Diagnosing Deployment Issues

If you are encountering deployment issues with a SharePoint Solution's product, Microsoft provides a very simple WSP deployment package which you can use to test your SharePoint farm for deployment-related  issues.

Please follow these simple steps to troubleshoot a deployment issue.

Obtain the test .WSP package From Microsoft

1. Navigate to http://archive.msdn.microsoft.com/SharePoint2010Code/
2. Click Downloads
3. Save  SharePoint2010_BrandingSolution.zip to a location on the server
4. Open the .ZIP file an browse to '\SharePoint2010_BrandingSolution\SharePoint2010_BrandingSolution\bin\Debug'
5. Copy the SharePoint2010_BrandingSolution.wsp file to a folder on the Central Admin server

Use the SharePoint Management Shell to add the package to the farm

1. Open the SharePoint Management Shell
2. PS C:\> Add-SPSolution -LiteralPath "[..path..]\SharePoint2010_BrandingSolution.wsp"

Use Central Administration to deploy the package to a web application

1. Open IE and browse to Central Administration
2. Navigate to 'System Settings -> Manage Farm Solutions'
3. From the Farm Solutions page click 'sharepoint2010_brandingsolution.wsp'
4. Deploy the solution to the desired web application.