MyBB Community Forums

First off, I am extremely new to site building, so don't assume I know anything at all.
I just purchased the domain of an active forum. It is currently running just fine on the previous owner's host while I build a MyBB forum to move it to.
I then set up a hosting account with a new domain name as my primary domain. On that new domain, I have installed a working MyBB forum.
I now think I am ready to create an add-on domain using the first domain that I bought, but I am fearful that it will interfere with the active forum.
Q: Is there a way to set up the add-on domain and work with it before changing the nameservers to point to the new site?

If I can do that, my plan is to install a clean copy of MyBB, then merge the current v-bulletin 3.xx forum.
Q: Will the Merge disable the currently active forum?

I have copied all of the folders from the active forum to my local hard drive. Is that all I need for the merge? Isn't the actual database on a server somewhere other than the forum software? By database, I mean the member info, posts, etc. (Where is that info stored?)

If all I need for the merge is the folders, then where do I put the folders to prepare for the merge? Do I copy the files out of the folders and into the MyBB folders, or do I direct the merge program to my local drive?

Sorry if I am not making sense. I am trying to picture the steps involved in both setting up the add-on, and doing the merge. I need to do both without interrupting the active forum.

- You can install them side by side even on the same domain , all you have to do is use different folders
like www.xyx.com/vb for the VBulletin and
www.xyx.com/mybb for the mybb.
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You should close the vbulletin for the time you are converting to make shure the data is ok while converting - and it will speed up conversion time The VBulletin will not be change during the conversion, the data is just read and transformed & copied to the mybb. Changes made to the vbulletin after the conversion will NOT be reflected in the mybb - so think of it before
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The data is stored in the database, you dont need the folders at all for the conversion, the database of the vbulletin is enough.

Regards

That helps a ton. Thanks for the quick reply.
Would I be able to set up an add-on domain using the domain name that is currently pointing to the active forum? If I do, will I be able to access it to test it?

(2010-01-15, 04:30 PM)Nifty Wrote: [ -> ]-
The data is stored in the database, you dont need the folders at all for the conversion, the database of the vbulletin is enough.

I am not clear on what the database actually is. If it is not in the folders, where is it? What is it?

EDIT: I called my hosting provider and got the answers to the above questions, but I still have this one:

One more thing; After the conversion, and I get the board working properly, can i do another conversion just before turning it on in order to update the data?

Yes, but it will re-import everything again not just the new data. However You can do a fresh install and then re-import it .

How does one go about re-importing the database?

I am pretty sure that you just download it then re-upload it.

(2010-01-15, 10:15 PM)Reserector Wrote: [ -> ]How does one go about re-importing the database?

Just reinstall mybb (brand new) and then run the merge system like you did originally .