Your attachments should be stored in the file system then you wouldn't have this problem. Ive had this problem a few times before and it usually consisted of a problem because the attachment table store file data it can really range for what the contents are. If you can get a backup with individual insert statements you should be able to get all the attachments but the ones that contain the problematic data.

what did you unpack it with? if the database was .tar.gz'd in a linux environment. you dont dare try to "unpack" or "extract" it on a windows machine. or it will corrupt the DB

Nope, i did not unpack it. the tech from where i purchased the new semi dedicated server performed all steps from downloading the dump to restoring them to informing me about the unknown command error that they are facing.

If you were on a dedicated machine before you should have ssh access where you can perform the database back up, and move yourself even if the host only allowed 2GB downloads for whatever reason.

using a command like

mysqldump -u mysql_user -p -h localhost > databaseback.sql

scp databaseback.sql user@new.server.ip:/home/location/to/store on the old machine

If they still dont want to help you out since you're moving. Try to access your old site via ip.add.res.s and move your attachments from the database into the file system using the tools in admincp.

Then get a new database dump, and move the attachment folder to your new host.

Okay, here's an update, as for my old host ,Now how foolish can some hosting company be, saying the vbulletin backup mysql did not have * attachment * tables.


Fortunately, I had a database dump dated Jan 2007, snakes1100 here helped me restore those attachments in the latest database. So though many attachments will go missing, the forum still will function for now.

At the end of it, thanks to snakes1100 , my forum is back up and running :)

Well, this is more of a warning post for users who use dreamhost, i wont post all the details of the situation about this, but i will say this:

His db backup that was incomplete was rather odd looking, it had every table except the 3 required tables for attachments, due to why he changed hosts, i believe dreamhost might of intentionally removed the 3 tables in question from his backup before they sent it to him, seeing as every other table in the two db's existed, it would be kinda hard for the 3 tables in question to not be there if they did a dump via mysql.