Avatars & Attachments Lost in Upgrade

[SurfCityvBer]

Had a server crash and the IT guys rebuilt a fresh Mac OS, PHP and MySQL from scratch, and moved our old 3.5 vBulletin to the latest 3.6 version.

Things seem to run fine except for the following phenomenons:

1. User-uploaded avatars have disappeared and there is now a text reference. I have been able to upload a new one myself with no problems, and some users have reported that theirs work (which I feel may be a cache call since I cannot see them).

2. Images previously brought into the system by members under the "Manage Attachments" function are no longer displaying in threads, and instead the filenames are displaying (along with the file size). When clicking on the link, you get an error "The image... cannot be displayed because it contains errors." New attachments upload properly.

3. Special characters, such as the Registered Trademark character are showing wierd... e.g., ® is now Æ.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

Thank you!

[Steve Machol]

First, an upgrade would not cause this so the title is misleading.

1 and 2. Were you stroing attachments and avatars in the file system or database? There is a big difference.

3. Sounds like a server issue frankly. Is this happening with new posts as well?

[SurfCityvBer]

Thanks, Steve...

Sorry about the misleading title... I should have clarified... I don't know if the issue is a result of the upgrade, but the upgrade may be a factor.

What happened was... if I understand correctly... we did an offline backup of all of the files and the database before a RAM upgrade was done on the server. After the machine was rebooted, the system became unstable and the IT team decided to rebuild the server with with fresh versions OSX, PHP and MySQL, they also went ahead and upgraded vBulletin to 3.6 (I'm assuming got the 3.5 running first) -- I guess just to complicate things even more.

We are able to post new attachments and avatars with no problem, but it's old attachments and avatars that are not showing at all. And those registered trademark symbols don't show right.

This makes me wonder if files were transferred properly, as in ASCII vs. Binary or some such minor detail?

Currently the Attachment Storage Type is set to "Attachments are currently being stored in the database" and I believe that has never changed, even in the previous version of vBulletin.

Does any of that info help?

[Steve Machol]

Since they are in the database then this means that they were corrupted during the backup and restore.

Unfortunately unless you have the original database (not a backup) there is no way I know of to fix the corrupted images. Sorry.

[SurfCityvBer]

I have a database backup from just before anything was touched on the server (i.e., before the RAM upgrade and subsequent other problems and OS upgrades, etc.), so it should be a good backup... if I'm understanding things correctly. I backed it up using vBulletin's Maintenance> Database Backup function and included all of the tables.

For what it's worth, this "good backup" I have is 82MB and and a subsequent backup I did after some known problems arised is only 57MB -- does it make sense that if seeminly all of my images are corrupted that the file cold be smaller???

Is there any convenient way to restore just the images?

[Steve Machol]

Unfortunately as I said you need the database, not the backup. These were most likely corrupted during the backup process.

[slappy]

Since the backup was made "before" the problems arose, AND is much larger than the current backup, it is likely that the pre-update "backup" will have the the images and avatars.

What I'd suggest is that you try to set up a test board and import the backup into it and see if the images and avatars are there. Remember that the database is 3.5 and the current Board is 3.6+. So if you do NOT want to upgrade the "original" database, install a 3.5 test Forum and install the 3.5 database backup to it and see what it contains.

Again, I believe from the size difference you are reporting, it is more likely that the "original" backup will have the missing materials. If it does, you can install it to your working board and then run the upgrade script from 3.5 to 3.6.5, if that is what they used on the new install. The longer you wait, the more of the "newer" stuff you will lose by installing the "original" backup.

Regards,

[Steve Machol]

You missed my point. The likely problem IS the backup and backup process itself.

[slappy]

Actually, I believe you missed the point that SurfCityvBer was attempting to make and the suggestions I made as a result of it.

The Thread suggests that SurfCityvBer made a backup "before" there were issues: "we did an offline backup of all of the files and the database before a RAM upgrade was done on the server." He said the problems started after the server folks installed new ram, not "before." He also reported that his "original" backup was substantially larger that his "post" upgrade backup.

It says "nothing" about "that "pre-upgrade" backup having been used in any way by the folks who rebuilt his server", suggesting that they used the "existing" database, from "after" the problems started, when rebuilding his server.

As a result of those comments, I merely suggested that he try a "test forum" and install the "pre-upgrade" backup to the "test forum" and take a look at the result and "see" if, in fact, his missing materials are in that backup. If they are, he's fortunate, if not, he hasn't lost anything but a little time setting up a test forum.

If his "pre-upgrade" backup has a problem, it will likely arise from the fact that he stated that he made the backup from "within the admincp," which is recognized as prone to timeouts, but he has little to "lose" and a "possible" gain by attempting what I have suggested.

So while I agree that his backup might well have a problem, following your suggestion, he will never know if it actually does! My suggestion allows him a safe method to actually determine IF the database is corrupt. That's all I suggest he attempt.

Regards,

[Steve Machol]

Actually, I believe you missed the point that SurfCityvBer was attempting to make and the suggestions I made as a result of it.

The Thread suggests that SurfCityvBer made a backup "before" there were issues: "we did an offline backup of all of the files and the database before a RAM upgrade was done on the server." He said the problems started after the server folks installed new ram, not "before."

No, I didn't miss the point. You did, however, miss my point which was that this problem is likely something that is caused by the backup process itself. I hope this is clearer now.

At any rate there is certainly no harm in trying your suggestion. All he has to lose is time.

[algolee]

Dear steve
I have same question , too. But my Attachments was store on file system , not database !
After I upgrade my vbb from 3.0.7 to 3.6.5 , User-uploaded avatars and attachments ( include Attachment Thumbnails ) can not show correct.

Can you tell me how to correct this problem ??

Thanks

[Steve Machol]

Please start your own thread will all the relevant details.