep this short and only use numbers and letters,

                              i.e. 1-9 and a-Z
                              $config['Misc']['cookieprefix'] = 'bb';

                              // ******** FULL PATH TO FORUMS DIRECTORY

                              ******
                              // On a few systems it may be necessary to input the

                              full path to your forums directory
                              // for vBulletin to function normally. You can ignore this

                              setting unless vBulletin
                              // tells you to fill this in. Do not include a trailing slash!
                              // Example Unix:
                              // $config['Misc']['forumpath'] =

                              '/home/users/public_html/forums';
                              // Example Win32:
                              // $config['Misc']['forumpath'] = 'c:\program

                              files\apache group\apache\htdocs\vb3';
                              $config['Misc']['forumpath'] = '';



                              // ****** USERS WITH ADMIN LOG VIEWING

                              PERMISSIONS ******
                              // The users specified here will be allowed to view the

                              admin log in the control panel.
                              // Users must be specified by *ID number* here. To

                              obtain a user's ID number,
                              // view their profile via the control panel. If this is a new

                              installation, leave
                              // the first user created will have a user ID of 1.

                              Seperate each userid with a comma.
                              $config['SpecialUsers']['canviewadminlog'] = '1';

                              // ****** USERS WITH ADMIN LOG PRUNING

                              PERMISSIONS ******
                              // The users specified here will be allowed to remove

                              ("prune") entries from the admin
                              // log. See the above entry for more information on the

                              format.
                              $config['SpecialUsers']['canpruneadminlog'] = '1';

                              // ****** USERS WITH QUERY RUNNING

                              PERMISSIONS ******
                              // The users specified here will be allowed to run

                              queries from the control panel.
                              // See the above entries for more information on the

                              format.
                              // Please note that the ability to run queries is quite

                              powerful. You may wish
                              // to remove all user IDs from this list for security

                              reasons.
                              $config['SpecialUsers']['canrunqueries'] = '';

                              // ****** UNDELETABLE / UNALTERABLE USERS

                              ******
                              // The users specified here will not be deletable or

                              alterable from the control panel by any users.
                              // To specify more than one user, separate userids

                              with commas.
                              $config['SpecialUsers']['undeletableusers'] = '';

                              // ****** SUPER ADMINISTRATORS ******
                              // The users specified below will have permission to

                              access the administrator permissions
                              // page, which controls the permissions of other

                              administrators
                              $config['SpecialUsers']['superadministrators'] = '1,2,3,4';

                              Comment

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