I need to move my production site to a new host server (using Godaddy plesk as the new host environment), and I was hoping to use the Export Template feature to export all pages, files, folders, and content.  The current site is DNN version 7.1.2, sql 2012 sp2 database, running on IIS 7.0 with .net framework 4.0.30319.34209.

Seems like the Export Site Template (from Site Management page) would be perfect for this task, but when I run it I almost immediately get this error: 

Error: is currently unavailable. DotNetNuke.Services.Exceptions.ModuleLoadException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. ---> System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at DotNetNuke.Entities.Tabs.TabController.SerializeTab(XmlDocument tabXml, Hashtable tabs, TabInfo tab, PortalInfo portal, Boolean includeContent) at DotNetNuke.Modules.Admin.Portals.Template.SerializeTabs(XmlWriter writer, PortalInfo portal, Hashtable tabs, TabCollection tabCollection) at DotNetNuke.Modules.Admin.Portals.Template.SerializeTabs(XmlWriter writer, PortalInfo portal) at DotNetNuke.Modules.Admin.Portals.Template.cmdExport_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e) --- End of inner exception stack trace ---

-- end of error received

The above error is repeatable even if I recycle the app pool and clear the cache.

Any ideas and help is appreciated.

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Gene W

I will try your suggestion. I was hoping to be able to leave un-referenced files and modules behind in the move - is there any good way to eliminate those?

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Gene W

What about rebuilding the site? Start out with a fresh install, then add the modules that were in use in the original site. Then to get the content, could I use some clever sql queries to migrate just the content for those modules? Has anything like this been done before? My reasons for wanting to do it stem from the age of my site - and the number of updates that have been applied. I know from experience that rebuilding a windows OS system results in a cleaner system that trying to maintain many installation / update cycles over a long period of time. I have even heard of people rebuilding their systems every 6 or 12 months as a way of combating the file and registry clutter that accumulates.

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Gene W