I guess this would be the best place to ask this, so here goes-
A while back, a buddy and I started a forum. He has pretty much been inactive over the last year or so, and pretty much told me to completely take it over. I have been doing all the maintenance, upgrades, adding of mods, and have all the passwords to the control panel, webhosting site, etc.
My question is that when the hosting expires in the next few months, I would like to move it to a different host and put the site in my name. Since I do have all the passwords to everything, is there an easy way to do this? Can I simply just sign up with a new host using all of my personal info, and then give them all the password info to the site now, so they can migrate everything over for me? Does he need to contact the current host and have them put everything in my name?
well, there is hosting and there is the domain.
If you own the domain, there is no problem whoever paid for the previous hosting (assuming you have all the logins) however, the new host (if they are reputable) will not create/transfer the site if you are not the domain owner.
The host is in his name, as is the domain (although the domain was private registrant if that makes a difference). The hosting expires in a few months, yet the domain is still good until 2017.
So I guess my question would be; how am I able to transfer the domain and hosting in my name if my friend decides he doesn't want to be bothered with it?
You will need him to transfer it... You can't take the domain unless he "sells" it to you, otherwise anyone could swoop in and take any domain..
Ok, that shouldn't be a problem. So does he just contact the host (who is also the same company that registered the domain), and tell them that he sold the site to another person? I guess he just gives them all of my personal info?
I would guess so... I've never actually transferred a domain before.
I don't see why your friend could not simply give you the login information for the domain name and from there you could change billing & contact information to your own. Along with changing the login information.