Clear WebConfigModifications using powershell

While playing arround with the SPWebConfigModification Class I added some wrong entries to the web.config. These entries where added every time I activated or deactivated my feature. It seemed the WebConfigModifications of the WebApplication object had some corrupt entries. So I found this blog. David Petersen explains how to clear these WebConfigModifications using code in a console application.

This was very helpfull and solved my Problem. But instead of creating a console application I simply made a PowerShell Script. The code is basically the same but I wanted to add it here for those who are still afraid of using PoweShell. Don't be. Powershell just rocks ;)

$siteUrl = "http://yoursiteurl/";

$site = $gc | Get-SPSite -Identity $siteUrl

[Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPWebApplication]$webApp = $site.WebApplication

$webApp.WebConfigModifications.Clear();

$webApp.Update();

[Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPWebService] $service =[Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPWebService]::ContentService

$service.WebConfigModifications.Clear();

$service.Update();

$service.ApplyWebConfigModifications();

Finally just be careful because this code removes all modifications not only yours. So don’t use it on productive environments.

Moving a SharePoint site Collection to another managed Path using PowerShell

I recently needed to move a Site Collection from one managed path to another. I found this blog using stsadm commands. I translated this to a PowerShell script: 

$fromUrl = "http://portal.dev/sites/TestSiteCollection"

$toUrl = "http:// portal.dev"

$backupPath = "c:\siteBackup"

Backup-SPSite $fromUrl -Path $backupPath -force

Remove-SPSite -Identity $fromUrl -Confirm:$false

Restore-SPSite -Identity $toUrl -Path $backupPath -Confirm:$false

Adding SharePoint Shell access to an Admin Account

I was recently added as administrator to a SharePoint server farm. I was able to access the Central Administration with no problem. But the issue was that PowerShell was not working. I got this error message when I started the "SharePoint 2010 Management Shell":

The local farm is not accessible. Cmdlets with FeatureDependencyId are not registered..

Also when I tried to start the SharePoint Manager 2010 I get this error: "Object reference not set to an instance of an object"

I have had this error before and I got a lot of trouble with Powergui at that Time too. To get this work you need make sure the logged user has rights to the SharePoint Configuration Database (db_owner and SharePoint_Shell_Access)

But be aware that direct changes to the SharePoint DB are not supported by Microsoft. To make this right use the Add-SPShellAdmin PowerShell command with an Administrator account:

Add-SPShellAdmin -username MyUserName

Now you can user Powershell but you will get this error when trying to access a Site with: "Get-SPWeb $url"


Cannot find SPWeb object with 'Id' or URL:"


You need to grant rigths on the content databses using this commands:

> $contentDB = get-spcontentdatabase -site http://server/site
> add-spshelladmin -UserName DOMAIN\Username -database $contentDB


Thanks to this Blog

Add Circulation List to SharePoint 2010 Web using PowerShell

PowerShell is great. I'm working on scripting a whole deployment process with PowerShell. Yesterday I got stuck in a problem that costs me about 6 hours of my life. 
If you want to add a list to a SPWeb you will find in a lot of blogs this description:

$listTemplate = [Microsoft.SharePoint.SPListTemplateType]::Circulation

$spweb.Lists.Add(“MyCirculation“,"Description",$listTemplate)

And guess what? It works fine for a lot of list templates. But then I tried with “Circulation” and I got this error:


Exception calling “Add” with 3 argument(s) “Invalid list template.”

I tried a lot And I found out that I need to use this Add Method:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms448694.aspx

So I tried with this code:

$listTemplate = [Microsoft.SharePoint.SPListTemplateType]:: Circulation
$spweb.Lists.Add(“MyCirculation“,"Description", $spweb.Url, "a568770a-50ba-4052-ab48-37d8029b3f47", $listTemplate, 2)

You can get the feature ID from this location “14/TEMPLATE/FEATURES/CirculationList”
here I got this error message:

Exception calling "Add" with "6" argument(s): "The file or folder name contains characters that are not permitted.  Please use a different name

So I thought the error must be in the Url but what Url does the Method require?
Finally I tried with this:

$listTemplate = [Microsoft.SharePoint.SPListTemplateType]::Circulation
$spweb.Lists.Add(“MyCirculation“,"Description", “MyCirculation“, "a568770a-50ba-4052-ab48-37d8029b3f47", $listTemplate, 2)

I don’t know why, but it worked. I just used the same thing for Title and Url.
I only tried this out with Circulations, but as whereabouts throw the same error I think the solution must be the same.

As I said this cost me about 6 hours trying and searching for a solution. I hope it will be useful to someone else.

Enjoy and Share :)