Export and Import SharePoint List with content using PowerShell

We had SharePoint farms in many variation SharePoint 2007, SharePoint 2010 and SharePoint 2013. Recently I had worked on a assignment that migrating single list data from SharePoint 2007 to SharePoint 2010.  Initially I thought that it bit easy task but when get in to it, it had given many issue because I was told that there should not be any change in the data including modified date, modified by, created data, created by finally all versions as it is.

I was in trouble because the source list is 100% customized(custom fields, custom content types, list definition, event receivers and New, Edit & display forms as well)

I had upgraded the custom functionality to SharePoint 2010 excluding custom input forms. But export import command, failed all the time.

Ends with lot off issue like, fields are duplicated, content type is not matching, field ids are not matching, destination web, list are are not available and so many.

Thought of implementing some data correcting before importing the SharePoint 2007 list content.

1. I had trimmed the custom source code only with Custom fields and Custom Content Types
2. Deployed the latest build on SharePoint 2010 farm
3. Created a new list and added custom content type, Enabled versioning and removed default content type "Item".
4. Created a test item using new custom content type
5. Exported the SharePoint 2010 list as.DAT file
6. Renamed .DAT to .CAB and extracted all files in to new folder
7. Exported SharePoint 2007 list as .DAT file
8. Renamed .DAT to .CAB and Extracted all files in to new folder
9. Opened the manifest.xml file from SharePoint 2007 extracted folder and copied SPListItem elements
10. Opened the manifest.xml file from SharePoint 2010 extracted folder and pasted Copied SPListItem elements.
11. Replaced the below ids on newly pasted element
      ParentId, ParentWebId, FileUrl,URL,ContentTypeId,
12.Created .CAB files form extracted SharePoint 2010 files.(used makecab.exe)
13. Imported the cab to SharePoint 2010
14. Verified the list
15. All worked fine.

Blow are the PowerShell scripts I used for migration.

Export SharePoint List

# For Export a specified SharePoint List
Export-List "http://kmsnet:15006/Lists/sklist/"

function Export-List([string]$ListURL)
{
[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("Microsoft.SharePoint") > $null
[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment") > $null

$versions = [Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.SPIncludeVersions]::All

$exportObject = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.SPExportObject
$exportObject.Type = [Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.SPDeploymentObjectType]::List
$exportObject.IncludeDescendants = [Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.SPIncludeDescendants]::All

$settings = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.SPExportSettings

$settings.ExportMethod = [Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.SPExportMethodType]::ExportAll
$settings.IncludeVersions = $versions
$settings.IncludeSecurity = [Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.SPIncludeSecurity]::All
$settings.OverwriteExistingDataFile = 1
$settings.ExcludeDependencies = $true

$site = new-object Microsoft.SharePoint.SPSite($ListURL)
Write-Host "ListURL", $ListURL

$web = $site.OpenWeb()
$list = $web.GetList($ListURL)

$settings.SiteUrl = $web.Url
$exportObject.Id = $list.ID
$settings.FileLocation = "C:\Temp\BackupRestoreTemp\"
$settings.BaseFileName = "ExportList-"+ $list.ID.ToString() +".DAT"
$settings.FileCompression = 1

Write-Host "FileLocation", $settings.FileLocation

$settings.ExportObjects.Add($exportObject)

$export = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.SPExport($settings)
$export.Run()

$web.Dispose()
$site.Dispose()
}

Import SharePoint List

# For Import the list you export in previous command
Import-List "http://kmsnet:15006" "C:\SK_DEV\sklist.cab" "C:\SK_DEV\OUT\ImportLog.txt"

function Import-List([string]$DestWebURL, [string]$FileName, [string]$LogFilePath)
{
[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("Microsoft.SharePoint") > $null
[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment") > $null

$settings = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.SPImportSettings

$settings.IncludeSecurity = [Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.SPIncludeSecurity]::All
$settings.UpdateVersions = [Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.SPUpdateVersions]::Overwrite
$settings.UserInfoDateTime = [Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.SPImportUserInfoDateTimeOption]::ImportAll

$site = new-object Microsoft.SharePoint.SPSite($DestWebURL)
Write-Host "DestWebURL", $DestWebURL

$web = $site.OpenWeb()

Write-Host "SPWeb", $web.Url

$settings.SiteUrl = $web.Url
$settings.WebUrl = $web.Url
$settings.FileLocation = "C:\SK_DEV\OUT\"
$settings.BaseFileName = $FileName
$settings.LogFilePath = $LogFilePath
$settings.FileCompression = 1

Write-Host "FileLocation", $settings.FileLocation

$import = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Deployment.SPImport($settings)
$import.Run()

$web.Dispose()
$site.Dispose()
}