$150 to implement the switch to 4.0

[ANGLICO]

I was advised that for $150, vBulletin will implement the switch from my current version 3.7.4 to 4.0.

Also, I was advised not to order that service now, but to wait until the "Gold" vB 4 is out. BTW my 3.7.4 expires Nov. 3, but I placed my order for 4.0.



Questions:

• What does this service include?
• Do I grant administrator rights to my forum to a vBulletin technical support person?
• Will my new forum look the same, retaining all the same User Groups, forums, posts, colors, graphics, etc.?
• Will I have some tips regarding the replacement of the few mods I have, such as an .mp3 player?
• How long will the switch take and how much down time will I experience?
• Can I specify the date to make the switch?

If anyone can give me a better idea about what to expect, I can provide a better notice to my forum members.

Thanks

[ra87]

I was advised that for $150, vBulletin will implement the switch from my current version 3.7.4 to 4.0.

Also, I was advised not to order that service now, but to wait until the "Gold" vB 4 is out. BTW my 3.7.4 expires Nov. 3, but I placed my order for 4.0.



Questions:

• What does this service include?
• Do I grant administrator rights to my forum to a vBulletin technical support person?
• Will my new forum look the same, retaining all the same User Groups, forums, posts, colors, graphics, etc.?
• Will I have some tips regarding the replacement of the few mods I have, such as an .mp3 player?
• How long will the switch take and how much down time will I experience?
• Can I specify the date to make the switch?

If anyone can give me a better idea about what to expect, I can provide a better notice to my forum members.

Thanks

The $150 fee is just to upgrade the forum.

Therefore - Posts/Threads/members, ect will be the same. The only things that wont be moved over will be mod's, theme's, ect, and as you cannot use v3 theme's and addon's on v4, you will be incharge of buying/finding/installing those.

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You will need to provide vBulletin with FTP access and administration access so they can carry out the upgrade. I would imagine the upgrade would take less than an hour, but no one know's really. You just pay when you want them to do the upgrade, it may take them a few days as I expect them to be busy.

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EDIT: The service for $150 just involved disabling/uninstalling your addon's, uploading the new files, and running the upgrade script. I don't see any reason why you should buy it, as long as you take a backup before trying it's quite simple.

[kyrgyz]

If I were you, I would first do an upgrade to vB4 on a local machine myself before paying $150. To test it and see if I can do it on my own. Besides, I am pretty sure there will be tutorials, etc... on vbulletin.org.

vBcodex already has a step-by-step "Upgrading to vBulletin 4.0" tutorial. Search their forum for url.

You'll learn how to do future upgrades as well.

Knowledge rules, outsourcing sucks.

[ANGLICO]

kyrgyz

If I were you, I would first do an upgrade to vB4 on a local machine myself before paying $150.

Knowledge rules, outsourcing sucks.

Sounds good to me and thanks for the tips, all.

kyrgyz, I think you are saying I could install a backup of my forum on my own desktop, as well as the vB 4, and run it locally on my desktop? This may sound dumb, as my days of real programming ended with FORTRAN IV over 30 years ago, and this html and internet coding are all brand new to me.
If this is correct, I could take my time getting it all right before uploading to the host's server.

Thanks

[ra87]

Sounds good to me and thanks for the tips, all.

kyrgyz, I think you are saying I could install a backup of my forum on my own desktop, as well as the vB 4, and run it locally on my desktop? This may sound dumb, as my days of real programming ended with FORTRAN IV over 30 years ago, and this html and internet coding are all brand new to me.
If this is correct, I could take my time getting it all right before uploading to the host's server.

Thanks

Thats overcomplicating it.

Just take a cPanel backup, or DA backup, ect. And try to upgrade the software based on the instuctions provided by vb.com/vb.org after it's released.

if you have a problem, your webhost should be happy to help, or even do the install for you, for MUCH less than $150.

[kyrgyz]

kyrgyz, I think you are saying I could install a backup of my forum on my own desktop, as well as the vB 4, and run it locally on my desktop? This may sound dumb, as my days of real programming ended with FORTRAN IV over 30 years ago, and this html and internet coding are all brand new to me.

Yes. You can ran your desktop as a server with the latest MySQL and PHP installed. Obviously, you'll be able to install your forum backup or a fresh copy of vB for testing

Free server software:

For Windows: XAMPP (use latest installer, much easier)
For Mac: MAMP

[kyrgyz]

Thats overcomplicating it.

Just take a cPanel backup, or DA backup, ect. And try to upgrade the software based on the instuctions provided by vb.com/vb.org after it's released.

His forum will be down for a while if he tests on a live site. He'd better do the testing locally as long as he wants. After he's done it right, he can repeat it on his site.

BTW, what is so overcomplicating here? It's the same thing.