phpBB upgrades, migrations, custom work and repairs.
phpBB is the largest part of my work. I upgrade boards from any version, including 2.0 forums that predate extensions entirely, and I rescue the ones that broke partway through an upgrade and were left that way. I convert forums to phpBB from vBulletin, MyBB, SMF and XenForo. Beyond that I write custom extensions, build and modify styles, fix errors, stop spam, harden boards that have been attacked, and tune the ones that have grown slow.
DELIVERABLES
Upgrades and rescues
Boards on 2.0, 3.0, 3.1 or 3.2 brought up to current 3.3, including ones that broke partway through an upgrade or have sat abandoned for years. The upgrade runs step by step, with the extensions checked at each stage rather than all at the end.
Moving in from another forum
From vBulletin, MyBB, SMF or XenForo, or an existing phpBB board moved to a new host. Posts, members, private messages, permissions and attachments all carry over.
Custom work
Custom extensions for features phpBB does not ship with, styles built to match your main site, and spam control that holds up against current bots.
Ongoing care
Boards I have looked after for years rather than one job at a time. Updates, extension compatibility, and someone to ask when something looks wrong.
Worth knowing before you order: phpBB 3.0 and earlier had no extension system, so a board coming from 2.0 or 3.0 arrives with its old customisations and styling gone, and anything you want kept has to be rebuilt for 3.3. Boards on 3.1 or 3.2 usually carry their extensions across. Where one does not, it can normally be fixed, and I quote that separately.
HOW IT WORKS
Inspect
I look at the version, the database, the installed extensions, any custom code, and whatever damage an earlier attempt left behind. Old boards usually have something in them that nobody documented, and this is when I find it.
Rehearse
The upgrade or conversion runs on a full copy first, never on your live board. Anything that breaks, breaks on the copy, and I fix it there while your members carry on posting.
Execute
The real run happens in a quiet window with the forum in maintenance mode. Because the problems were already solved on the copy, this part is usually short.
Verify and hand over
I check post counts, member counts, attachments, permissions and search against the originals. Where there is anything worth recording, you get it in writing at handover, which is what makes the next upgrade straightforward.
FROM FORUM OWNERS
All 2,200+ reviews →“This is the right person if you have problems with VANILLA forums. He is great. Super profesional and I will work with him more times. My forums on Vanilla (I have 5) had a lot of bugs and with old versions. He fixed everything.”
“I needed an extension to make URL links that have articles look like the Facebook card feature. We brainstormed and he made it happen! Highly satisfied.”
CASE STUDY
All case studies →WHAT PEOPLE SEARCH FOR
- phpbb upgrade
- A board on 2.0, 3.0, 3.1 or 3.2 brought up to the current 3.3 release, usually one nobody has touched in years.
- vbulletin to phpbb
- A licensed board somebody wants off, with the posts, members and permissions carried over to phpBB.
- mybb, smf or xenforo to phpbb
- The same conversion from the other main forum platforms, with the archive that made the board worth keeping still intact.
- phpbb extension development
- A feature phpBB does not ship with, written as a proper extension so it survives the next upgrade.
- phpbb style
- A custom style, or an existing one modified to match the site the forum sits next to.
- phpbb spam
- Bot registrations and spam posts, handled with CAPTCHA, ACP filters and anti-spam extensions rather than manual deletion.
- phpbb forum hacked
- A compromised board cleaned up, the way in closed, and the software brought current so it does not happen again.
- phpbb slow
- A board that has grown large enough that the database, the server, or both need attention.
Tell me about your forum.
The version, roughly how old it is, and what you want done. I will tell you what it involves.
Get in touch →