Is there any way to move my forum to a new host?

[Srewob]

I currently have a phpbb forum through FreeForums.org - #1 Free Forum Hosting and the forum has outgrown their service. I have a hostgator account set up and I want to transfer all the data over. Anyone know how this can be accomplished?

When they are contacted, the only way to change hosting is to go with their recomended company (this is one way they make money). They have a version of phpbb that is basically crippled... so I need some form of workaround.

Thank you in advance.

 

[johu]

How long of a contract do you need to have with the other company's recommended host? If you have them move it there, you could then suspend new posts and changes on the board for a night, backup your site and database, restore it to a new host, enable changes on your new host, and then change DNS from your old host to new host.

 

[CPW-Carl]

yeah, all you need to do is find a way to get a copy of the database. If that means moving to their recommended host and paying for 1 month so you get the ddb, is that worth it to you?

 

[Anarkist]

Not sure about FreeForumshost.org, so let me tell you, you will require access to 2 things primarily to move your boards...
- FTP access to all your phpBB files
- Access to your SQL dump (this can be via phpmyadmin or via phpbb SQL management interface itself)

Now if you have the above handy, here's how you begin...
- Prepare an SQL dump of your database.
- Backup all your PHPBB files on your current server.
- Copy this backup to your new server.
- Create a new database with ALL access and restore the earlier SQL dump in the same.
- Edit your config.php with the details of your new database. (You may need to edit $dbname, $dbusername, $dbpassword and if required the $dbhost)

Voila! Your site is up and running...

 

[bubbles]

Phpbb should have a backup fuction. Save a back up, install the same version of phpbb on hostgator, and go to the admin section and restore backup.