[Forum] PHPBB3 to vBulletin4 - ImpEx doesn't work - another option?

[Michlerish]

I'm trying to import my small sized (~75,000 posts) PHPBB3 board into vBulletin 4. I've tried using ImpEx several times using different batch sizes (while the phpbb3 board was disabled) and I keep getting several failed threads, and over 300 failed posts. Not only that, nothing shows on the vBulletin board even after setting default view times and resetting counters.

I have submitted a support ticket, and the person who I've corresponded with was useless. He told me nothing aside from "you need to set up a localhost environment to do the import so you have control over the environment".

I contacted my domain/host provider, 1and1, and they were amazing with the support. They told me it's likely their firewalls that are preventing ImpEx from working properly, and walked me through the process of exporting my phpbb3 database into a .sql file which I've saved. They told me all I need to do is import this file into the new database where my vBulletin board is.

I attempted to import using an SQL query with the .sql file, but nothing showed up. I replied to the vBulletin support person asking how I would do this, and he responded by repeating same as above: "set up a localhost environment to do the import... etc"

So far, I am really unimpressed with vBulletin. I have searched the forums extensively for a solution to my problem, to no avail. Most relevant threads end in "submit a support ticket" with no follow up, not to mention you can't even search by posts on this forum, only threads show in the results. Furthermore, my supposed support technician I got after submitting a ticket was anything but helpful.

It's been almost 4 days now of trying to set this up! There has to be a way for me to manually import the phpbb3 board into vBulletin... or at the very least, someone nice enough (ie. not a vBulletin support tech) who can walk me through the process of importing without using ImpEx.

Coming from a very active and helpful phpbb3 community, it was quite a shock to find vBulletin so lacking in support. I would very much appreciate any help, guidance, tips, or even links.

Thank you!

[borbole]

I'm trying to import my small sized (~75,000 posts) PHPBB3 board into vBulletin 4. I've tried using ImpEx several times using different batch sizes (while the phpbb3 board was disabled) and I keep getting several failed threads, and over 300 failed posts. Not only that, nothing shows on the vBulletin board even after setting default view times and resetting counters.

I have submitted a support ticket, and the person who I've corresponded with was useless. He told me nothing aside from "you need to set up a localhost environment to do the import so you have control over the environment".

I contacted my domain/host provider, 1and1, and they were amazing with the support. They told me it's likely their firewalls that are preventing ImpEx from working properly, and walked me through the process of exporting my phpbb3 database into a .sql file which I've saved. They told me all I need to do is import this file into the new database where my vBulletin board is.

I attempted to import using an SQL query with the .sql file, but nothing showed up. I replied to the vBulletin support person asking how I would do this, and he responded by repeating same as above: "set up a localhost environment to do the import... etc"

So far, I am really unimpressed with vBulletin. I have searched the forums extensively for a solution to my problem, to no avail. Most relevant threads end in "submit a support ticket" with no follow up, not to mention you can't even search by posts on this forum, only threads show in the results. Furthermore, my supposed support technician I got after submitting a ticket was anything but helpful.

It's been almost 4 days now of trying to set this up! There has to be a way for me to manually import the phpbb3 board into vBulletin... or at the very least, someone nice enough (ie. not a vBulletin support tech) who can walk me through the process of importing without using ImpEx.

Coming from a very active and helpful phpbb3 community, it was quite a shock to find vBulletin so lacking in support. I would very much appreciate any help, guidance, tips, or even links.

Thank you!

Hello,

The advice you got about setting up a localhost environment to do the import there first, is not useless but very helpful actually. Because by doing a dry run with the import process, you know what to expect for later when you try to convert your main forum for real.

Also, there is no other easy way to import your forum to vB, other than impex. If you would like someone nice to help you import all your forum manually to vb then that would take ages and would be very expensive. As I don''t see someone that nice to spend ages so to speak working on something for free.

That said, what exactly do you mean by: "I attempted to import using an SQL query with the .sql file, but nothing showed up". Can you please show us what you were trying to do exactly?

Another thing, according to you, your host told you to: "the process of exporting my phpbb3 database into a .sql file which I've saved. They told me all I need to do is import this file into the new database where my vBulletin board is." Which leads me to believe that you didn''t read the readme file on how to import to vb. Because if you had, then you should have known that the vb forum should have been installed in the same db where the source forum resides on. i.e your phpBB 3 forum.

Now, if your host fixed that firewall problem, have a look at these 2 links and give the import another go:

For a HOWTO go here:

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116398

For a Manual go here :

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

Good luck with the import and let us know if you will need more assistence.

P.s. That is a first I hear btw, that the phpbb3 community is helpful

Also, I think it was a bit premature to jump into conclusions about how vb support is "quite a shock to find vBulletin so lacking in support." after posting only once here

[Michlerish]

Thank you for your quick reply! I would like to try your suggestions before responding to all your comments, but I have one very important question first; can I delete and re-install vBulletin on the same database? I read some things that said only one install is allowed. I don't want to try again and mess everything up.

[borbole]

Thank you for your quick reply! I would like to try your suggestions before responding to all your comments, but I have one very important question first; can I delete and re-install vBulletin on the same database? I read some things that said only one install is allowed. I don't want to try again and mess everything up.

You are welcome.

Yes, you can delete it and re-install it. That would be no problem. That thing about one install is allowed it means one licence per domain. But make sure to enter the url of the vb installtion at your member''s area though. You can also have a test forum provided it is closed off to the public and .htpasswd + .htaccess protected.

[Michlerish]

Hello,

The advice you got about setting up a localhost environment to do the import there first, is not useless but very helpful actually. Because by doing a dry run with the import process, you know what to expect for later when you try to convert your main forum for real.

I tried setting up and importing on localhost, but was unable to restore the phpbb3 database because the execution kept timing out. My db file is only ~75mbs. I tried changing the execution limit in the php.ini file, but it did not work. Even attempting to import the sql database file in batches ended in "fatal error... time out". I responded to my support tech's email to let him know this, and I have not received a response.

Also, there is no other easy way to import your forum to vB, other than impex. If you would like someone nice to help you import all your forum manually to vb then that would take ages and would be very expensive. As I don''t see someone that nice to spend ages so to speak working on something for free.

This really shouldn't take ages.

That said, what exactly do you mean by: "I attempted to import using an SQL query with the .sql file, but nothing showed up". Can you please show us what you were trying to do exactly?

I was trying to import the phpbb3 database file into the new vbulletin database. I realize this can't work now.

Another thing, according to you, your host told you to: "the process of exporting my phpbb3 database into a .sql file which I've saved. They told me all I need to do is import this file into the new database where my vBulletin board is." Which leads me to believe that you didn''t read the readme file on how to import to vb. Because if you had, then you should have known that the vb forum should have been installed in the same db where the source forum resides on. i.e your phpBB 3 forum.

The readme files say nothing of the sort. In any case, tonight I installed vbulletin on the same database as my phpbb3 board and everything went well. I then tried to run ImpEx and I get the exact same error; 3 failed threads, 550+ failed posts.

Now, if your host fixed that firewall problem, have a look at these 2 links and give the import another go:

For a HOWTO go here:

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116398

For a Manual go here :

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

Those links are simply the ImpEx guides, I have been through them extensively. They do not help my situation.

Good luck with the import and let us know if you will need more assistence.

P.s. That is a first I hear btw, that the phpbb3 community is helpful

Also, I think it was a bit premature to jump into conclusions about how vb support is "quite a shock to find vBulletin so lacking in support." after posting only once here

The phpbb3 community was very helpful because people talked about their problems extensively, and provided many different links for help. Usually I could search the board and find my own answer without having to start a post, due to the sheer amount of shared knowledge out there.

In trying to solve my problems with vBulletin, all of my searches keep turning up three times as many results for phpbb3 help. I've even used phpbb3 guides to solve some of my minor problems with vBulletin (since the only thing people seem to link to on this forum is the main manual).

I consider starting a thread to be a last resort; I want to make sure my questions haven't already been answered before I seek help. I tried to search this forum and google and even submit a support ticket to try and solve my problem before posting. I am accustomed to figuring things out myself, and then making a post about how I solved any issues to try and help anyone else with the same problem. Here that wasn't possible.


Anyway, nothing has worked and I'm losing a lot of sleep over this because I can only disable my phpbb3 board in the early morning hours while most users are asleep. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!

[borbole]

How are you trying to restore the backup of your phpBB forum at your local host, via phpmyadmin? Because phpmyadmin has a file size limit, hence that time out you are getting. Try to restore it via bigdump.php or mysqldumper.

[Michlerish]

Okay, I used msqldumper and successfully restored the phpbb3 database to localhost. I then ran Impex and got the same failures!

I decided to check it out anyway, to see which threads and posts were failing... maybe I can live with it.

Here are screenshots of my Impex screen and Forum Manager screen after import.


As you can see, even after updating the forum and thread counters, nothing shows up. For reference, if you need to see the phpbb3 board I'm trying to import from, it's located at www.2ribe.com.

This is driving me crazy, I can't figure out what's going wrong!

[Michlerish]

P.S. What is wrong with the Impex forum?! I went in there and.... tumbleweed. Have the devs abandoned everyone?

[borbole]

Okay, I used msqldumper and successfully restored the phpbb3 database to localhost. I then ran Impex and got the same failures!

I decided to check it out anyway, to see which threads and posts were failing... maybe I can live with it.

Here are screenshots of my Impex screen and Forum Manager screen after import.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]44983[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]44984[/ATTACH]

As you can see, even after updating the forum and thread counters, nothing shows up. For reference, if you need to see the phpbb3 board I'm trying to import from, it's located at www.2ribe.com.

This is driving me crazy, I can't figure out what's going wrong!

I don''t know what to say why it doesn''t work for you. I need to see the errors/ conversion process myself to have an exact idea as to what might cause it.

P.S. What is wrong with the Impex forum?! I went in there and.... tumbleweed. Have the devs abandoned everyone?

Maybe the person in charge of the impex is busy atm. I don''t really know as I rarely frequent the Impex section here.

[borbole]

I see now that your forum is converted to vB. Congratulations

http://www.2ribe.com/content.php