SharePoint error relating to page layout after creating site from template

Question

Inside SharePoint I've previously created a site template by appending _layouts/savetmpl.aspx to the end of my site and new sites have been created correctly and work as expected.

I've now come to do the same thing again and yet this time the new site is throwing an error relating to the page layout.

The error is:

This page is not using a valid page layout. To correct the problem, edit page settings and select a valid page layout.

When I try to select a different one, there is only the one to select. This page layout is in use on other sites and they render fine.

Has anyone else seen this issue?

All the best

Answer 1

Do the sites/site collection where the templates working have all the same features enabled as teh sites/site collection where the template isn't working?

Can you check the server logs? <12 hive>\LOGS

Answer 2

Did you add a custom page layout, use it, and then forget to check that "save content" checkbox when you saved your template?

Answer 3

First, if you append the _layouts/savetmpl.aspx tho the url, i suppose you dont have it in the Site Settings options, so you are using a Publishing site. This is because Microsoft doesn´t support this option (save as template in publishing sites). And they dont support it because it has some bugs, for sure.

So, I would recommend not using this option in important sites, or if you plan to ask support to Microsoft in the future.

However that error indicates that the page layout or his associated content type (ou parent content types) are not correctly installed in the site collection. Are you using your own (custom) content types? Please confirm if the ID of the associated content type (something like 0x0100C6739B7D12DE419aA2F9A2F96CC26818) is exactly the same in the Page Layout on working sites and in the not working sites.

Hope it helps