OK, well, maybe I've been barking up the wrong tree. That other stuff does sound like some kind of permission problem, but I don't know what would cause it to show up recently, if it isn't zbblock or some other change you've made. Maybe someone else will have an idea.

I do appreciate your assistance. Do you by chance know any of the vBulletin program system techs I might be able to contact?

I'm not sure what you mean, but the answer is probably no because I don't know anyone. :) Did you ask at vbulletin.com? Someone there might recognize the symptoms.

No, haven't gone over to vbulletin.com yet. My next stop.

Last question. If I opt to Repair / Optimize Tables (AdminCP > Maintenance), do I need to take the forum offline, or can it be done while the forum is up and active?

I'm not sure (I'm useless today, I guess). I believe it should work but it might cause delays on the forum depending on what table's being repaired or optimized. Probably best to close it if it's the post or thread table.

By the way, if you want to start another thread here for those other problems, that's OK with me. This one was for the avatar directory problem, so you could start another one for the other problems, and it might get more attention if it doesn't already have 100 responses.

Thank you.

My feeling is that if the avatar / profile picture issue is remedied, that the other issues will be fixed as well -- I believe they are all linked to the same 'cause'.

I've posted over on vbulletin.com. Hopefully a 'techie' will be able to assist.

--------------- Added [DATE]1353291990[/DATE] at [TIME]1353291990[/TIME] ---------------

Resolved the problem, and, it was self induced, having shot myself in the foot and not realizing it.

One single permission option in the Registered Users usergroup that I had changed recently, that being Usergroup Options > Allow Users to have Member Groups, which had been set to Yes and that I changed to No.

Allow Users to have Member Groups
(Sets whether or not permissions from the user's member (secondary) user group memberships are inherited or not)

One of my other Administrators came to that conclusion almost at the same time I did.

Thanks for updating us. I feel like an idiot now because someone just mentioned that setting not too long ago, but it didn't occur to me even though we were just discussing how the permissions work. Anyway, glad you solved it.

Hey, we learn by making mistakes.

I thank you again for the time you spent with me on this -- it wasn't wasted.