Forums are taking off, but I need to change the main URL
 

My main URL now is from my old website which i got rid of, and the forum site I have now has a domain name that is just parked on the previous one. I asked my hosting company if I could have the main domain switched to the domain name of my new website and this is what they said: "We can change the main domain on your account. However, this will cause
you to lose all of your emails and databases on your site."

So is there a way I can do that and not loose all 10,000 + posts and information saved in my forums? my forums grew to 230 members in a weeks time and I didnt get to switch the domain before. what can I do in this situation? I am scared of losing everything

take a backup of your database and files, then close the forums, get the domain/server move completed, upload the files to the new server and import the database.

you can find more information on how to do a server move at vBulletin.com, and there may also be some information about it in the vBulletin manual

Before anything is done, regardless, backups should be made - I can't stress this enough. I do daily sql backups and weekly-monthly file backups (as that changes very little). Also, any connections to the database (vbulletin, hacks, etc.) will have to be taken in consideration. If you are switching domains, whether new or existing, you will need all of this information and actual sql/files for the transfer. As long as you have backups of it all, you shouldn't have to worry.
Your emails are tied to that domain account as well. Unless you have total control of that box that the account is on, more than likely you'll lose whatever is not saved (such as your emails - which can be saved by connecting via 3rd party software such as Outlook/OE/Thunderbird). I'm sure there are things I'm not thinking of. And I could be wrong - this I accept to be corrected on.

so when I pack up the database, it's a gz file extension? i think i found that. what else do i need to back up?


luckily I dont use my e-mail on my hosting as of yet. its mainly just my forums. so I should be able to switch domains after i backup the sql database, and then upload it back when i get the new domain?

I never use gz compression, but that's just me. I just download it as an sql file. You'll also want to back up all your physical files (vbulletin) and everything else that you've installed.