Run your vBulletin on your PC
 

I know there is a guide like this out already, and it's created by TECK.
However, his guide is outdated, and the download links are no longer valid.

So, I though I'd tell you how I did it :)

Please do NOT distribute this guide outside of vBulletin.org! If you wish to put it on your site, contact me by PM!

Here are a couple of simple steps on how to run your vB on your PC:

Installing Apache, PHP, MySQL, phpMyAdmin, etc...

• Download the newest version of PHPTriad (http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...ckage_id=9390).
  • This is a very easy to use all-in-one pack.
• Run the .exe, and let the installer do the job for you.
• Now go to C:\apache\mysql\bin\, and run winmysqladmin.
  • If, and it probably will, it asks you for a password, enter root as password, and password as password.
• Goto your start menu > PHPtriad > Apache Console > Stop Apache
• Now go to start menu > PHPtriad > Apache Console > Start Apache
  • Note: Do NOT select "Restart Apache".
• Now, Apache will pop up in a new window.
• Simply minimize it.
  • Do NOT close it!
• Now, open up c:\apache\htdocs\phpmyadmin\config.inc.php.
  • Find: $cfgServers[1]['password'] = '';
  • Between the '' tags, enter "password" WITHOUT the quotes
  • Save & Close
• Now, your "webpage" is available at http://localhost!

Ok, nowthat we've installed and configured everything, we can start with the actuall vBulletin install!

Installing your vBulletin

• Look at your task menu, and right click the traffic light icon.
• Click "Show me"
• Now, go to the databases tab.
• Right click on the "Test" database
• Click "Create Database".
• In the window which just opened, enter the exact name which you gave to your online database. (If you're installing a new vBulletin forum on your local PC, you may call it anything you want. Do remember what you call it though).
• Click "Create the Database" once you've entered a name.
• Click "OK" on the error box which just poped up.
• Now, press cancel, and it should bring you back to the databases tab.
• Now, you have 2 options.
  • Follow these steps if you want to install a NEW vBULLETIN, if not, simply scroll down.
    • Download a new vBulletin copy from the members area.
    • Extract it to: c:\apache\htdocs\forum
    • Open up c:\apache\htdocs\forum\includes\config.php.
      • Set the the servername to "localhost" (without quotes)
      • Set NO dbusername and NO dbuserpassword!
      • Set the database name to the name of the database you created a couple of steps above.
      • Now install vBulletin, and follow vBulletin's steps.
  • Follow these steps if you want to install your online vBulletin Board on your PC.
    • Download your vBulletin files from your FTP
    • Download you Database from your host.
    • Rename your database file to vbulletin.sql
    • Go to http://localhost/phpmyadmin
    • Go to the database you created a couple of steps ago.
    • Click the "import" tab.
    • Find this text: "Or Location of the textfile :" (without quotes)
    • Bellow it, there should be a "browse" button.
    • Click it.
    • Browse to your vbulletin.sql file, and select it
    • Now, click the "Go" button. ONLY CLICK THIS ONCE
    • Get yourself a cup of coffee, because this might take a while.
    • When its done, it will most likely say "No tables found". Just ignore that.
• Go to http://localhost/forum/admincp
• Log in
  • If you can NOT log in, follow these steps.
    • Go to http://localhost/phpmyadmin, and open your database.
    • Open up the table "datastore" (BROWSE it)
      
    • Open up "options" (inside the database)
    • Find (where XXXX is your cookie domain you set when your board was online.
      
      Code:

      ---

      cookiedomain";s:0:"XXXX"

      ---

    • REMOVE the cookiedomain text. sothat it will look like this:
      Code:

      ---

      cookiedomain";s:0:""

      ---

    • Go back to your database.
    • Now browse the SETTING table.
    • Find the "cookiedomain" field.
    • Edit it, and empty the "value" box.
• Thats it! You're done!

IF IT SAYS THE DATABASE IS EMPTY, JUST IGNORE THAT! FOLLOW THE REST OF THE STEPS, AND YOU WILL SEE IT WORKS!

You can now start playing around with your offline vBulletin copy, without having to worry about your members :)

Wow, Awesome dude!

I will be sure to use this ;)

Deaths have you checked for an exist guide ?

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=39482

more details, better for newbie

Read the post ;).

It's not better for newbies at this stage, because 1 of his links is outdated (how is a newbie going to get the right file?), the MySQL is still a 3.x version (some hacks will cause major problems), and this Apache installation is WAY easier, as its just an installed, no zipping to directories, etc...

:nervous:

Glad you like it :)

I use AppServ which offer one file installation and you need to edit nothing to have a local server.

I never used it, so I can't make a howto on something I never used. (AppServe, that is)

Your typical "newbie"' wouldn't know anything about AppServ or even SourceForge.

Nice tutorial. it may be very helpful to newbies.

I run IIS + php/mysql/activeperl on my window. It's been working all good so far. One nice thing about IIS is that it allows me to test ASP scripts on my localhost too. :)

Thanks :).

This wasnt created for a TOTAL newbie, because a total newb wouldn't see any use in this anyway...

went great but there is no "test" db.