Deleting my forum NEED HELP!

[MrHorror]

Hi! I accidentally uploaded a paypal donate mod for vb4 to my vb 3.8 forum! Hardly any damage was done, except...all of my styles? The category strip width looks a little funky. Not neat and centered like it usually would. This is really making my board look ugly. Atleast in my opinion. So, I am contemplating deleting my vb forum folder from my admin cp, and then reuploading a copy of my forum folder I "filezilla'ed" back in the Summer of last year. Thus, attaining the normal look of my board. First, I have a few questions beforehand...

This does not pertain to my sql database. I don't want to delete the database, just the forum folder. And then reupload it. Can I do this and maintain database integrity?

Also, mysql databases just hold posts, threads, and messages? Data basically right? All of the vbulletin stuff I mentioned above i.e. styles, etc is located in my forum folder right? So I can do this without losing anything?

P.S., my styles were SELF-CREATED. I never uploaded or installed a skin. I simply kept the default skin for vb, then created a child style, restyled that. Then created a child style under that one, and restyled it. And on and on. So I they should be in my vb forum folder correct? Since it was just reskinning and restyling? Not installing any new skins?

[ForceHSS]

Why not just remove the donate mod. If you delete the forum folder then when you reupload them it will delete the db and reinstall a new one. The only way you can do this is to install a backup you had before you installed the donate mod

[MrHorror]

Why not just remove the donate mod. If you delete the forum folder then when you reupload them it will delete the db and reinstall a new one. The only way you can do this is to install a backup you had before you installed the donate mod

You mean a backup database of my site? If I install a backup database of my site prior to installing the donate mod, like a backup from lets say early last week? Then all will be well then? Or should be well?

[ForceHSS]

if same forum version it should be ok as long has you have not many to many changes

[MrHorror]

if same forum version it should be ok as long has you have not many to many changes

Well I uninstalled the donate mod and the forum never returned to normal hence why I am doing this. I first installed the mod on the 13th. Haven't made any changes or additions to the forum since then as today is just the 17th. And yes it is same forum versions 3.8.6. Thanks!

[BirdOPrey5]

Removing thee files wouldn't help. Styles and templates are stored in the database too.

[MrHorror]

Removing thee files wouldn't help. Styles and templates are stored in the database too.

I have access to my database. Could I go in there and track down and delete the offending code?

[BirdOPrey5]

Probably not. It's pretty much impossible for an uninstalled mod to be causing you problems.

If you follow these instructions:
https://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php/196688-Disable-the-plugin-hook-system-globally

to disable hooks, does the problem go away?

Do you have a link to the mod you installed?

If there were any manual template edits, that's the only place the issue could come from- if you didn't undo them or undo them correctly.

[MrHorror]

Yes here's a link to the mod I installed..https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=236480


Disabling hooks would make other plugins that I use not work so I can't do that. I didn't make any manual template edits. It's just an xml file. I clicked import, it imported, and then it stretched the forum out a bit too much. Made everything look ugly. So I turned it off before uninstalling. When I turned it off, the forum was still funky looking. So I think it affected something of the styles in the database. And that never recovered. So I think backing up from an old mysql database would do the trick.

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I disabled hooks in my admin cp. No dice! And when I installed the mod, I didn't have to manually edit any templates or upload anything to my "forums" folder. But I saw the "correct" 3.8 version of the mod, that I installed later on listed in my database. I assume when I used the 4.0 version/plugin accidentally? It too went into the database, and must've gummed something up beyond repair. So uninstalling didn't help. Hence the odd angle my forum has now. So is it safe to assume this problem is database related then?

[BirdOPrey5]

I see what happened... There is a bug in that mod...

You will need to go to the Admin CP -> Plugin Manager.

There will be a plugin with the title Valter's Hacks Template Group listed near the top (under vBulletin Plugins).

The mod author accidentally used the product code "vbulletin" for this plugin instead of his own product code so uninstalling the mod did not remove it as it should.

If you see that plugin in your plugin list delete it and you should be fine.

[MrHorror]

I don't see that plugin in my plugin manager. I think it uninstalled when I uninstalled the mod. The only templates I have that are new, are from the paypal donate for vb 3.8. No templates with Valter's Hacks.

[BirdOPrey5]

Not looking for templates, looking for plugins. Do you have any PLUGINS listed in Admin CP -> Products & Plugins -> Plugin Manager under the "vBulletin" listing?

[MrHorror]

Yes. I have many plugins. But none from Valter. My 3.8 forum was fine until I accidentally installed his vb4 paypal donate plugin. Once that got installed, it went wonky looks-wise. Uninstalling did nothing to fix it either. I have plugins for my vb portal, facebook bridge, and avatars next to threads. All of which have been functioning fine for a year now. I think because this paypal donate plugin was for vb4, it must've done something to my database templates upon install.

[ForceHSS]

a link to your forum might help

[BirdOPrey5]

That's the thing though- no mod can alter your existing templates upon installation- All mods can do is override templates, add new templates, or dynamically change templates- BUT ONLY by means of a plugin. Therefore if you remove every plugin from a mod like this it is impossible for the mod to keep making changes to your styles.

The mod in question does make a database edit but nothing to do with styling- just a table to track donations.

I agree please give a link to your forum, and also go to Admin CP -> vBulletin Options -> General Settings and turn on Template Names in HTML Comments. Hopefully we can view the source of the page and get to the bottom of the issue.

[MrHorror]

Here's a link: http://hmandsforums.oliwy.net/forums/

I also turned on html comments.

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That's the thing though- no mod can alter your existing templates upon installation- All mods can do is override templates, add new templates, or dynamically change templates- BUT ONLY by means of a plugin. Therefore if you remove every plugin from a mod like this it is impossible for the mod to keep making changes to your styles.

The mod in question does make a database edit but nothing to do with styling- just a table to track donations.

I agree please give a link to your forum, and also go to Admin CP -> vBulletin Options -> General Settings and turn on Template Names in HTML Comments. Hopefully we can view the source of the page and get to the bottom of the issue.


Is it possible then for the mod to have broken a bit of coding or something in the database upon install? If it broke something in the database, then even being uninstalled wouldn't change things back. Because what happened was, the vb4 paypal product mod from Valter put a green donate link right on the right-hand-side of my Quick Links navbar option. And it also put a bit of visible code at the top of the page. And when I clicked the donate link it took me to an error page. I think because this was a VB4 mod being installed on a vb3 board, it must've broken my boards style or something. The open code was obviously error code of some sort.

[BirdOPrey5]

OK, I don't see any of the mods templates being loaded still...

But I also don't see anything wrong (well anything created by a mod wrong) with the style- can you better explain the problem you are seeing? Maybe a screenshot?

The center categories (assuming you mean navtabs (forum, news, contests... ) are centered to me- both horizontally and vertically.

[MrHorror]

I definitely noticed my boards category strips had stretched out on the right ends. After installing that mod. My board was set specifically to compress. Like for example...if you log out of a vb board? It'll compress inwards a bit because you're logged out? That's how I had mine set to give it the small sleek feel. It was set that way by me personally. But once I installed this mod, it stretched out too much. So I assume this has to be database related.

[BirdOPrey5]

I don't understand what you mean it comresses inwards because you logged out? The only reason it may "compress" is because logged out users have less options showing- if we're talking about the same thing.

[MrHorror]

Should I turn my vbulletin forum off while importing a database backup if I am importing the backup into the same mysql database that I am currently using?

[BirdOPrey5]

you should turn off you forum before doing anything with the database.

Also make a backup of what you have before replacing it with a backup,

[MrHorror]

Ok I have a database issue. I had been downloading my database from my webhost in gzipped format. But, I found out today that when you choose NONE, for compression type? The database backup automatically gzips itself. And when you open it in notepad? It shows up correct. My old database backup had apparently been double gzipped. Because I always chose gzipped as a compression method before downloading the backups. So that backup shows up in notepad as binary code.

So is there any way to rectify this? Or to unzip a double-gzipped .sql file so it'll display properly?

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Nevermind. I had double gzipped my backup DB. I 7zipped it twice and it opened fine. I can import now.

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So I've switched databases and I still have my board looking strange after installing this mod. I even deleted my forum folder from my public_html, and uploaded a backup forum folder I ftp'ed a week before I installed the mod. And still, my board looks odd thanks to this mod. I am all out of ideas. Does anyone know how to flush a vbulletin board's cookies? Proboards has an option where you can completely delete board cookies for eveyrone including yourself. Is there an option for this for vb 3.8?