I agree... I also use xampp. Although I now I have a problem between my host site php/mysql versions and those on my pc from xampp. Oh well.

I personally use the cut & paste approach to sql in this transfer/ downgrade but encountered internal XOOPS db problems along the way-- I have no idea what they were really but somehow I seem to have gotten around them.

During this whole process there were certain modules which caused very significant problems for me during the downgrade, those included:

==> smartFAQ
==> multimenu

I had to rebuild my DB about 40 times in order to get the multimenu problem cleared out, am still not sure what its problem was. As for smartFAQ, I gave up on it.

The bottom line is I sure wish I had not moved to version 2.2.x... so much for being an early adopter.

Anyway my site is finally operational... after much pain and suffering. A good script would certainly help (hint, hint). If nothing else the current script should be pulled from the download area... it's just too problematic for a recommended release.

Yeah I had a total nightmare trying to downgrade. My backup was corrupted somehow so I was really in a fix as I couldn't restore the original.
In the end the only solution I could find was to clean install version 2.0.13.2 in a new directory with it's own database. I carried as many files from the new installation across to the original 'attempted downgrade', e.g. templates_c, Modules such as system, profiles etc.
Then I compared the structure of the core tables such as xoops_users, xoops_config etc. I had to make many changes to several tables in the failed downgraded database. Also there were a lot of missing records in some of these tables that were vital to functioning of XOOPS so I copied them over from the new installation too.
This was very tedious and took a couple of days to get right but my site works again now and none of my data has been lost thank God.

I had the displeasure of attempting a downgrade back to 2.0.x using the script. I did actually backup everything, but I was running 2.2.4 when I performed the backup.

I am not a programmer or developer by any stretch of the imagination.

After the great downgrade crash, I spent several hours evaluating the mySQL, and wound up rebuilding the site from scratch with 2.0.x. I was able to recover my user database from a backup by writing a custom INSERT INTO statement and remapping the 2.2.x users table structure to marry into 2.0.x. The fields are all basically the same I discovered; just not in the same order between the tables. (Note to Core Team - why?).

In brief background, I run Airsoft El Paso. The site is focused primarily on forums, articles and reviews, but supports a local airsoft players group that makes use fo the functionality of extended profiles to produce custom SQL based pages to provide photos, bios, and other information about each player (It used to, anyway).

I am getting ready to attempt another 2.2.4 upgrade/install, simply because my site can not deliver what it needs to without the extended profiles functionality offered in the new version. I am not even going to bother to ask if anyone has created this type of mod because it apparently does not exist in usuable version for 2.0.x.

Don't get me wrong. I think that XOOPS is a great CMS; it just appears that at this development stage a common user has to decide which version provides the best features over functionality and make those difficult decisions in order to achieve the maximum benefit from the version selected to run a production server.

Anyways, I really appreciate what is being done here. I llok forward to seeing the next release. If I can offer any constructive criticism, mat I suggest more focus on backwards compatibility. It may affect performance somewhat, but until the 2.4 arrives, it is a necessary evil for us ignorant web site users who want everything for free.