Topic: Upgrade forum 1.1.20 to 2.x

[JessyKa]

Hello,
we are at the end of our limited knowledge and I have to ask for your professional advice.

About 8 years ago I inherited a smf forum installation, which was fully equipped with chat, themes, anti-spam software etc.
I had never maintenanced a forum yet installed one. So in the first years I kept doing the suggested updates and otherwise did nothing.

When I realized that this was probably not the most intelligent way to let things go in order to keep the forum running for another 8 years I took action: I contacted someone who knows how to upgrade smf forums.
Yet: we could not do it. There were hundreds of error messages because of the numerous packages that were installed.

So we decided to try and copy the forum in order to remove all packages and try to update to the latest version and finally to upgrade then. No success. There was an error saying we would not have sufficient rights to do the upgrade.

Now we are running out of ideas. We are trying since 4 years now and any attempt fails.

It would be great to transfer the hundreds of thousand messages in our recent forum to a 2.x smf. We would even be satisfied if all the links to the user etc. would not work anymore. But we want them to still be searchable.
And surely all the users should be taken over.


Is there a masterplan to upgrade such "misconfigured" old installations with end-of-life-packages?
Which version 2.0.. or 2.1.. should be considered?
Is there anyone who experienced similar difficulties?

Thanks so much!

[br360]

So we decided to try and copy the forum in order to remove all packages and try to update to the latest version and finally to upgrade then. No success. There was an error saying we would not have sufficient rights to do the upgrade.

How did you try to do this? Where did you see the error saying you did not have sufficient rights? Do you have access to the server's control panel and ftp account?

Also, take a look at this link in regards to upgrading- https://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Upgrading

[vbgamer45]

It is possible to upgrade to 2.0 from 1.1.x have done it many times I can do a paid job if needed to get it done as long as your control panel or ssh access should be possible.

[Kindred]

Well, I am not sure who tried to do your upgrade...  but there are no conflicts with "existing mods" because 2.0 requirea a totle replacement of all files.

1- backup! (files and database, which are two separate things)
2- reset your SMF theme to "default" (aka theme 1)
3- delete EVERYTHING from your SMF directory EXCEPT the attachments folder, the avatars folder and the Settings.php (and Settings_bak.php)
4- Upload  the Large Upgrade archive to your server in the SMF directory
5- extract the contents of the archive
6- run upgrade.php.

[GigaWatt]

Which version 2.0.. or 2.1.. should be considered?

I'd go with 2.0.x. 2.1 is still in beta.

Is there anyone who experienced similar difficulties?

Yes, I had the same issues when upgrading from 1.1.16 to 2.0.15. Errors, errors and more errors. Also tried for years and each upgrade I got a little bit further, but I finally upgraded the forum this year (in February I think). And, just as in your case, I also inherited a forum, so I know the situation you're in. The original admin is probably of no help... he either forgot how or what he configured/changed or he's unavailable ... well, at least that was the case in my scenario.

Follow this "tutorial" I wrote in another thread. Other users may have written similar ones (search the forum), but this is what worked for me. Kindred corrected me in some parts of the tutorial, so read the whole thread.

Good luck .

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Currently working on a very similar situation, if you're not in a huge rush pm admin and cpanel access, I'll get to it in a day or two.


And please tell me you're not on GoDaddy.

[JessyKa]

Thanks so much for your ideas and for sharing your own experiences.


@Sir Osis of Liver
I don't even know what that is 

@GigaWatt
What a success, good to hear! I certainly will spend some time with your tutorial, thank you!

@Kindred
Also thank you, this seems to be some straight forward schedule, we will try.

[doug_ips]

Remember JessyKa, as long as you have a backup, you can always roll back if things do not go as planned.

[GigaWatt]

True . Backup everything before you do anything .

[JessyKa]

Short feedback to our upgrad-odyssey that had finally come to an end. 

Due to your encouraging answers/experienses and the direct help of vbgamer45 we are now on 2.0.15.

There are still some "teething troubles", but the biggest step is done.

Thanks so much for this community,
thread can/should be closed?

[vbgamer45]

Glad to help. Marked solved.