Options for moving a list or library in SharePoint 2007

Options for moving a list or library in SharePoint 2007

One problem we seem to face in SharePoint is the ability to move a list or library. There are a few ways to accomplish this.

Option 1 – Save as a template.
Pros: Available with MOSS 2007 and WSS 3.0
Cons: Time consuming, a lot of cleanup, metadata does not copy over.

Option 2 – Move using Site Administration
Pros: Existing links to the documents will automatically be updated to new location. Metadata is retained. A nice option…when it works.
Cons: Not available with WSS 3, you must have MOSS 2007. Must have publishing features enabled. Cannot move folders within a library. Only works within the same site collection. A lot of gotchas which will not let the copy/move happen.

Option 3 – SharePoint Content Deployment Wizard (Free third party application)
Pros: Easy to use. Most robust option. Quickest option. Can be used on MOSS 2007 and WSS 3.0
Cons: Must be used on the SharePoint web server.

Option 1: Save as a template
For this example I will be using a document library, but the same will work for a list.

1. When in your library, click on the Settings drop down button and select Document Library Settings.
2. Click on Save document library as a template.
3. Enter a descriptive file name, template name, and optional description.
4. Include Content checkbox – For this example we will leave it off. The problem with this feature is that a template cannot be larger than 10 MB. If you are trying to move a list with very few entries, you might be able to check this box and move everything. You will know if it is too large because SharePoint will give you an error screen.
5. Click on the OK button.

Your new template will be located in the List Template Gallery on the top level site of the site collection. This template is now avail to all sites in the site collection. You cannot restrict the template to a single site.

If you need to use this template on a different site collection, you have to move it there first.

1. Go to the site settings on the top level site.
2. Click on List templates in the Galleries section.
3. Click on your new template title and a popup window will appear where you can save the template to your local computer.
4. Once saved, go to the List templates gallery of the site collection that you want to move this template to.
5. Click the Upload button
6. Select the template that was saved on your local machine and click the OK button.

The template is now available to any site within the new site collection. To use this template, all you have to do is create a new library and select that template.

1. Under Site Actions, select Create
2. Click on the template name for the library you uploaded.
3. Give the library a name and set any other options.

Your library is now identical to the original, except for the content since we were not able to move it due to the size limitation.

For a document library, open the original and new libraries in Explorer view, then drag and drop the files. For a list, open the original and new lists in Datasheet view, select all of the original data, copy it, and then paste it into the new list.

Clean-up (if you want to) – delete the template files from the gallery, delete the template file from your local machine, delete the original library.

Option 2: Move using Site Administration
For this example I will be using a document library, but the same will work for a list.

1. On the destination site, create a new library with no customizations, just a basic library.
2. On the source site, go to the site settings.
3. Click on Content and structure in the Site Administration section.
4. Browse to the original library and select all of the documents to move. Yes, I know that you can select the entire library, but for some unknown reason Microsoft does not let us move it like they should. We are stuck with item level moves until they decide to fix it.
5. Once your files are selected, click on the Actions drop down button and select either Move or Copy.
6. Browse to the destination library.
7. Click OK.

Option 3 - SharePoint Content Deployment Wizard

1. Download the latest version of the software from http://www.codeplex.com/SPDeploymentWizard
2. Install the application on the SharePoint web server.
3. Use it.

For instructions on how to use it, read the site you downloaded it from. I will not post it here because it could change with another version.

reference : http://www.landofsharepoint.com/2008/10/options-for-moving-list-or-library-in.html