In wssV2, we had created a simple custom site definition which was based on the default STS team site.
We changed the site id, the watermark on the Quick Launch and add a custom Server Control. This custom Server Control was just a modified version of the MiniNavigator Server Control described in Nigel Bridport's blog here.
However in wssV3, site navigation is available for free and thus, we wanted to obsolete our custom site definition in favor of reverting back to a standard team site, avoiding the maintenance of our custom site definition going forward.
If one looks at the upgrade definition file syntax for wssv2 to wssv3, there is no way to map from one site id in wssv2 to a different wssv3 site id.
To workaround this limitation:
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In wssv2, we reverted the site definition template ids from our custom number back to the standard site template id of "1", by following the steps in Jeff Holiday's
Changing Custom Site Definition Template IDs – SharePoint 2003 blog post.
But before you try this, let me reiterate Jeff's warnings first:
"Always make sure to backup all databases and files prior to making any changes.
NOTE: Microsoft does not support editing SharePoint SQL tables directly."
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After step 1, our site home page became corrupted. Following the "How to restore a corrupted Windows SharePoint Services" topic in the following the Microsoft knowledge base article,
KB:832811 – Restore a corrupted Windows SharePoint Services home page,
Our wssv2 site was now based on the STS team site definition.
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We were then able to upgrade our wssv2 sites to wssv3 sites using the standard wssv2 to wssv3 upgrade process. And we no longer have a dependency on our old wssv2 site definition.
Our custom site definition wasn't heavy customized, buy your mileage my vary.
Tom
tchmiel