Test forum
 

I've made a duplicate forum so I can test various things out before putting them into my "real" forum. I have a few questions, though:

1) I can't log into my duplicate forum. It just won't let me. What did I do wrong?

1) I'm afraid any changes I make in the templates in the control panel will effect my original forum, too. Is there a way to prevent this from occuring? Or should I be getting a new control panel with the duplicate?

I guess the main question I have is, how can I test things out in a duplicate forum -- making changes in the control panel -- so that they won't impact my real live forum until I'm ready? Obviously people do this. How????

Thanks.

if your making a duplicate forum. you should have another database and have it connect to the other database. so then when you make any changes it dont affect the live one.

if your using a totally new database for the new test forum any changes wont be made to the live one unless you transfer the data to the live one

How do I do either one of these things?

how did you create your first database ?

first step start with a new vbulletin zip and upload the contents to a testforum folder. then you need to create the database i dont know how you created your first one but if you cant figure it out ask your web server techs. and they will point it out. but create a new database then install the new forum at the testboard location. then just enter the new database info and blam new test board

Concerning why you can't log in - I'm assuming you are using a carbon copy of the database of your live board. My guess is that you have conflicting cookies. Try clearing your cookies and see if that takes care of it