“Content migration error” – Issues when migrating content from an old version of SharePoint.

When migrating content from an old version of SharePoint, you may encounter “Content Migration Errors” due to various reasons such as missing dependencies, unsupported features, or database inconsistencies. Below is a detailed step-by-step guide on identifying, troubleshooting, and resolving content migration errors.

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Step 1: Understand SharePoint Content Migration Process

Content migration typically involves the following steps:

1. Pre-migration assessment – Identifying potential issues before migration.
2. Exporting content – Using SharePoint tools or third-party solutions.
3. Importing content – Moving data to the new SharePoint environment.
4. Post-migration validation – Ensuring everything transferred correctly.

Errors can occur in any of these phases.

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Step 2: Review SharePoint Migration Logs

• SharePoint logs contain important details about migration failures.
• Logs are located at: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\16\LOGS
• Check for specific “Content Migration Error” messages.

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Step 3: Use PowerShell to Check Migration Issues

Run the following command to check the migration status:

Get-SPSite -Limit All | Select Url, CompatibilityLevel

• If CompatibilityLevel is lower than expected, upgrade the site collection: Upgrade-SPSite -Identity "http://YourSiteCollection"

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Step 4: Check for Unsupported Features in New Version

• Some older SharePoint features may not be available in the new version.
• Run the following command to identify missing features:

Get-SPFeature | Where-Object { $_.Scope -eq "Farm" } | Sort-Object DisplayName

• If a feature is missing, install it or remove references to it.

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Step 5: Validate and Upgrade SharePoint Content Databases

1. Check if all content databases are correctly attached: Get-SPContentDatabase
2. Manually upgrade content databases: Upgrade-SPContentDatabase -Identity "YourDatabaseName"

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Step 6: Fix Large List and Library Issues

• SharePoint has a list view threshold (5000 items per view).
• If migrating large lists/libraries, break them into smaller batches.
• Use PowerShell to check large lists: Get-SPSite -Limit All | Get-SPWeb -Limit All | Get-SPList | Where-Object { $_.ItemCount -gt 5000 }

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Step 7: Resolve File Path and Naming Issues

• SharePoint has strict rules on file names and paths:
  • File names should not contain special characters like & * % ?
  • File paths should be under 400 characters
• Use PowerShell to find long file paths:

Get-ChildItem -Path "C:\YourFiles" -Recurse | Where-Object { $_.FullName.Length -gt 400 }

• Rename or restructure files before migration.

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Step 8: Check and Fix User Permissions

• If the migrated content does not retain permissions, reapply them manually.
• Use PowerShell to check site collection owners:

Get-SPSite -Limit All | Select Url, Owner

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Step 9: Address Missing Master Pages and Customizations

• If a migrated page appears broken, check if custom master pages, page layouts, or scripts are missing.
• Reapply or rebuild custom branding elements.

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Step 10: Rerun Migration After Fixing Issues

• If the migration tool supports incremental migration, rerun it after fixing errors.
• Restart SharePoint services and retry:

iisreset /noforce

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Final Thoughts

“Content Migration Errors” often result from missing features, database issues, large lists, file naming problems, or customizations. By following the steps above, you can systematically identify and fix these issues.

Would you like assistance with a specific error message from your migration logs?