Found the problem after a zillion hours of looking. Its being caused by the “Bullet Proof Security” plugin and its version of the .htaccess file. The below link shows you how to get the missing code that needs to be copied into your “notes” section of BPS and saved. Once this is done, the problem goes away!
http://www.squidoo.com/wordpress-not-found-error-fix
Here’s the fix for this particular problem.
For me it had to do with my use of a security plugin called “Bullet Proof Security” and what it did to my .htaccess file. The link below shows you how to fix this. Just copy the code in your permalink settings on the dashboard at the bottom to your Notes, in the BPS panel and save that code, and the problem will go away. 
http://www.squidoo.com/wordpress-not-found-error-fix
Actually, my error message a bit different.
Forbidden
You don’t have permission to access /directory of forum topic/ on this server.
Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
I’ve spent hours trying to figure out what this is. I looked at WP Bullet Proof Security as a possible problem within the .htaccess file as well as another suggested solution by wpmu saying that I should go into the database and delete the forum ID number for each post. That’s just crazy. I don’t currently use a database editor, nor are the suggested WP Bullet Proof Security fixes suggested appropriate as they suggest that I go into the .htaccess file and add code in there that I’m not exactly comfortable attempting, especially when the suggestion is to open read/write privledges within the plugins pages, rather within the forum directories this problem is happening. Comments work just fine within any group, just not in the Forum..
Like right now if this was my own forum site, clicking on the Post Reply button will then give the above error message. I’ve got a lot of really major newbies and this error is killing their willingness to post messages, which is a critical part of why I’m using this.
Can we please refrain from using phrases such as ‘great *service* to this forum’ Mercime does do a phenomenal job helping people with their third party themes but this is a support forum for BP issues and of the bp-default theme and not really meant to be a service for providing third party theme compatibility.
@mercime: Thank you very much for your support. Appreciate it!
@sienteastu best place to ask categories/taxonomies/classifications for subsites would be at https://wordpress.org/support/forum/multisite
Yes, that’s the way it’s supposed to look for a default install. As for the message, you can disregard/ignore that for the meantime – that would be resolved in next bbPress version.
Hello Mercime,
Thank you for your support. It works!
I added the shortcode [bbp-forum-index] to my ‘Forums’ page. At first the forum didn’t show up until I remove the ‘Forums’ as the selected page at “BuddyPress > Pages > Discussion Forums > -None-.
Is it suppose to look like this — http://www.backpackventure.com/forums/ ?
Now I’ve a message displayed at the top of WP, ‘The following active BuddyPress Components do not have associated WordPress Pages: Discussion Forums. Repair’
Guess I just ignore it?
Please advice.
Per instruction in BP Codex, add shortcode `[bbp-forum-index]` to Show the forum index/archive or any/mix of shortcodes posted at https://bbpress.org/forums/topic/bbpress-20-shortcodes
Go to dashboard Pages > All and click on “Forums” then add the shortcode/s you prefer.
Start creating forums in dashboard Forums > New Forum and add topic/s to forums.
Hello,
It doesn’t work as well. I tried buddypress 1.5.5 on another domain. This time I install WordPress 3.3.2 manually via FileZilla.
I still encountered the same problem while installing ‘Site Wide Forums’ (bbPress plugin).
This is my site – http://www.backpackventure.com/
When I load http://www.backpackventure.com/forums/ , the page says ‘The forums component has not been set up yet.’ (I already setup during the buddypress installation)
And I get a blank page for the forum I installed – http://www.backpackventure.com/forums/forum/discussion/
Anyone has the similar problem?
Please help.
1) Change titles using language translation file – https://codex.buddypress.org/extending-buddypress/customizing-labels-messages-and-urls/
2)
a) Setup forum without groups ==> Yes. Install Sitewide Forums via dashboard BuddyPress > Forums https://codex.buddypress.org/getting-started/installing-group-and-sitewide-forums/
b) Use Groups as Categories ==> Coming up in BP 1.6 or so per roadmap.
@kunthea, please make your own topic rather than hijack someone else’s.
Hello there,
I am new in this forum.
I have installed buddypress to my second subdomain as http://khmertrips.com/community/, so anyone know that, where could I found code or RSS to display do *Activities stream* of buddypress to my homepage of http://khmertrips.com/travel/ as i use both subdomain in wordpress soft.
Thanks/Kunthea
You’re welcome. Marking this as resolved.
Based on the HTML structure of your theme, you need to use the first option, i.e., change 16 template files within the 6 BP folders transferred to your Neu theme folder in server during the compatibility process.
If you’ve previously changed any of the BP template files in your theme folder, replace all of them for a clean slate by deleting the 6 BP folders in server – /activity, /blogs, /forums, /groups, /members, and /registration – then re-run Appearance > BP Compatibility.
Download the 6 clean BP folders to your computer hard drive. We’re going to use the basic HTML structure of your theme.
A. At the top of each of those 16 template files I linked to above, replace
`
`
with
`
`
Then, in each of 16 files, you’d like to change the BP Templates’ page title’s header tag from `
…
` or `
..
` to `
`, just watch out when you do this in the /activity/index.php page.
Save files.
Awesome! Thanks! You saved me hours of time. I didn’t realized that file exited.
== Linux. Single WP. WP/BP is installed on the domain root. ==
Deactivate plugins esp. membership plugins and re-upload BuddyPress then activate bp-default theme.
== that sitewide forums was a known issue that was expected to be sorted out by BP 1.6 =
There have been some who posted in our forums about issues with getting both working at the same time. Some have been resolved by reinstalling WP manually instead of using webhost script to install WP. Many have been resolved by changing the Archive base slug of Sitewide Forums to avoid slug conflict with Group forums, etc. then adding the bbPress shortcode/s.
As for BP 1.6, it’s in the roadmap to migrate existing Group Forums into Sitewide Forums.
== we changed the password in theme/wp-config ==
I presume your missing topics are in the Group Forums which means that you forgot to also change the DB info/password in the bb-config.php file (generated when Group forums are installed) which is located in the same directory where your wp-config.php is located.
What could very well be causing your issue is that you used a webhost script to install WordPress in the first place and it could very well be causing issues with your BuddyPress installation – see https://codex.buddypress.org/getting-started/before-installing/#system-server where “WordPress should be installed manually i.e. via FTP, cpanel, etc. and NOT via webhost scripts which bring about numerous issues when BuddyPress is activated.”
@hnla sounds like a good plan especially for topics posted from more than 6 months ago ago. We need a plugin to close forum topics automatically ala WPorg forums after a number of months/a year I think. Since group forums are moving over to bbPress plugin, then a plugin for a plugin
In the meantime, I need exceptions for theme compatibilty topics where a few users have even volunteered improvements to styles, structure, etc. among others. Come BP 1.7 or so with theme compatibility set up, I will make sure to close those topics.
Linux. Single WP. WP/BP is installed on the domain root.
As for forums, I had a standing question about that a month or so ago since sitewide wouldn’t work (groups were beautiful though- c’est la vie)- I was told by Paul (if memory serves) that sitewide forums was a known issue that was expected to be sorted out by BP 1.6 with the inclusion of bbpress 2.0 or something along those lines.
@mercime– thanks, I’ll double check those resources. This is really baffling.
@ Paul- as far as I can tell, the issue doesn’t reside with the gravatars. How close is v 1.6 to release? I recall you mentioning that bbpress 2.0 was going to be integrated with it with fully functioning sitewide forums with that version, correct? In 1.5.4 I could only ever get group forums to work in BuddyPress- sitewide wouldn’t work so I’ve had to shut down the BuddyPress forums pages and am using bbpress as a standalone plugin.
Does that plugin only change the groups name. Its the forum one i want to change, where it says Forum Directory to latest listings,
so any help would be great.thanks
I’ve found a solution so hopefully this helps the others who have had this problem…
The key is to install group forums before changing buddypress onto a secondary site/blog.
@vus no problem. What I did was to simplify the code to the basics i.e., content with right sidebar. Updated code in this post.
