Upgrade from 3.8.4 to v5
 

Can anyone tell me what this is going to involve?

It would be best to go to vb4

I recommend staying with version 3. Go to 3.8.7 first.

Read up: http://ozzmodz.com/showthread.php/13...ot-myth-busted

Headaches, pain, tears.

In earnest: I'm running 3.8.7 myself, and would not touch vB5 with a stick. If anything, update to vB4.

Agreed, I would not go to vB5 just yet, if you really want to upgrade, go with 4.2.1 or 4.2.2

There is no way I would EVER suggest VB5 for ANYONE! I have run forums forever, and have never run into so may quirks and problems. NOTICE: This forum has not upgraded yet, and I am sure there is a reason for that!

I would suggest you upgrade to vb 3.8.7 first too,

Then copy the whole website to a private setup including a copy of the database.
Upgrade the private copy to vb4.2.2.
Then upgrade that 4.2.2 to the latest vb5.

Have a play around with it see if it works ok..

Don't forget to backup everything BEFORE you do anything.

Thanks for your advice WEBDosser

But if I follow your steps i have a complete uncustomized live running board.
And customizing a complete VB5 with subpages, new design, add-ons, etc. takes a lot of time!
And I can't close the board for days nor the users want to live for days in a building site.
And I don't want to think about the worst case during customizing, a database crash or similar.
So I have to setup a new instance of VB5, customize it and get the users wit their posts into the VB5. That's my goal.

Is there a way to prepare VB5 like I described and then import the database from a VB 3.8.5 installation? Or after following your steps, from the 4.2.2 Version.

I'm really clueless

If you insist on "upgrading" to version 5, this statement winds up being true.

What's the compelling reason for this?

Dont upgrade to vb5 to many bugs with it many in here have told you not to and if you do dont come saying this does not work that does not work "I hate vb5 why did I not listen"