Missing items from Sitecore, but when I try and import them via a package, wizard reports the item already exists

Question

I'm trying to track down some content items that appear to have gone missing from a client's Master database. Luckily they still exist in a different publishing target, so I created a package that contained them from there, and attempted to reinstall them in Master.

However the wizard then warns me that the "Item being installed already exists in database":

However, the item doesn't exist under that path, and searching both the UI and the Item table in the database directly for that ID doesn't turn anything up.

I've also checked the IDTable, Archive and ArchivedItem tables, but nothing.

Where else can I look for these items?

Answer 1

If you are importing from the web database or a publishing target, it is by default trying to import to the same publishing target database i.e. web. Try the "transfer" command from the "Copy To" options instead.