Yes, DotNetNuke is a database backed content management system. As such, if you delete the database, you delete the content. Most all modern websites work this way, so it's not unique to this particular technology.

As Scott Says, if you accepted the defaults and set your site up as a local express installation, your .mdf files are probably still under the app_data directory. You can re-attach these. Or perhaps just modify the web.config file for the connection string.

If you have lost your data - it's a shame but shows the importance of taking backups of important information before uninstalling anything.

Oops this is my config file:

<- Connection String for SQL Server 2005/2008 Express -->
add name="SiteSqlServer" connectionString="Data Source=MYLAPTOP;Initial Catalog=DotNetNuke;Integrated Security=True;User ID=myusername" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" >

<- Connection String for SQL Server 2005/2008 Express - kept for backwards compatability - legacy modules -->
add key="SiteSqlServer" value="Data Source=MYLAPTOP;Initial Catalog=DotNetNuke;Integrated Security=True;User ID=myusername" />

On the very, very slim possibility that the database file might not have been deleted when you uninstalled/re-installed MS SQL Server, have you looked in the Data folder of the MS SQL Server installation for a file named DotNetNuke.mdf?

In my system for a MS SQL Server 2008 Express installation with an instance name of SQLEXPRESS8, this would be the folder:

C:\\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.SQLEXPRESS8\MSSQL\Data

You will also want to check the C:\\Program Files (x86)\Microoft SQL Server path depending if yours is a 32 or 64 bit installation.

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Bill, WESNet Designs
Team Lead - DotNetNuke Gallery Module Project (Not Actively Being Developed)
Extensions Forge Projects . . .
Current: UserExport, ContentDeJour, ePrayer, DNN NewsTicker, By Invitation
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