How to migrate from Windows SharePoint Server 3.0 to SharePoint 2016

Recently was tasked with migrating WSS 3.0 to Office 365 (SharePoint 2016). 

Zeroing in on 2 tools - Metalogix and Sharegate, decided to go with the later as it was the only one that would migrate legacy systems, comparison details as below - 
http://www.portalsolutions.net/blog/sharegate-migration-vs.-metalogix-content-matrix-which-one-should-you-choose 

Link to download the tool as below - 
https://en.share-gate.com/download

It allows a 15 day trial period which is good enough for migrating a simple website to O365

After downloading the tool, steps to migrate are as below - 
1. Copy Site Objects - enter the details of the source website using URL. If you enter the IP address it may complain that the "requested resource was not found", make sure you have entered administrator details.
2. Enter details of destination SP website again using URL and administrator details only.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Once both source and destination have been entered you will be asked which subsite you need to migrate.
4. I used the bottom-top approach and copied the leaf subsite to the destination, using Interactive Mode (it pops up errors) and Insane mode.
5. Depending on the size of the site it take apprximately 30-45 minuites to copy the contents
6. However please note that only the contents are migrated and NOT THE CUSTOM WEBPARTS
7. Hence once the migration is complete then you may realise that the home pages of the subsites may be blank/empty

Below are few steps to re-create the home pages of the subsites - 
1. Click on the "wheel" icon on the top left of O365 site, select "Edit Page", Add web parts migrated eg: "Annoucements" that have been migrated but not added to the home page, as below - 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Some times on click of "Add new item" in Annoucements or any other web part if the "DispForm.aspx" does not work or gives the below error - 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. For fixing the above error, download SharePoint 2013 designer from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35491
4. Connect to the SP2016 website with administrator privileges and you see the Sites - click on List - Annoucements - take backup of existing pages.
5. Add App in the site called "Test Annoucements", this act as the base Web Part for us to fix any broken pages, open this in SP2013 designer
6. Copy the DispForm.aspx from "Test Annoucements" to "Annoucements" and doulbe click to edit it, search for "list" and replace "GUID" from  "Test Annoucements" to "Annoucements"- DispForm.aspx
7. DisplayForm will be working now, also repeat steps 4-6 for any other pages that are not working because of GUID mismatch

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Happy migration!!