This is my first DNN installation - 4.0.3 to be exact.  Here's the installation error I'm getting:

Could not find file 'C:\DotNetNuke\Providers\DataProviders\SqlDataProvider\DotNetNuke_template.mdf'.

Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.

Exception Details: System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not find file 'C:\DotNetNuke\Providers\DataProviders\SqlDataProvider\DotNetNuke_template.mdf'.

Stack Trace:

[FileNotFoundException: Could not find file 'C:\DotNetNuke\Providers\DataProviders\SqlDataProvider\DotNetNuke_template.mdf'.]
   System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath) +2012701
   System.IO.File.InternalCopy(String sourceFileName, String destFileName, Boolean overwrite) +488
   DotNetNuke.Data.SqlDataProvider.GetProviderPath() +220
   DotNetNuke.Common.Globals.GetUpgradeStatus() +335
   DotNetNuke.Common.Global.CheckVersion() +187
   DotNetNuke.Common.Global.Application_Start(Object Sender, EventArgs E) +316

I look for the DotNetNuke_template.mdf, and sure enough, it's not there.  If the file is required, was it missing from my INSTALL package?  Any help would be very much appreciated.

Installing DotNetNuke 4 on Windows 2003 Server Running SQL Server 2005 Express Edition

If you have attempted to install DotNetNuke 4.0.x on a Windows Server 2003 running SQL Server 2005 Express Edition, you may experience errors such as 'can't find database_template.mdf'.  Here are the exact steps that may help you to complete a DotNetNuke installation without errors.  Obviously, DotNetNuke runs under a variety of system configurations.  For this installation particularly, I have the following system:

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 
Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS 6)
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition
Microsoft .NET Framework 2

When I got the above configured and running OK, I continued with the following steps:

1.      Download DotNetNuke 4.0.x INSTALL package from http://www.dotnetnuke.com

2.      Extract the ZIP package into a folder on the IIS server, e.g. c:\DotNetNuke

3.      Inside root level of c:\DotNetNuke folder, rename release.config to web.config

4.      The web.config file is very customizable (see DotNetNuke Installation Docs).  But by default, DotNetNuke 4 is configured to run with SQL Server 2005 Express Edition and you can get a successful DNN installation without changing any web.config settings.

5.      Configure Permissions for the c:\DotNetNuke folder:

1.      Highlight the c:\DotNetNuke folder, then Right-Click

2.      Sharing and Security > Security

3.      Add the account NETWORK SERVICE, and grant the account Read, Write and Change permission

6.      Create a Virtual Directory that can be accessed from within one of your IIS websites.

1.      Highlight the c:\DotNetNuke folder, then Right-Click

2.      Sharing and Security > Web Sharing

3.      Share on: [select website to host DotNetNuke]

4.      Share This Folder (radio-button)

5.      Alias: DotNetNuke (with default Access Permission: Read; App Permission: Scripts)

7.      Two final steps require you to create a database in App_Data folder, and add the missing file ‘database_template.mdf’ so the installation does not fail with that error.

8.      Khalil Abu-Dahab put these files into a ZIP that you can download from his blog site located at (http://it.yu.edu.jo/portals/0/hosted/DotNetNuke_SQLExpress.zip). After you download it, extract it over the c:\DotNetNuke folder and the files within the ZIP should be extracted to the appropriate folder/subfolder locations.  WARNING: There is a risk involved in downloading and using files from unknown and unproven sources.  That risk is your own responsibility to bear.

9.      You’re ready to browse to http://localhost/VirtualDirectory, and let the DotNetNuke installation begin!

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If your system does not 'take' to my instructions, these two posts could be useful for your installation: