wordpress web.config to ignore a directory (vbulletin)

I have wordpress installed on my windows server, at the root in httpdocs

I have a fresh install of vbulletin in /forum

WP and VB in no way need to even know they each exist, however each have their own rewrite rules and I cannot load my forum when the WP web.config rule is active.

When the WP web.config file is active, my forum loads a text only page, and results in a 404 error for any forum link you click on. When I disable the WP web.config file, the forum loads beautifully. The homepage itself works now (articles come up, pages load, etc) with both the wp web.config file and the vb web.config files active.

I have scoured the internet and have tried a wide variety of suggestions, editing my web.config file, updating the .htaccess file and reimporting into IIS. Nothing seems to work.

Here is my current web.config WP file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<configuration>
  <system.webServer>
    <rewrite>
      <rules>

			<rule name="wordpress" patternSyntax="Wildcard">
				<match url="*"/>
					<conditions>
						<add input="{REQUEST_FILENAME}" matchType="IsFile" negate="true"/>
						<add input="{REQUEST_FILENAME}" matchType="IsDirectory" negate="true"/>
						<add input="{REQUEST_URI}" pattern="^/forum/" negate="true" />
					</conditions>
				<action type="Rewrite" url="index.php"/>
			</rule>
			<!--rule name="forum" stopProcessing="true">
				<match url="^/forum$" />
				<actions type="None" />
			</rule-->
		</rules>
    </rewrite>
  </system.webServer>
</configuration>

Here is my current vbulletin web.config file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!-- This file is to support redirection in IIS.
This file is harmless if you are running under Apache -->
<configuration>
    <system.webServer>
        <rewrite>
            <rules>
                <rule name="Css" stopProcessing="true">
                    <match url="^css.php$" ignoreCase="false" />
                    <action type="Rewrite" url="core/css.php" />
                </rule>
                <rule name="Installer" stopProcessing="true">
                    <match url="^install/" ignoreCase="true" />
                    <action type="Rewrite" url="core/install/" />
                </rule>
                <rule name="Main Redirect" stopProcessing="true">
                    <match url="^(.*)$" ignoreCase="false" />
                    <conditions logicalGrouping="MatchAll">
                        <add input="{REQUEST_FILENAME}" matchType="IsFile" ignoreCase="false" negate="true" />
                        <add input="{REQUEST_FILENAME}" matchType="IsDirectory" ignoreCase="false" negate="true" />
                    </conditions>
                    <action type="Rewrite" url="index.php/{R:1}" />
                </rule>
                <rule name="Admincp" stopProcessing="true">
                    <match url="^(admincp/)$" ignoreCase="false" />
                    <action type="Rewrite" url="index.php/{R:1}" />
                </rule>
                <rule name="Imported Rule 1" stopProcessing="true">
                    <match url="^css.php$" />
                    <action type="Rewrite" url="core/css.php" />
                </rule>
                <rule name="Imported Rule 2" stopProcessing="true">
                    <match url="^install/" />
                    <action type="Rewrite" url="core/install/" />
                </rule>
                <rule name="Imported Rule 3" stopProcessing="true">
                    <match url="^(.*)$" ignoreCase="false" />
                    <conditions logicalGrouping="MatchAll">
                        <add input="{URL}" pattern="\.(gif|jpg|jpeg|png|css)$" ignoreCase="false" negate="true" />
                        <add input="{REQUEST_FILENAME}" matchType="IsFile" ignoreCase="false" negate="true" />
                        <add input="{REQUEST_FILENAME}" matchType="IsDirectory" ignoreCase="false" negate="true" />
                    </conditions>
                    <action type="Rewrite" url="index.php?routestring={R:1}" appendQueryString="true" />
                </rule>
                <rule name="Imported Rule 4" stopProcessing="true">
                    <match url="^(admincp/)$" ignoreCase="false" />
                    <action type="Rewrite" url="index.php?routestring={R:1}" appendQueryString="true" />
                </rule>
                <rule name="Imported Rule 5" stopProcessing="true">
                    <match url="^forum" ignoreCase="false" />
                    <action type="None" />
                </rule>
            </rules>
        </rewrite>
    </system.webServer>
</configuration>

Can anyone out there help me? PLEASE, i’m begging! I want WP to completely not know that the /forum folder exists, and to ignore it in all if it’s URL rewrites.

Many thanks.