need general maitenance and upgrade tips!
 

I have spent the last several months setting up my forums just the way i need them, this includes a few .php file modifications, and MANY template mods and a skin. What should i do to prevent loss of any of this stuff as far as backing things up (what to back up, how). also, am I going to have to redo all the template mods and .php hacks + update the skin every time I upgrade? just need some tips from you guys who have been doing this for while so I don't run into any labour intensive problems!

Backup the database, backup the files, upgrade. reapply file changes.

Customized templates are never touched however some may need to be fixed/reverted and style changes reapplied.

when i upgraded to 3.0.3, my customize templates were all changed, did i do something wrong or miss an option in the setup?

They do not get changed unless you change them.

when having to reupload an entire database with 2,000+++ posts the best idea is to download the post and its relating tables seperately and upload that sql file;)

or just open the full database download and find it and make it into its backup file:) it makes things alot easier:)

and also when restoring a database, dont add the postindex rows back just the table;) use the rebuild postindex function after successfully reinstalling a database

Moved to General vBulletin Questions. Please read the forum descriptions more closely in future :) Thanks