Question : Website brings up 404 after failed stsadm restore

I am tasked with moving two huge lists with file attachments from a SharePoint 2007 site (single server, RTM) called "Archive" to our new SharePoint site (multi-server, SP1).  Normally I would use our Metalogix Migration tool to do so.  However, the Archive has problems, such as the Central Administration not coming up, and the Metalogix tool could not find the site.  So I had to employ other means.  First I tried copying the content database to the new installation.  It worked with no problems, but no websites or lists showed up.  Next, I did an STSADM BACKUP of the Archive.  That worked well.  Then I attempted to restore that to a blank site on our development server, thinking at that point I could use the Metalogix tool.

At first, STSADM reported that it could not restore, because the site (/Archive/801) existed, when it did not.  So I used the -overwrite parameter.  STSADM then reported...
"Your backup is from a different version of Windows SharePoint Services and cannot be restored to a server running the current version. The backup file should be restored to a server with version '1178817357.0.27461683.0' or later."

I thought that would be the end of it.  But now I find that this development site collection brings up an "HTTP 404 File Not Found".  Other site collections on this development server work fine, so I believe the problem is local.  I then attempted to do a Repair from the Add or Remove Programs.  That tells me that I am missing a valid copy of osrvmui.msi.

Researching that, I find that file is on the installation media.  This server is hosted by another company which makes could take a week to get the DVD placed in the drive, so I'd rather not go that route if I don't have to.

This is only a development server, nothing critical.  However, it does contain custom sites I was working on.  I am willing to rebuild it I can save the sites in question.

What I would like answered:
1. Can the site collection bringing up the 404 be repaired without doing the Add or Remove Programs repair?
2.  Can the Archive server be repaired so I can get to Central Admin?  I need to make an entry in the Alternate Access Mappings so that the Metalogix tool can find it.
3.  Any reason why the contents (lists/webs) of the migrated content database don't show?

I'm asking a lot, I know.  But this is the life we have chosen.

Thanks,

Don B

Answer : Website brings up 404 after failed stsadm restore

When a restore fails it can wipe out the root site collection that you specified.  If you don't have a backup of that site collection, it's gone.

There is a trick to moving content databases (which content site collections)  You can create a site collection using a temporary content database.  If you then delete the temporary content database then attached a copy of a content database from another Sharepoint site, if Sharepoint can match the site collection names it will reconnect them.

However, the same thing that is blocking the restore will block you from doing that.  You can't move a newer schema to an installation with an older schema.

Just to be clear, this is a list you need to move not a site collection?