Properly remove VBSEO? Still remants of it remain. Manual clean up?

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  • r5e
    New Member
    • Oct 2005
    • 22
    • 5.6.X

    Properly remove VBSEO? Still remants of it remain. Manual clean up?

    I stopped using VBSEO some time ago, but I'd left it disabled. Some time later I uninstalled it. I noticed that many files were left that were reported from the file versions too in diagnostics, so I went through the filesystem and deleted them. I thought this would be enough, but it would seem that there is still some remnant of it in my database as when I run the Suspect File Version check, it still reports:
    vbseo.php File not found
    vbseocp.php File not found
    I have also got problems with forum.php and index.php reporting incorrect:
    forum.php File not recognized as part of vBulletin
    index.php File does not contain expected contents
    I know this is not true as I can read the contents of both of these files to be true and correct. I have re-uploaded them both many times, but they always report with problems in here.

    I have checked my .htaccess is as it should be (as per the one downloaded with 4.2.2) and I have disabled all plugins via config.php and admincp.

    I have another problem that has just started out of the blue suddenly with the forum not serving pages until I disable plugins. Even when I have disabled every single plugin (I don't have many), it will still fault until I globally disable.

    I have re-uploaded my entire forum a few times now from a clean 4.2.2 download, but it makes no difference. Any clues or suggestions would be appreciated. I suspect that it is to do with VBSEO not being properly removed (even though it is listed nowhere in plugins) as I have seen other posts mentioned while googling that VBSEO seems the common culprit with the forum.php and index.php reporting incorrect. Sadly, as VBSEO's site and forum is down, I can't read any of them.


  • Mark.B
    vBulletin Support
    • Feb 2004
    • 24286
    • 6.0.X

    #2
    Have you deleted the .htaccess file that comes with vBSEO?
    MARK.B
    vBulletin Support
    ------------
    My Unofficial vBulletin 6.0.0 Demo: https://www.talknewsuk.com
    My Unofficial vBulletin Cloud Demo: https://www.adminammo.com

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    • r5e
      New Member
      • Oct 2005
      • 22
      • 5.6.X

      #3
      Just to add some further proof to this, I have added a screenshot showing all plugins disabled and no VBSEO plugins are present, yet they still report in suspect file versions as being missing.

      Comment

      • Mark.B
        vBulletin Support
        • Feb 2004
        • 24286
        • 6.0.X

        #4
        You need to uninstall (not disable) the vBSEO product, and delete the vBSEO .htaccess file.
        MARK.B
        vBulletin Support
        ------------
        My Unofficial vBulletin 6.0.0 Demo: https://www.talknewsuk.com
        My Unofficial vBulletin Cloud Demo: https://www.adminammo.com

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        • r5e
          New Member
          • Oct 2005
          • 22
          • 5.6.X

          #5
          Funny thing is - before I posted this, I checked the .htaccess file on my server against the one in the 4.2.2 do_not_upload\rewrite\apache2 folder and I could have sworn it was identical. Glad you made me double check it as I can now see clearly it is not!

          Problem now is that as soon as I remove this file, all my links get broken and every click returns a 404, which effectively breaks the forum completely. I would like to remove this, but how can I set up so that my links still work?

          Also regarding removing the product and not just disabling - this is what I have done. I had just disabled every other product while I was fault finding. There are no VBSEO products mentioned as per the picture in my post above.

          Assuming I can remove, or replace the .htaccess to keep my links working, but remove any reference to the old VBSEO plugin, will this be enough to fix the suspect file versions problem?

          Comment

          • donald1234
            Senior Member
            • Oct 2011
            • 1953
            • 4.1.x

            #6
            It is a real disaster vbseo going out of bussiness, there are bound to be thousands of vbulletin forums with this plugin which will inevitably become insecure if it is not being developed/supported and each and every one will have thousands of broken links once vbseo is removed unless someone can come up with a redirect that works. Don't know if leaving the vbseo rewrite rules in place and putting up with the above errors is a viable solution.

            Comment

            • Mark.B
              vBulletin Support
              • Feb 2004
              • 24286
              • 6.0.X

              #7
              If you're using the vBulletin mod_rewrite URLs, you'll need the .htaccess from the vBulletin package.
              For standard URLs you don't need any .htaccess file at all.
              Your links in Google and other search engines will break - there's no easy way round this.
              MARK.B
              vBulletin Support
              ------------
              My Unofficial vBulletin 6.0.0 Demo: https://www.talknewsuk.com
              My Unofficial vBulletin Cloud Demo: https://www.adminammo.com

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              • cherylferraro
                Member
                • Oct 2005
                • 59
                • 4.2.X

                #8
                I've got 2 forums that have been using vbseo for several years. Anyone know where I could find a coder that has a good knowledge of vbulletin that could write something that would allow us to get rid of vbseo while keeping the old threads on the vbseo urls? These forums are important to me so I am willing to spend the money. If it can be done as a mod I would be willing to release it on vb.org.

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                • FreshFroot_
                  Senior Member
                  • Jul 2005
                  • 1420
                  • 3.8.x

                  #9
                  Originally posted by cherylferraro
                  I've got 2 forums that have been using vbseo for several years. Anyone know where I could find a coder that has a good knowledge of vbulletin that could write something that would allow us to get rid of vbseo while keeping the old threads on the vbseo urls? These forums are important to me so I am willing to spend the money. If it can be done as a mod I would be willing to release it on vb.org.
                  That can be done

                  Or should I say.. has already been done!

                  Comment

                  • mat8861
                    New Member
                    • Jan 2011
                    • 20

                    #10
                    So that's what happened...out of business. Not even an email to customers that paid hundreds $, not nice at all.
                    Back to the problem, had a problem upgrading to the last 4.2.2 and solved with this http://tracker.vbulletin.com/browse/VBIV-15862 Now that I am reading these posts I would like to uninstall it, anyone has a step by step "safe & secure" method ?

                    Comment

                    • r5e
                      New Member
                      • Oct 2005
                      • 22
                      • 5.6.X

                      #11
                      I have now confirmed that the .htaccess file from VBSEO is deleted. I have uploaded the .htaccess from the 4.2.2 package and confirmed it is as it should be (viewed the file from cpanel and checked the content matches the file from \do_not_upload\rewrite\apache2\.htaccess).
                      This still does not fix my problem.

                      When I check suspect file versions, I still see the same issue (as per attached pic). Index.php and forum.php report suspect and it lists vbseo files as missing (which they are as they've been deleted long ago).

                      I can confirm that ALL vbseo plugins are uninstalled (as per my image in post 3 above). All VBSEO files are deleted including .htaccess.

                      The plugin system is still globally disabled at the moment because as soon as I turn it on, I get no site (white screen), even though all of my plugins are also individually disabled. I'm still stuck here...

                      I only suspect that VBSEO is the cause of my current inability to use my plugins and I'd like to know how to properly delete it. Looks like I'm not the only one looking for a proper VBSEO removal guide.

                      @ FreshFroot_ - "has already been done"... please share?

                      Comment

                      • FreshFroot_
                        Senior Member
                        • Jul 2005
                        • 1420
                        • 3.8.x

                        #12
                        Originally posted by r5e

                        @ FreshFroot_ - "has already been done"... please share?
                        Has been done meaning, I found a way to modify the software to make it WORK.

                        I won't be uninstalling vBSEO until I find a new method to port over too.

                        All these people are removing vBSEO and don't realize it's going to HURT you UNLESS you have a method to fix all your urls. At the moment there is no alternative to vBSEO, nor have I had time to make my own SEO for vB. I might just end up making my own at some point.

                        However, for now I've found a way to make vBSEO function without any problems.

                        You can contact me privately if you are interested in a fix.

                        Thanks.

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