Downgrade From vBulletin 4.x To vBulletin 3.x

[VBIran]

Hi ,
One of the topics that most of webmasters talking about that is : How to downgrade from vBulletin 4.x.x to vBulletin 3.7 or 3.8 .
You can downgrade your vbulletin from 4.x to 3.x very very easy ! Without losing attachments , thanks , passwords .
You need IMPEX ( One of the vBulletin scripts like an addon ) to Do this work .
How to do this :
First of all you must get a backup ( export ) from attach and post_thanks table from your phpmyadmin ( in .sql format )
1. Get full backup from your vbulletin 4.x database .
2. Go to members.vbulletin.com and download IMPEX Script .
3. Make a new database and a new place for your new vbulletin ( 3.8) .
4. Install vbulletin 3.x ( 3.8.7 for example ) for your new database .
5. Extract the impex script and upload impex files ( in upload folder ) to your 3.8 forum root .
Now you have 2 databases . We call 4.x database old and 3.x database new .
6. You must config impex .
7. Go to impex folder in 3.x forum and rename ImpExConfig.php.new to ImpExConfig.php
After rename , Open and edit it :
####
#
# TARGET - The target is the vBulletin database (where the data is going to)
#
####

$impexconfig['target']['server'] = 'localhost';
$impexconfig['target']['user'] = 'username';
$impexconfig['target']['password'] = 'password';
$impexconfig['target']['database'] = 'vbulletin_forum';
$impexconfig['target']['tableprefix'] = '';

# If the system that is being imported from uses a database,
# enter the details for it here and set 'sourceexists' to true.
# If the source data is NOT stored in a database, set 'sourceexists' to false

$impexconfig['sourceexists'] = true;

####
#
# SOURCE - The source is the old forum database (where the data is coming from)
#
####

# mysql / mssql
$impexconfig['source']['databasetype'] = 'mysql'; // mysql OR mssql
$impexconfig['source']['server'] = 'localhost';
$impexconfig['source']['user'] = 'username';
$impexconfig['source']['password'] = 'password';
$impexconfig['source']['database'] = 'source';
$impexconfig['source']['tableprefix'] = '';
You must set 3.x database informations in TARGET
And set 4.x database informations in SOURCE
8. Go to vbulletin 3 admincp --> Login --> You must have a new tab "Import"
9. Click on Import tab then you will see import page.
Select system : Choose 3.7.x
Select version and product : Choose vBulletin 3.7 and 3.8
Start all of the modules .
After you do this work you must go to update counters and update all of counters.
After all of this works you must import post_thanks and attach table . ( then optimize tables)
Thank you & Be successful . :)

[worried]

Nice, especially when vB.com says it can't be done.

[Lynne]

What about attachments? As far as I can see, you will lose any attachments using this method (and album images also). The database structure was changed for attachments and album images between 3.x and 4.x.

[Brandon Sheley]

interesting article
tagging this one

thx

[VBIran]

@Lynne , You can save your attachments in host then import it In impex .
--
I test it and it works :D

[Lynne]

@Lynne , You can save your attachments in host then import it In impex .
--
I test it and it works :D
I don't see how that will work. If you now have all album images mixed in with the attachments, how can doing an import put them all back into the correct place?

Admittedly, I have not tried this, but I don't see how it would work.

[VBIran]

I will test it and edit first post soon .

[gamerzhut]

You can also convert to another board like mybb or phpbb3. From there you an use impex system. I guess you will loose the members password by doing so.

[VBIran]

If you convert from vb to vb you wont lose passwords .

[gamerzhut]

Yeah, but attachments will be lost for sure.

[adblaze]

I do not see a table named "attach" or "post_thanks".

[VBIran]

I do not see a table named "attach" or "post_thanks".

attachment table .
if you use [ajax] post thanks mod you should have post_thanks table .

[James T Brock]

Nice, especially when vB.com says it can't be done.

They give incorrect information there all the time, it's ridiculous.

[Lynne]

They give incorrect information there all the time, it's ridiculous.
Sorry, but in this instance it is correct. If you have albums/attachments and you use this method to downgrade, you will have problems afterwards. There are database changes between vb3 and vb4 for the way albums and attachments are stored.

[adblaze]

That's what I figured. Just wanted to double check. Thanks.

[VBIran]

Dont forget to update counters at last .

[denman75]

tagged
:seeing light at the tunnel

[Jhonnyf]

Um... How about the threadid?
when I use the IMPEX this always read de source and create the thread start with ID 1 to next in correlative form

[VBIran]

Lynne , If Attachments Stored In Host You Can Import It Via Impex , Check this :

[VBIran]

Um... How about the threadid?
when I use the IMPEX this always read de source and create the thread start with ID 1 to next in correlative form
Yes and i think you must write some rewrite rules for your site .

[Lynne]

Lynne , If Attachments Stored In Host You Can Import It Via Impex , Check this :
There is no ImpEx version to import a vB4 database yet. attachments are not only in the attachment table in vb4 - the actual data is in the filedata table which didn't exist in vB3. If you only import stuff from the attachment table, then you will be missing all the actual attachment data.

[rlarner]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but I'm a newb.... why would you want to downgrade?

[BigDog007]

wow that is nice.. wish i would of read it before installing my theme.. Everyone told me vb included it wasnt possiable.. but deep down i was going its got to be. Nice job man..

[Zachery]

wow that is nice.. wish i would of read it before installing my theme.. Everyone told me vb included it wasnt possiable.. but deep down i was going its got to be. Nice job man..
It is not, you will lose a lot of data by using impex.

[VBIran]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but I'm a newb.... why would you want to downgrade?
Because someone think vbulletin 3 is better than vbulletin 4 so ..

It is not, you will lose a lot of data by using impex.
You can save threads posts users profiles and ...

[Zachery]

Because someone think vbulletin 3 is better than vbulletin 4 so ..


You can save threads posts users profiles and ...
No permissions, no paid subscription data, no attachments, no third party addon information.

[TheLegendB]

This way may allow you to get your all data to vb3.8 but other languages (Arabic) turn into (رد تجربة.... )

[kevin.kool]

Thank you for this awesome article!

I have sucessful downgrade my forum from 4.1.4 to 3.8.7 without any lost. Also, the language isn't broken (my forum uses UTF8 charset).

Thank you very much! :D

[VBIran]

This way may allow you to get your all data to vb3.8 but other languages (Arabic) turn into (رد تجربة.... )


Are you test this article yet ?!

You say something that you aren't test it yet !

It HAVEN'T any problem with utf-8 forums !

--------------- Added 1310653981 at 1310653981 ---------------

Thank you very much!

Your welcome :)

[my123world]

Please Can You Help Me Downgrade to VB3? I Am Currently Using 4.1.4... Thanxx in Advance!

Please Check UR PMs...

[ismrt]

thx but vb4's attachments not on vb3's attachments what will i do

[danyxxx]

There is no ImpEx version to import a vB4 database yet. attachments are not only in the attachment table in vb4 - the actual data is in the filedata table which didn't exist in vB3. If you only import stuff from the attachment table, then you will be missing all the actual attachment data.

He explain verry clear or not?
You do nothing, doesn't work , same problem for me .

[Lynne]

He explain verry clear or not?
You do nothing, doesn't work , same problem for me .
I don't know what to explain. If you downgrade from vB4 to vB3, you will lose your attachments.

[angeljs]

Yes, I can confirm that this DOES NOT WORK! All attachments will be lost.

Isn't there a mod out there somewhere, perhaps paid, that can help with this?

[vbresults]

If there were enough requests I would make something to fix this, but this topic is only 3 pages long. :p

[angeljs]

Well take a look over at vBulletin.com...plenty of requests there! :D

[kNeeLy]

yea...I made a thread here about downgrading...and they pointed me to this article. This just seems like to much b.s. to deal with just to downgrade.

I made the mistake to give version 4 a shot on my little private board.

"Wrong Call"

Now...I'm prolly just gonna delete the board and do a fresh 3.8 install.

*shakes head

I know now, that my main board, will NEVER leave the 3 series. EVER.

[LeventX]

Hello
I just Can I switch subjects and the older version to get my messages.

[zeus_r6]

If attachments are stored in filesystem, does that make a difference?

[N1GTO4]

@zeus_r6

From reading through all the naysayers that seems to be what the author is saying by using the wording of "storing attachments in host".

[m002.p]

Hi all,

I have a query about this method of downgrading. Would appreciate assistance in this thread if someone in the know could spare 5

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?p=2306951#post2306951

[MaXimus]

1) I deleted my old forum
2) Installed 3.8.7 with a new mysql database
3) Uploaded IMPEX and set it up this way:

$impexconfig['beracer_forum']['server'] = 'localhost';
$impexconfig['beracer_forum']['user'] = 'beracer_forum';
$impexconfig['beracer_forum']['password'] = 'MYPASSWORD HERE';
$impexconfig['beracer_forum']['database'] = 'beracer_forum';
$impexconfig['beracer_forum']['tableprefix'] = '';

# If the system that is being imported from uses a database,
# enter the details for it here and set 'sourceexists' to true.
# If the source data is NOT stored in a database, set 'sourceexists' to false

$impexconfig['sourceexists'] = true;

####
#
# SOURCE - The source is the old forum database (where the data is coming from)
#
####

# mysql / mssql
$impexconfig['beracer_forums']['databasetype'] = 'mysql'; // mysql OR mssql
$impexconfig['beracer_forums']['server'] = 'localhost';
$impexconfig['beracer_forums']['user'] = 'beracer_forums';
$impexconfig['beracer_forums']['password'] = 'MYPASSWORD HERE';
$impexconfig['beracer_forums']['database'] = 'beracer_forums';
$impexconfig['beracer_forums']['tableprefix'] = '';


But when I try to go to IMPEX Import from the Admin Panel I get this message:

ImpEx Database error

error: Link-ID == false, connect failed

error:

Date: Thursday 05th 2012f April 2012 01:14:07 PM
Database:



Please help, I am sure of the username / database name / password :(

My database name for the 4.xx forums is: beracer_forums
and the username created for that database is forums

the new database is called: beracer_forum
and the username created for that database is forum

--------------- Added 1333652017 at 1333652017 ---------------

I just submitted a Support Ticket as well...

--------------- Added 1333654654 at 1333654654 ---------------

This guide sucks because the instructions are not very detailed which is why I ended up here!

i will delete my entire forum and recreate it from scratch. bye bye! NEver using this guy's guides again