[blue jammer]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

One approach is as follows:

1 Create a new forum, and restrict access to the usergroup restrictions you want (i.e. set it so that only admins can read posts)
2 On the links admin page, set this forum as the default_forumid
3 Also on the links admin page, give can_see_protected_links_on_portal permissions to all groups (or all groups except not logged-in), etc
4 Create your category and links

This will make everything visible to all groups set in stage 3, but only downloadable to groups set in stage 1

When you're ready to turn things on, either go back to your vb admin and change the permissions on the associated forum or change the associated forum.

OK?

Andrew, thanks for the speedy reply.

I followed those steps to the letter and spent hours yesterday adding a new forum with the right permissions, but as the forum was in an 'xtra' section, it wouldn't show up whilst trying to select it under the drop down menu for "default_forumid". It would only show the first two forum categories. So, after restoring all the default values on the 3rd 'xtra' category, and it still not being selectable, I just added the new forum under the main category and was then able to select it.

Once I had selected it, and followed all the other steps, I tested it out, having linked the new forum to the links page, that worked for me logged in as Admin, but once I logged out, although the 'Downloads' forum I have added isn't viewable, if I know the link (which users could pass onto non-users) I was still able to view the links page that way, AND to download the files still.

I've been over it all several times and still can't fathom out why it's still allowing access to the links page and letting guests download the files...