KB: Refresh your phpBB2 files to a clean, unmodified state

[EXreaction]

Note: This may not work with some modifications, like the Categories Hierarchy mod.

What you will need:

An FTP Client (I recommend FileZilla).
A fresh copy of the latest version of phpBB2.

Now, lets get started.

1. Backup ALL of your data. Get a complete file backup of your forums through FTP, and get a complete database backup of your forums through phpMyAdmin. Save both in a place where you will not accidentally delete or edit any of it.
2. Set subSilver as the default template.
   (this only needs to be done if you have installed any style on your forums. If you only have subSilver you can skip this step)
   http://www.phpbb.com/kb/article/set-sub ... -template/
3. Update your forums's database to the latest version. This does not need to be done if you are already running the latest version.
   To do that:
   Note: By doing this (correctly) you will not lose any of your previous data including posts, threads, users, forums, settings, etc. This is only reverting the files to their default state.
   
   
   1. Upload the install/ folder from your fresh copy of phpBB2 to your root phpBB2 folder (the one with config.php in it).
   2. Go to your board's index page from a web browser. In the URL location in your browser, if there is any text after the last "/", like "index.php", remove that first, then add the text "install/update_to_latest.php" to the end of the URL (without the double quotes).
   3. Hit Go in your browser or enter and it will then update the database to the latest version, just follow what it says to do on the page.
4. Now, go to your forums' root directory with your FTP client and delete all folders and files except config.php and the images/ directory. If you accidentally delete either get the backup from the file backup you made earlier.
5. Now, upload all of the fresh files and folders from the new copy of phpBB2 you downloaded except config.php, and the contrib/ and install/ directories. If you write over the config.php on accident, upload the backup of it.
6. Now visit your forum with a web browser to check that all is working and you should be done! If you have any troubles it would most likely be from file corruption while you uploaded the files to your server (if that happens just delete the bad file and upload a new copy over it).