How to I transfer my smf members and posts to another smf forum?

[Sleezy]

Hello, How do I transfer my forums post's, members, and boards, to another smf forum?


                   -Lowrida018

[kat]

Export the database from one and import it to the other. (The SMF versions should be the same, though. You can't import a v1.1.13 database into a v2.x forum.)


Do you need that to be explained in a bit more detail?

[Illori]

i am not sure that is what they want, it is somewhat unclear. they may even be wanting to "merge" 2 smf databases into 1.

[kat]

"Transfer" suggests, to me, a simple transfer.

Still, my ESP skills always flag, a bit, after the damned clocks go forward...

[ziycon]

It looks like a bad choice of wording by the OP.

If you just wants to take your current database and put else where then what K@ said will do it, if your trying to merge one database with another, this would take a lot of time, work and planning as its not easy, personally i wouldn't do it mself unless someone here has done it before and has some tips/guidelines on how to!?

[Sleezy]

Wrong wrong wrong, I just want to transfer my members from my smf 2.0 rc3 forum to my other smf 2.0 rc3 forum. http://rordragster.site90.com to http://ror-fd-pd-ems.net23.net  And I am using filezilla, and 000webhost.

[Sleezy]

I  can give someone access to the forum, if they could do it.

[Illori]

transfer from one working forum to another working forum? that is a merge, if you want this done please post in the help wanted board. most likely if anyone is willing to help you, you will have to pay for this to be done. marking this solved as directly you will not get support with this request.

[Sleezy]

No its not solved, I want to do it my self, I just need to transfer my members and posts, so do I just put everything from my old forum into my new forums database?

[kat]

This is assuming (As you haven't told us) that your new forum has NO members and NO posts.

If that's the case, then, as I said, go to your site's CPanel and export (Save) the database.

On your new site, go to CPanel and restore (Import) it.

Simple as that.

[Sleezy]

Can someone make a video on how, because I use 000webhost, and there cpanel is different. Could I just do it by using filezilla?

[Illori]

if you explain better what you want then maybe someone can help you, otherwise we will keep guessing and giving you wrong advice on what to do.

[kat]

Filezilla?

Definitely not.

No way.

With your site's equivalent of CPanel, look for a way to backup.

It's the database you want.

Just back it up to your hard disk and restore it to your new site.

[Sleezy]

Is there a way we can chat outside the forums?

[kat]

Telepathy's about all I can offer.

If you're not sure where to look, give your host a nudge.

They'll tell you, I feel certain.

[Sleezy]

How about we chat through http://www.chatzy.com/587624789281

[Illori]

since it is late where K@ lives, i doubt you will find him able to chat with you at this hour.

[Sleezy]

What about you?

[Illori]

i dont have time for a live chat. you cant explain your issue here so everyone can help you, i dont see a need to take my time to help you one-on-one.

[Sleezy]

It's not video chat :\ it's a typing chat, just go there, and look.

[Illori]

this forum is setup for support so everyone can help, we do not wish to take you somewhere else for support. please explain in detail what you want to do and people here will help you. it is possible that myself or K@ may not know how to fix your problem but we dont know as you cant tell us what you really want to do.

[Sleezy]

No offence but, I don't trust someone thats not a support person, admin, ect. ...

[Illori]

that does not mean you cant explain in clear english what you are trying to do so that people can suggest what YOU can do to fix your problem. there are many people there that provide support and solve peoples issues that are not on the smf team.

[Arantor]

If you have someone bothering to take the time to try and help you, it usually helps if you give them enough information to be able to suggest something.

And while your policy of 'not trusting' people, I suspect you'd put me in the same category because I'm not on the SMF team, despite knowing SMF better than many...

[CapadY]

This is assuming (As you haven't told us) that your new forum has NO members and NO posts.

Maybe you can first tell us if this asume is right ? It's very important information to be able answering your question.

[Sleezy]

I want to transfer the members, because my site was a temporary website for my friends 'Club' and all the members on it accept 2 joined the site for my members club.

[Illori]

do you mind loosing posts etc on one of the 2 boards? otherwise it is very complicated and not many people even know how to do it.

[CapadY]

I want to transfer the members, because my site was a temporary website for my friends 'Club' and all the members on it accept 2 joined the site for my members club.

So, it took only 25 posts to get an answer for this very simple but important question.

As Ilori said, it's a very hard job to merge 2 forums. There is no manual for it. It will take you a lot of time. a lot of database tables have to be edit manualy and a very litle mistake make's your forum useless.

As a matter of fact, in theory it's possible but practical it isn't.

[Sleezy]

I just want to move the members, I don't care about anything else.

[CapadY]

Even then it will be a crime.

In membertable are defined used theme, membergroups, additional membergroups, warnings, ignore boards, postgroup, karma, ignore list, unread messages, languagefile, number of posts. I can hardly believe they are exactly yhe same in both forums so it's gonna be one big mesh or even nothing is shown for the added members because some files called in the database aren't available in the new forum.

One way or the other you'll have to deal with those things when importing the members.

[Sleezy]

Can someone tell me a program that can do this if anyone knows of one?

[Illori]

there is no program or any way but manually to do what you want. there is no easy way out on this task.

[Arantor]

Even then it will be a crime.

In membertable are defined used theme, membergroups, additional membergroups, warnings, ignore boards, postgroup, karma, ignore list, unread messages, languagefile, number of posts. I can hardly believe they are exactly yhe same in both forums so it's gonna be one big mesh or even nothing is shown for the added members because some files called in the database aren't available in the new forum.

One way or the other you'll have to deal with those things when importing the members.

Oh, and just for fun, avatars too, sometimes they're in the members table, sometimes there's also data in the attachments table.

[Sleezy]

Can someone just simplify it, like what I need to export, and how to do it in Cpanel?

[Arantor]

No, we can't, because as we've said so many other things are intertwined with it, there's no simple way to do it.

As listed above, you'd end up exporting half of the database because of all the things that are related.

[Sleezy]

Can someone just tell me what to do, is what I am trying to say.

[Arantor]

And what we're trying to say is that we can't.

It isn't just one table. It's a whole bunch of stuff, spread out through half the database, like membergroups, avatars, and so on. If you don't care about any of that stuff, you can just export the members table on its own and blindly shove it into the new forum. Groups will be screwed up, likely permissions too, and any users who had uploaded avatars won't have their avatars, but the member data will otherwise be imported.

(Oh, and this doesn't bode well for your desire to become a team member, especially for a team whose job is helping people modify SMF's code...)

[Sleezy]

I just wanted to be a Customizer.

[Arantor]

I just wanted to be a Customizer.

Yes, the team responsible for reviewing and approving modifications on the SMF website, which requires a decent knowledge of PHP, a decent knowledge of SMF's innards and proven ability to actually code things. Also usually requires the ability to listen to people who know the system very well.

* Arantor used to be one of the Customizer team.

[Sleezy]

I know allot about PHP.