Error message when you use the Stsadm.exe command-line tool to export a site in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0: "Error: The file you are attempting to save or retrieve has been blocked from this Web site by the server administrators"

Consider the following scenario. You upgrade a server that is running Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 to Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. Then, you use the Stsadm.exe command-line tool to try to export a site. However, the operation is not completed successfully. You receive an error message that resembles the following:

This issue occurs if a document library in the site contains a file that is in the list of blocked file types in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. For example, this issue may occur if a document library in the site contains a .config file.

To resolve this issue, remove the file type from the Blocked File Types page in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. To enable a file type that is currently blocked, remove it from the global settings list and from the Web application list. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Start SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration.
2. Click Operations, and then click Blocked file types under Security Configuration.
3. On the Blocked File Types page, click the Web application that you want to configure in the Web Application box.
4. Remove the file name extension from the list of blocked file types, and then click OK.

Note After you export the site, add the file type back to the list of blocked file types. For example, add the .config file name extension to the list of blocked file types.