Importing Attachments from phpBB?

[Eagle-Mark]

I've got most of my old phpBB forum imported except attacments? Importer finds them by name in database but I can't find them by that name in the folder? example 123.jpg is not there, it is something like 133_a1ba1d63581e4785319c375e0ca1407d

Is there a way to import these correctly?

[cea]

It looks like phpbb3 renames them and puts them in the files directory under phpbb3.

I'm having issues importing also...

I have specified the file path for images as: /public_html/phpBB3/files.

Is this correct? or should it be http://www.mysite.com/phpbb3/files?

[Eagle-Mark]

Problem is the importer is looking for the names on forum they were uploaded as, like picture.jpg They phpBB saves them as 1j2j3nrn56n3n32n1n4 5 3m3mm so even if you have them in a correct folder it won't work... I really need to find a way to import them properly or my forum is worthless. I've got 1200 attachments in like 500 threads...

Have you found a way to get passwords imported for users?

[Trevor Hannant]

Impex looks to the database table and then matches up to the filenames. If the entry for the file is not in the database, it can't import the file. Also, if it can't find the associated file, it can't import it either.

Regarding passwords, no - we don't import passwords.

[Eagle-Mark]

Well it must be how I have my database stored... I read the database and the asscoiation from 123.jpg to 182j283j3h377772 is there. But pictures are not in database so I downloaded them into another folder. Would I have to have the database and picture folder in same folder and name folder with pictures same as it was on database... sounds like I will give it a try.

Passwords? What's the best method of informing members of getting in? I could click one by one to send password email to them.

[Trevor Hannant]

Attachments - are the files on the same server as you're importing to? Are you using the full server path to the directory or relative path?

Passwords - https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/impex_passwords

[Eagle-Mark]

I did an Import with Impex from live database on phpbb forums and it works, but no attachments. URL for database is differant than website forum URL where attachments are so when prompted by Impex I gave complete path http://www.my-url.com/Forums/files it didn't work, file name 123.jpg not found, also tried www.eagle-mark.com/Forums/files did not work, neither did my-url.com/Forums/files or /Forums/files. The files that are renamed by phpBB are there but named 39283848j493j9kg8 and no extension. Looked in the database and they are associated with the phpBB name to regular uploded attachment name like 123.jpg

So what am I doing wrong?

[Trevor Hannant]

You need the server path, not the web path. Create a file called server.php and enter this as the contents of that file:

<?php
echo dirname(__FILE__);
?>

Upload this to the directory where your attachments are in phpBB and then navigate to it in your browser. Copy the path that shows up and paste that into Impex as the path to your attachments directory

[Eagle-Mark]

Didn't work until I removed the htaccess file.

Then I got /home/content/30/7433430/html/Forums/files entered it as is in Impex Importer, did not work, tried with URL to database in front of it, did not work, tried both ways with htacess file and without? Also tried with forum website url and /home/content/30/7433430/html/Forums/files after it...

Seems with your info (Thanks) I have all correct server paths just got something not set right?

[Eagle-Mark]

Is there another way (then above) ? Having the attachments in a folder either on phpBB sever or vB server?

[Eagle-Mark]

Three days, 30 hours, 50 differant ways and the best I can do is get all files in forum in correct spots. But every file is ruined every time. Not one picture doc, file pdf or gif works once it runs through this program.

Any one even have an idea where to look?

48 hours I have been asking for help with a suport ticket but not once has he given me even a hint of what to look for? Gave them all information up front, now 2 days and 20 emails and all they have done is ask ME question? I have a question! How do you make Impex import attachments? So far I have tested one simple gif of 50K and it screwed it you too. If it can't do that how is it going to get my 68 MB of files in?

So far I have yet to here one person say it works... please, please one person tell me it will work somday and I have not wasted 3 days of my life...

[cea]

After contacting VB Support, the problem was an easy fix for me.

The Following Was Needed:

1) Correct Version of IMPEX, I had an old version.

2) Correct path. Full path. Example: /home/username/public_html/phpBB3/files

[Eagle-Mark]

I had those 2 hurdles passed days ago but thanks for helping. but it just hit me what is wrong. I hope this helps others.

My source is on another server/machine. I can use URL to that database and Import with Impex. BUT!!! phpBB stores all attachments in a folder outside database. They have no extensions, just a number. phpBB knows what to do because the database associates the number to the original file name. You can't download the folder via FTP because it does not now what to do with a file that is just a number and no extension. If you download the folder with FTP set to auto it still does not know what to do with a file and no extension, binary won't work either unless it's just pictures, ASCII won't work unless it's all txt. Auto won't work because there's no extension. = corrupt files!

[Zachery]

As I suggested in your ticket, get your webhost to tar and gzip your folder up, and then move the gzip archive. Then have it extracted, and put the correct path into the importer.