Archive /Backup a forum

[T1Cybernetic]

I really hope this is not against any rules, I just thought this was the best place to ask this question.

A popular gaming forum is closing down after over 11 years and many of the users want to save as much of the information as possible from it, Some of the information is priceless to many of it's users.

As far as I know the people who host the forum are not allowing any backups or database access of any kind so everything has to be done manually, ie copy/paste and screen shots Which will mean lot's of information will be lost and backing up like that is no fun at all.

Is there any way to archive /backup the forum and the information contained in it? It doesn't have to be pretty just so long as it can be saved so it can be used on another forum.

The forum in question is http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/g...t10546450.html

[Trevor Hannant]

Only way to backup the data is backing up the database.

[T1Cybernetic]

That is what I thought too Is there no software to download and safe the forum for offline viewing, That at least would be a good way to save threads individually via copy/paste?

[Mark.B]

That is what I thought too Is there no software to download and safe the forum for offline viewing, That at least would be a good way to save threads individually via copy/paste?

In effect that would be stealing the site's content, so no.

If the owner doesn't wish to make it available then that's the end of the matter I'm afraid.

[T1Cybernetic]

No worries, Luckily there are other administrators /moderators and members from the website doing their part to copy as much useful information from the forum to a new forum but it's never enough when you loose even a small part of a community Shame but nothing lasts forever

Thank you for your help

[Mark.B]

No worries, Luckily there are other administrators /moderators and members from the website doing their part to copy as much useful information from the forum to a new forum but it's never enough when you loose even a small part of a community Shame but nothing lasts forever

Thank you for your help

To be honest, you really shouldn't be doing that....

If you copy content manually from one forum to another, you are quite probably breaching copyright. Either of the site owner, or the post author, or most likely both.

Unless the site owner has given you express permission to do this, then it's a really bad idea. Forums aren't public property, if the site owner refuses permission for the database to be copied then you can't just go and copy it manually to get round his refusal.

This is outside of the realms of vBulletin support so should be considered friendly advice rather than any authoritative statment of the law, but what you're proposing rings dozens of alarm bells.

[T1Cybernetic]

The restrictions to the database /forum backup is purely out of security as far as I know and from reading on the closing down threads the provider of forum in question (curse.com) are allowing manual copy/paste of threads and individual posts but as you can imagine it's not exactly the easiest way to save all the information collected over all those years.

But as it happens, All is not lost, curse.com have took it upon them to open a section on a different but related part of their network for users of the closing forum to copy/paste some of the information we are all trying to save.

Everything that can be saved before the deadline looks to be moving to here for reference = http://www.guildwars2guru.com/forum/...ht-guild-wars/

Forgive my confusion, I was just simply looking for a better way to archive the site so it can be accessed after the deadline which they have set (I can not find the date) but it is soon.

[Mattwhf]

I really hope this is not against any rules, I just thought this was the best place to ask this question.

A popular gaming forum is closing down after over 11 years and many of the users want to save as much of the information as possible from it, Some of the information is priceless to many of it's users.

As far as I know the people who host the forum are not allowing any backups or database access of any kind so everything has to be done manually, ie copy/paste and screen shots Which will mean lot's of information will be lost and backing up like that is no fun at all.

Is there any way to archive /backup the forum and the information contained in it? It doesn't have to be pretty just so long as it can be saved so it can be used on another forum.

Why kind of hosting panel you are using for your forums?
There are some ways to backup and restore your data on your hosting quickly if we know what your hosting panel is.