How do I download my web into Frontpage 2003?

[LightAnDark]

I had a hard drive die on me this past weekend which contained my web site
that I designed with FrontPage 2003. I have no backup. The only thing left is
what is on the hosting server. In FrontPage there are three publishing
choices - upload to upload new content or changes, sync which updates either
your computer or the server and download. Does the download feature require
that you already have the site on your hard drive or can you download when
nothing at all is there? I wanted to find out before I actually tried it.
What other ways can I download the entire site from my server to make it
completely functional with FrontPage 2003? Can I do it with Smart FTP? I
have FrontPage extensions turned on. Is there anything special that needs to
be done? What about permissions? Please email me with any suggestions at
(e-mail address removed). I have 4 web sites that I desperately need to get back
on my new hard drive. I didn't want to try anything until I was certain
about wha to do.

 

[Andrew Murray]

Do not use ordinary FTP as you'll risk corrupting the server extensions and
these need to be fixed by the server/host.

Open the live site, since you state you do have the FP server extensions
functioning, then publish the site from the live server to a folder on your
hard drive. (in the same manner as you would from local to server, publish
from server to local machine).

Then you can open the web on your HDD in Frontpage. This time, make a
backup to CD or ZIP disk or another hard drive - anything!

As far as permissions, you'll need your username/password that you use to
log on when you publish the site. (this could be the same as your ISP
internet account, if they provide the web space to host your site, otherwise
it is whatever the details are for your hosting account).

 

[LightAndDark]

When you say open the live site what exactly do you mean? You can't access
the publish button unless you have a site loaded into FrontPage. Do you mean
opening the site that resides on my hosting server? How do you do that? How
do you log into it from FrontPage without having a copy of the site on your
hard drive? Sorry if I sound ignorant. Nothing like this has ever happened
to me before and the site consists of over 1000 pages so you can imagine the
loss. Plus I have 3 other sites to get back too. Thanks by the way for
being so helpful.

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

As long as the live/remote site is hosted on a server that has the FP extensions, you would do the
following:

Open FP, then File Menu | Open Site,
then enter http://www.yourdomainname.com,
then your login info, then Ok, then click Open

Once the site is open in FP, then use File Menu | Publish Site then enter c:\websitename
(do not include www or .com, etc. when name the folder on your local HD)

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

 

[LightAndDark]

iAnother question. I have another computer with FrontPage 2002 so I tried
experimenting with it. The only way it happened to see the web address of my
site was because it was still mapped to my home server. Anyway, I tried
publishing to my computer from the host server and it crashes saying that the
destination web ingores case and listed a bunch of files in conflict. It
says to name all files in your web uniquely and try again. I see that there
are a few pairs of files that have a similar extension. The extension is
part of the template. It looks like each of these pages useses the same
graphic as part of the template and FrontPage suddenly doesn't like it. What
do you do in this situation?

 

[Chuck Davis]

Visit the web site using Internet Explorer, and choose Edit with Microsoft
Office FrontPage from the File drop down menu. Enter your username/password
and once the site is open, PUBLISH to a folder on your hard drive. It will
ask if you wish to make the folder a web folder, answer yes. It will then
say there are no FrontPage Server Extensions, you know and accept that. You
will then have a complete site on your hard drive.

 

[LightAndDark]

Thst works but then I have the problem describe in my post below where it
seems to be having a problem once it starts downloading and sees multiple
files with the same name. You know how it attaches the "template" files with
each page well when it downloads the same file for different pages it seemsto
caus e aconflict. The site was originally designed with FrontPage 2002 and
then later updated with FrontPage 2003. I think it might have added XML
extensions (if I'm saying that correctly). Would one have anything to do
with the other?

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

You have to open the site on the live/remote server in FP and rename/delete any files that have
duplicate filenames before you can publish.

Since the live/remote site is hosted on a Unix/Linux server the error is indicating that you have
files with the same name, but the case is different, i.e., index.htm and Index.htm, under Unix/Linux
these would be consider two separate files, however under Windows they are considered one and the
same, and that is what is generating the error during publishing back to your computer.

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

 

[LightAndDark]

I'm looking at the files and folders on my remote server using Smart FTP.
There are many subfolders and it appears that there might be duplicate files
but spread out throughout these subfolders. It looks like the subfolders a
re being generated on my computer. So, the question is if it's downloading
the same file to different folders (which is what it seems like it's doing)
why should there be a conflict? And if I change or delete these won't it
casue a problem with the themes or navigational structure?

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

If the site has the FP extensions, manage it directly with FP, not a FTP application. From within FP
look for duplicate files.

There are hidden folders that you never see in FP, as they are managed by FP and the extensions.

They are hidden so that they are not modified by users. The hidden folders are never published, they
are created as needed on the destination machine as need by FP.

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

 

[LightAndDark]

But aren't these files there for a reason? Won't renaming or deleting them
screw womething up? There must be coding that refers to these files in the
subfolders.

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

Yes, they are there for a purpose, the FP extensions created them to manage your site and FP will
manage them.

Don't touch them, don't delete them, don't worry about them!
--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

 

[LightAndDark]

Ok, I'm feeling really stupid and not to beat a dead horse but if I don't
touch these files then how do I fix the problem? What do I dp when I find
duplicates? The duplicates don't seem to be within the same directories.

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

Open the site directly in FP on the live/remote server via File Menu | Open Site, then look file
with the same name & extensions but are different in CaSe, example:

index.htm (all lowercase letters)
Index.htm (first letter capitalized, etc.)

Under Windows the two example above would be consider duplicate files, so you will need to delete or
rename one of them, so that the filename is unique, in order to publish to a Windows based PC.


--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

 

[LightAndDark]

Now I would only do that if they are in the same directory right? And won't
the web site still be looking for these files if they are renamed or deleted?

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

Yes, you would only rename/delete them in the same level/folder. Yes if you delete them, and they
are being link to, you will end up with a broken link. If you rename the files from within FP, then
FP will update all links to the files, if you rename outside of FP, you may end up with broken
links.

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

 

[LightAndDark]

FP will relink the files once you rename them even if it's a graphic file
associate with the web page theme template? That's where the conflict seems
to be - with graphics associate with the themes like a graphic for a web page
bullet or divider line for example.

 

[LightAndDark]

One other thing, unless I'm crazy (that's what this is doing to me at this
point) I'm not seeing the duplicate files within the same level directories.
So if that's the case and FP is seeing them from within different directories
and is not liking it, any suggestions?

 

[Andrew Murray]

No, you go File > Open > Site and then put in the http: address to your
site. Frontpage allows you to edit the site "live".

 

[Ronx]

With the site open in FrontPage use Tools->Web Settings
Tick "show hidden files and folders"
This will reveal some folders that begin with an underline, such as _themes,
_borders.
Check these folders for "duplicates".

Again, if you cannot see it in FrontPage, do not touch it.