Backing up a forum

[Mbd]

Hey, so my forum has quite a lot of bugs, I figure the easiest way is to just backup and then wipe everything clean, re-install SMF and load the backup. Just got a quick question.

When I go Admin > Maintenance > Forum Maintenance > Database, and thenI  check the following -

Save the table structure.
Save the table data (the important stuff).
Compress the file with gzip.

What exactly will this backup, idealy I would like to backup all member accounts, posts, forum structure and avatars/signatures etc, will this back everything up for me then I can just delete everything on my hosting and do a full reinstall?

Thanks!

[Siirist]

More info?

Hey, so my forum has quite a lot of bugs, I figure the easiest way is to just backup and then wipe everything clean, re-install SMF and load the backup.

What bugs?

Other helpful information:
- What MODs are installed? - want to save these?
- What Theme are you using?  - want to save these?
- What SMF version are you using?
- A link to your site can be helpful

[Mbd]

There's just a bunch of small bugs which have accumulated over time, such as reply box sizes on certain themes, main page no longer working, RSS feeds not working, custom form errors etc.

The only mod I have is the Custom Form Mod, I would like to save this.

I am using the Blackhead theme, this has several errors with it so I will just be doing a full re-install of this theme.

I am on SMF 2.0.5

My website is www.solidarityeu.co.uk [nofollow]

I also just read that it is best to backup through mySQLadmin, I assume this will save absolutely everything if I backup through that oposed to through the SMF backup on the admin pannel.

[Kindred]

1- don't use the backup in smf admin...  most of the time it works... but sometimes it doesn't.  Use the hosting side backup of your database...

2 as for what you actually want to accomplish delete the theme and then just load a fresh set of files for 2.0.11 and run upgrade.php...
That will load your forum clean without any bugs...

[Mbd]

Alright thanks, so how much information does a SQL backup hold? Is it literally all forums contents, members, forums, groups, posts, avatars, signatures?

[Kindred]

the database has all of the CONTENT of the forum...

although it does not have the actual files of the attachments and avatars, it only has the location of those files within the site file system

[Mbd]

Ok thanks!

[Kindred]

to do a clean upgrade

1- delete everything in the files except Settings.php, Settings_bak.php, the attachments directory and the avatars directory.
(if you have mods which add other files, like a gallery, also keep those directories)

2- load a clean set of files from the 2.0.11 large upgrade archive. (NOT the install archive -- the large UPGRADE)

3- run upgrade.php to clean a few things up


Now you have a "clean install" of 2.0.11 with no mods and with all of your original data.

[Mbd]

Alright I'll give that a go, thanks!

[a10]

...and check this out http://www.mysqldumper.net/