Source: Microsoft Support

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A custom content type associated with a list does not retain their field associations when the content type is switched to read-only and then switched back to read-write mode.

The attribute name specified in the ContentType.xml file is wrong.  Attribute name "Name" has been changed to "DisplayName" and is the cause of the issue. Both working and non-working sample given below :

 

This is the correct ContentType.xml file:

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint">

  <ContentType

      ID="0x010100C568DB52D9D0A14D9B2FDCC96666E9F2007948130EC3DB064584E219954237AF3900213FEEC23C37400bBEC425C10E76F37F"

      Name="Alternate Approach Content Type"

      ReadOnly="FALSE"

      Sealed="FALSE"     

      Group="WROXNEW"

      Hidden="FALSE"

      FeatureId="6B0480D2-009A-49c1-9DCB-EBF5F7358873">

   

    <FieldRefs>

      <FieldRef ID="{C3AA9C21-81F7-41d7-B5A5-CBEB40768C46}"

                Name="AlternateApproachColumn" />

    </FieldRefs>   

  </ContentType>

  <ContentType ID="0x010400F5E5CFB41AB14ef9A10791C691805FD9"                                                                                                      

        Name="My Classified Ads"

        ReadOnly="FALSE"

        Sealed="FALSE"

        Group="WROXNEW"

        Description="This is the Classified Ads Content Type"

        Hidden="FALSE">

    <FieldRefs>

      <FieldRef ID="{3EAB136B-CC2B-4370-A163-0F1F824E8BEF}" Name="ContentBodyForListItem"  Required="TRUE"/>

      <FieldRef ID="{04E07776-F7D9-4638-B850-BB79C4172C5E}" Name="Image1"/>

      <FieldRef ID="{1F507BE5-42B1-4218-9D9B-CBD12CACD995}" Name="AdContactDetails" Required="TRUE"/>

      <FieldRef ID="{A34EA376-BF95-4f42-98B5-327649787467}" Name="Flag" Hidden="TRUE"/>

    </FieldRefs>

  </ContentType>

</Elements>

 

The incorrect ContentType.xml file:

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint">

  <ContentType

      ID="0x010100C568DB52D9D0A14D9B2FDCC96666E9F2007948130EC3DB064584E219954237AF3900213FEEC23C37400bBEC425C10E76F37F"

      Name="Alternate Approach Content Type"

      ReadOnly="FALSE"

      Sealed="FALSE"     

      Group="WROXNEW"

      Hidden="FALSE"

      FeatureId="6B0480D2-009A-49c1-9DCB-EBF5F7358873">

   

    <FieldRefs>

      <FieldRef ID="{C3AA9C21-81F7-41d7-B5A5-CBEB40768C46}"

                Name="AlternateApproachColumn" />

    </FieldRefs>   

  </ContentType>

  <ContentType ID="0x010400F5E5CFB41AB14ef9A10791C691805FD9"                                                                                                      

        Name="My Classified Ads"

        ReadOnly="FALSE"

        Sealed="FALSE"

        Group="WROXNEW"

        Description="This is the Classified Ads Content Type"

        Hidden="FALSE">

    <FieldRefs>

      <FieldRef ID="{3EAB136B-CC2B-4370-A163-0F1F824E8BEF}" DisplayName="ContentBodyForListItem"  Required="TRUE"/>

      <FieldRef ID="{04E07776-F7D9-4638-B850-BB79C4172C5E}" DisplayName="Image1"/>

      <FieldRef ID="{1F507BE5-42B1-4218-9D9B-CBD12CACD995}" DisplayName="AdContactDetails" Required="TRUE"/>

      <FieldRef ID="{A34EA376-BF95-4f42-98B5-327649787467}" DisplayName="Flag" Hidden="TRUE"/>

    </FieldRefs>

  </ContentType>

</Elements>

Corrected ContentType.xml feature element file.

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint">

  <ContentType

      ID="0x010100C568DB52D9D0A14D9B2FDCC96666E9F2007948130EC3DB064584E219954237AF3900213FEEC23C37400bBEC425C10E76F37F"

      Name="Alternate Approach Content Type"

      ReadOnly="FALSE"

      Sealed="FALSE"     

      Group="WROXNEW"

      Hidden="FALSE"

      FeatureId="6B0480D2-009A-49c1-9DCB-EBF5F7358873">

   

    <FieldRefs>

      <FieldRef ID="{C3AA9C21-81F7-41d7-B5A5-CBEB40768C46}"

                Name="AlternateApproachColumn" />

    </FieldRefs>   

  </ContentType>

  <ContentType ID="0x010400F5E5CFB41AB14ef9A10791C691805FD9"                                                                                                      

        Name="My Classified Ads"

        ReadOnly="FALSE"

        Sealed="FALSE"

        Group="WROXNEW"

        Description="This is the Classified Ads Content Type"

        Hidden="FALSE">

    <FieldRefs>

      <FieldRef ID="{3EAB136B-CC2B-4370-A163-0F1F824E8BEF}" Name="ContentBodyForListItem"  Required="TRUE"/>

      <FieldRef ID="{04E07776-F7D9-4638-B850-BB79C4172C5E}" Name="Image1"/>

      <FieldRef ID="{1F507BE5-42B1-4218-9D9B-CBD12CACD995}" Name="AdContactDetails" Required="TRUE"/>

      <FieldRef ID="{A34EA376-BF95-4f42-98B5-327649787467}" Name="Flag" Hidden="TRUE"/>

    </FieldRefs>

  </ContentType>

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