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How do I change my admin and mod control panel names?
By default the path to the Administrator and Moderator Control Panels are:
admincp/
modcp/
Links to these control panels are shown in the footer of the vBulletin forum. The administrators will see the admin and mod link, and moderators will see the mod link.
As an extra security layer you can rename these directories to something harder to guess which helps hack-bots and hackers from auto-exploiting or brute forcing access.
Step 1. (Using FTP)
With your FTP program log in to your hosting account and browse to the forum directory.
Step 2. (Renaming the directories)
Select the directory 'admincp' and right click your mouse. From the popup options select 'rename' and give your admincp a new name.
Now select the directory 'modcp' and right click the mouse again. Select 'rename' again and give your modcp also a new name.
A few examples could be 'adminstaff' or 'secret' or 'modsonly'.
Step 3. (Updating the configuration file)
Browse into the includes/ directory and select the config.php file. Right click your mouse and select 'download'. Once it has downloaded to your hard drive. Open it in and find the variables that point to these directories. Update them accordingly.
By default it will say admincp and modcp on the right of the = sign. Change these two values to the two directory names you've just set in Step 2.
Save the file and go back to your FTP program. Select the file from your hard drive. Right click your mouse and select 'upload'. When uploading the file make sure it overwrites the file on the server. (Not skip, not resume).
Step 4. (Checking)
You're done. But now please go to the forum and refresh the forumhome page. Browse down to the footer and click on the admin link. Does it load the admincp's new directory? If so, you're done. If not. Then perhaps the config.php file didn't save, or didn't properly upload. Repeat the above steps 2 and 3. Or check for typing errors. Repeat step 4 for the mod link in the footer too.
If you wish to increase your security of vBulletin consider adding .htaccess directory password protection to your admincp and modcp folders.
More tips on securing vBulletin can be found here: http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=194701
admincp/
modcp/
Links to these control panels are shown in the footer of the vBulletin forum. The administrators will see the admin and mod link, and moderators will see the mod link.
As an extra security layer you can rename these directories to something harder to guess which helps hack-bots and hackers from auto-exploiting or brute forcing access.
Step 1. (Using FTP)
With your FTP program log in to your hosting account and browse to the forum directory.
Step 2. (Renaming the directories)
Select the directory 'admincp' and right click your mouse. From the popup options select 'rename' and give your admincp a new name.
Now select the directory 'modcp' and right click the mouse again. Select 'rename' again and give your modcp also a new name.
A few examples could be 'adminstaff' or 'secret' or 'modsonly'.
Step 3. (Updating the configuration file)
Browse into the includes/ directory and select the config.php file. Right click your mouse and select 'download'. Once it has downloaded to your hard drive. Open it in and find the variables that point to these directories. Update them accordingly.
Code:
[SIZE=1]$config['Misc']['admincpdir'] = '[COLOR=DarkRed]supersecret[/COLOR]'; $config['Misc']['modcpdir'] = '[COLOR=DarkRed]modsonly[/COLOR]';[/SIZE]
Save the file and go back to your FTP program. Select the file from your hard drive. Right click your mouse and select 'upload'. When uploading the file make sure it overwrites the file on the server. (Not skip, not resume).
Step 4. (Checking)
You're done. But now please go to the forum and refresh the forumhome page. Browse down to the footer and click on the admin link. Does it load the admincp's new directory? If so, you're done. If not. Then perhaps the config.php file didn't save, or didn't properly upload. Repeat the above steps 2 and 3. Or check for typing errors. Repeat step 4 for the mod link in the footer too.
If you wish to increase your security of vBulletin consider adding .htaccess directory password protection to your admincp and modcp folders.
More tips on securing vBulletin can be found here: http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=194701
