Setting up a new board from a backup

[crystilla]

Apologies if this is the wrong forum. (Also pre-apologies as I am pretty much a newb when it comes to most things web based, so common language/words/acronyms to regular users won't be understood by me for the most part.)

BACKGROUND
- About 3 years ago I took over a MMORPG class forum website from someone else who didn't want to own the domain any longer as I wanted to keep the info running (though it's used more as a library of knowledge threads now rather than a lot of actual posting). A different person held the hosting and 2 years ago that was switched by need. Someone offered to host this website for me for free. Unfortunately that person is very non responsive and the site has gone down many times in the last year. I am extremely unknowledgeable about website stuff, though I have moderated and been admin on phpbb (and other) boards before.

CURRENT STATUS
- The site is down again. I do not have access to the host server/files and believe I will never be able to get any information/files from the actual current hoster ever again. But a couple months back, I did take what I think is a backup from the administrator panel on the forums part of the site and am hoping that I may receive some advice (which can be understood by a novice) on how to use my backup and start over again with a new forum board. The file extension is .sql (which I know is a database but that's about my extent of knowledge).
- I own the domain for the site (it's stored with Go Daddy) and am willing to pay for hosting so I have control.


DESIRED END RESULT
I want to use the backup I have (if that's the appropriate backup) and set up the site again with a different host (which I haven't selected yet). I just don't know the steps I need to follow in order to try and get the website back up and running (and then what I have to switch within Go Daddy in order to adjust it to the new host).



SITE DETAILS
Website URL: www.eqclerics.org or the old Archive.org snapshop so you can see what it looked like http://web.archive.org/web/201207260...eqclerics.org/
VBulletin version: I don't know which version of VBulletin the site uses, though it's an older license (in the 3.x range *I think*).
My experience level: Almost non existant with setting up new sites or backing up, etc.

Any advice is much appreciated.

[Mark.B]

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