Import discussion board from excel list

Question

While migrating a from one sharepoint 2013 server to another I am still stuck at getting the discussion board from the old server to the new one. I was able to export the old discussion list into an excel spreadsheet and import that as an excel list into the new sharepoint. However the layout obviously is way different as its not a discussion list. Also i cant seem to find a way to import the excel data into the dicussion list app that is on the new sharepoint, it always creates a new list.

Is there a way (even if i have to manually create every item by hand) to get the discussion list from Sharepoint A (also 2013) to Sharepoint B with all the meta information like who created the dicussion entry, when was it created and so on?

Answer 1

The following is the best method which maintains all the metadata for all the documents and items in the list.

1 Go to the source site. Save the site as a template (without including content).

2 Download the site template from the source site collection template gallery and upload it on the destination site template gallery.

3 Go to the destination site. Create a subsite within the destination site collaction with the uploaded site template.

This would ensure that we have the same site metadata information on the destination (but on a subsite).

4 Export the site from the source using stsadm. Make sure to include security and versioning while you export (stsadm -o export -url http://sourcesite/sourceweb -filename migrate.dat -includeusersecurity -versions 4)

5 Import the site to the newly created subsite on the destination through stsadm that has been exported. (stsadm -o import –url http://destinationsite/destinationweb/import -filename migrate.dat –nologfile -includeusersecurity -updateversions 2)

Now we have all the contents with its metadata on the destination site on one of its subsites.

6 Go to the subsite and create a template for the document library that you want to move (without including content).

7 Create a document library on the destination site with this template.

This ensures that all the columns of the document library are present in the destination.

8 Now go to the Manage content and structure on the destination site collection and move the document library from the subsite to the destination location.

Source: http://dzeee.net/sharepoint/post/2010/01/17/Copy-content-from-one-site-collection-to-another-preserving-metadata.aspx

Since you are on SP 2013 use PowerShell Export-SPWeb and Import-SPWeb http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff607895(v=office.15).aspx http://sharepoint-community.net/profiles/blogs/how-to-export-import-a-list-using-powershell