So finaly i got a customer who asked me to do something i really didn’t know if it was possible.

Already been working on it for 2 days now and it seems that i have got it working.

Ok, so what was the wish of this customer:
I have a SharePoint 2003 32 bit single server dutch installation with a sql 2000 database. It has some custom webparts, some custom templates and sitescollections have some odd behaviours. Please transform this environment to a SharePoint 2007  environment 64 bit on windows 2008 servers, using sql 2008 as database server, configured as a small farm, using a UK installation with dutch language packs.

Most of the wishes can be done separately, but all together, i was not sure if this was going to work.

furthermore, did i mention that the database was 50Gb 

Toplevel the next steps are taken

• upgrade SharePoint 2003 to sp2
• Run prescan tool
• backup database(s)
• install Sharepoint 2007
• install all needed language packs
• restore sql backup
• install templates
• copy images (from images folder in 12-hive)
• use stsadm with addcontentdb option
• manually correct all issues (some migrated lists, templates and functionality that was no longer working)

Et voila, we had over 90% working again.

So the next days i will be fine-tuning the installation, creating scripts, making an installation manual, because …. we have to do it all ones more .

Never a dull day in SharePoint land.

eric