vBulletin CMS
 

We very recently upgraded to vBulletin Version 4.2.3 Patch Level 2 (from Version 4.2.3 Beta 3). Admin CP > Plugins & Products > Manage Products is now showing that vBulletin CMS is no longer enabled (and Articles and such on our Forum Home Page is no longer visible) and still showing its version as 4.2.3 Beta 3.

We are fully licensed. Do we have to download/install vBulletin CMS for 4.2.3 Patch Level 2 separately?

Did you download and installed vBulletin Suite or Forum only software?

I'm thinking that it was Forum only software that our Host downloaded/installed, as vBulletin Blog is also reporting as still being at version 4.2.3 Beta 3. I've inquired to our Host.

Your host shouldn't be installing vBulletin for you.

Where did they get the files from?

vBulletin MUST be installed by downloading it from YOUR SPECIFIC members area. That's because the files have your license number in each one.

If someone has installed anything else, then not only have they potentially installed the wrong version, they've also potentially installed an illegal copy of the software.

When I say "our Host", I don't mean our hosting service provider; I mean the owner of our Forum. He has the account for access to the members area for the software. He does the downloading and installation.

OK....well it sounds like he has downloaded the wrong version somehow. It's possible if he has two licenses, and one is suit and the other is forum only, that he's downloaded the wrong one. It's important he uses the correct license for the correct forum, otherwise again there'll be issues with license numbers in the files....if he uses the same license on two separate forums it'll class as an illegal installation. So various reasons why he needs to check that, and make sure all the URLs are correct.

He should download the correct 'suite' version, upload it, and run the upgrade script again.

I'm waiting on his reply to my email as to which software he downloaded/installed; Forum Only or Suite. A response to my other thread stated that if our license is for the Suite, then only the Suite software is available for downloading, and Forum Only couldn't have been downloaded/installed. :scratch_head:

Yes that is the case *unless* the account has two licenses on it, and one is suite and the other is forum. Then it's possible, but the license numbers in the files will be wrong.

vBulletin files are not interchangeable between licenses, even if the versions are identical. If, for instance, a customer has ten licenses, all for 'vB4 Suite', they need to be very careful to install the correct download on the correct site. Incorrect or duplicate license numbers is a breach of the license and will lead to takedown requests.

The license number contained in global.php, blog.php, and contentmanager.php (in ~/public_html/packages) are all the same.

What about the /content.php

Also check the downloaded date at the bottom of the script.

All of our CMS and Blog related files reflect 4.2.3 Beta 3, downloaded 15:08, Thu Jan 1st 2015.

All other files reflect 4.2.3 Patch Level 2, downloaded 09:15, Thu Nov 10th 2016.

So CMS and Blog software, installed and working before the upgrade, were not upgraded on Thursday November 10th 2016, the date our Forum owner did the upgrade.

Yes, Your host/owner downloaded the wrong package.

I'm very much inclined to agree with you.

We moved to using vBulletin for our Forum back in late 2011 or early 2012. We received a donated license from one of our members who wasn't using it. I believe it was a Forum Only license at that time. When we first renewed, we discussed upgrading to Suite, and I believe that is exactly what we did. So, we started out with Forum Only and subsequently enhanced our Forum by renewing with an upgraded purchase to the Suite. Would explain how we could end up 'mixing' the software download.

I did a comprehensive review of all the installed files for our forum on our server this afternoon. There are two different Downloaded dates: ones reflecting 09:15, Thu Nov 10th 2016 also reflect a version number of 4.2.3 Patch Level 2, and ones reflecting 15:08, Thu Jan 1st 2015 reflect a version number of 4.2.3 Beta 3. And all of the 2015 dated ones are cms and blog related files.

4 Step Solution:

Make backup
Download new package
Upload new files to server
Re-run upgrade script

Maybe a cache or an issue from your hosting. Checking with your host and try to download and install latest version of vB again.

If you have a Suite Licence, you can download either the suite version (includes blog & cms) or the forum only version.

As noted above, it sounds like they downloaded the forum only version.

I just checked your account and verified that your site owner/host did download the Forum only package. So, he needs to go back and download the Suite version, upload those files, and then run the upgrade.php script again.

Thank you Lynne, for the verification. I have emailed our forum owner about this.

Happy to report that our Forum is now properly upgraded to 4.2.3 Patch Level 2, having re-run the upgrade using the Suite software download. CMS and Blog sections are once again at the save version as the rest of the Forum.

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