This is starting to get crazy, I have done this so many times and I have wrote about it some many time in this forum and I keep getting conflicting information. I will try to write this in the most basic, plain format that I can think of. Step-By-Step turn-by-turn.

Before I did anything on the local server I upgraded the live production server to 4.8.4 and have verified this by checking the database (info obtained from posted on this forum)

It is on a W2K3 R2, using SQL Express 2005, .NET 2.0 and the latest 4.8.4 DNN download. We are setting up a local site, and importing the data from the live production site to the local site for development.

If I understand everything correctly using the install manuals (thanks Mitchel). The basics should be as follows.

I installed .NET and ASP.NET

I installed IIS

I Installed SQL Express and associated tools and toys to work with it

I then downloaded DNN 4.8.4 unzipped it using WinZip

I unzipped it into the C:\Inetput\webroot folder

I then configured IIS according to the manuals.

I changed all the permissions according to the manuals.

I then launched IE 6 and vided the web site so I can install DNN 4.8.4.

It installed and worked (eventually, but that is not important at this point).

So the latest installs are in the c:\inetpub\wwwroot folder with no virtual directory. I'm having to assign a port (8080) to the IIS site, because 80 is in use by another application that I can not change. So the local site is http://192.168.0.10:8080

With this working on the local server. I then visited the live production web site and downloaded the entire working web site.

I also did a backup of the SQL database.

I followed all the manuals and imported the database into the local copy of SQL Express.

Now I'm importing the LIVE DB in. I used the following to copy the DB in and it was successful:

RESTORE DATABASE RIVERFRIENDS
FROM DISK = 'C:\DotNetNuke\Microsoft SQL Database\riverfriends_backup_20082561130.bak'
WITH MOVE 'riverfriends_log' TO 'C:\DotNetNuke\DotNetNuke_log.ldf',
MOVE 'riverfriends_dat' TO 'C:\DotNetNuke\DotNetNuke_dat.mdf'

Processed 3880 pages for database 'RIVERFRIENDS', file 'riverfriends_dat' on file 1.
Processed 3 pages for database 'RIVERFRIENDS', file 'riverfriends_log' on file 1.
RESTORE DATABASE successfully processed 3883 pages in 15.916 seconds
(1.998 MB/sec).

I then Changed the PortAliase to 192.168.0.10/dotnetnuke

I added the correct users to the new database.

Copied the data from the old install (skins ...) to the new install (local)

I copied the Desktopmodules from the live server to the new install (local)

I did the same with portals/0

I copied the  DLL’s from the BIN folder on the live server to the new install (local)

I then did the same with the app_code folder.

I then Verified permissions again for the Network Service account to have full control and propagate throughout the subfolders

I then verified that my webconfig connection info was correct (below).

<connectionStrings>

<!-- Connection String for SQL Server 2000/2005 -->

<add name="SiteSqlServer"

connectionString="Server=SERVER1\SQLEXPRESS;Database=RIVERFRIENDS;uid=dotnetnuke;pwd=dotnetnuke;"

providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />

</connectionStrings>

<appSettings>

<!-- Connection String for SQL Server 2000/2005 - kept for backwards

compatability - legacy modules -->

<add key="SiteSqlServer"

value="Server=SERVER1\SQLEXPRESS;Database=RIVERFRIENDS;uid=dotnetnuke;pwd=dotnetnuke;"

/>

So, after three weeks, I'm still no farther along that I was before. However I did discover that using the phrase "I can't log on" will get you the silent treatment faster that yelling Hi Jack! on a plane will get you shot.

So I have two issues, one is the Module Load Warning (yes the modular have been placed in the DesktopModules folder and the permissions are correct. I must be missing a key secret to getting the modules to load.

I’m not trying to create any strange mutant. I simply want to get a local copy of the live 4.8.4 web site running. The whole “mutant” thing came from a mistake of using an old database that I was given vice making a backup myself. The above steps have been performed twice each time starting from scratch. I can duplicate this every time as of late, so I must be missing something.

Thanks

Joe

Ditto to what Mike said.  My process is the same.  Joe, I'm going to say it one more time, "The process you're following is flawed."  Forget the local install of 4.8.4 and quit trying to copy down select folders from the live production site and copying them into the local install.  This is the self-imposed frustration  I mentioned and the reason you have spent way to much time to accomplish your original goal.  Please read and reread my previous post.

I repeat again, "Your process is flawed."  Stop installing dnn 4.8.4 locally unless you're just wanting to verify that your dev environment is set up properly for a dnn installation.  If you sucessfully install it locally once and it works, then wipe that install off the face of the earth and zip up the root installation of your live site, back up the db and follow the instructions in my previous post or Mike's last post.

And you don't need to keep repeating what you're doing, we've got it.  Try it instead the way we're suggesting.

Paul

Hi Mike,

Need some advice please?

Is it possible to move content to production without installing dnn on the production server? If so, how would I go about it.

I would appreciate any input on this.

regards,

Rajesh