Got to love SharePoint 2007, you learn / encounter something new everyday :)

I recently got a request to help resolve an issue with a missing root site collection after a backed-up content database attach procedure. What happened was that the user had created a web application to attach the backed-up content database to, when they attached the content database and browsed to the root site they did not see the content they expected.

What caused this is as follows:

  • Person created site collection at root level of new web application.
  • The backed-up content database to attach ALSO had a root site collection.
  • When the user attached the backed-up content database it left out (not deleted) the root site collection in that content database.

What fixed this is as follows:

  • User removed content database created with new web application.
  • User removed backed-up content database from the web application.
  • User re-attached the backed-up content database
  • Voila!

How to avoid this in the future:

  • When creating a web application to attach a content database to, don’t create a root level site collection :)

Regards,

Doug