Troubleshooting

FrontPage Metadata Folders not Visible

When I look in the folder that contains my FrontPage Web site, I don't see some of the _vti folders in there. Is my Web site broken?

Your Web site's not broken. Some of the _vti folders are hidden folders, and if your operating system settings are using the default configuration, you won't be able to see them.

To show hidden files and folders:

1. Double-click the My Computer icon on your Desktop.

2. Select Tools, Folder Options in the My Computer window.

3. Click the View tab.

4. Select the Show Hidden Files and Folders option.

5. Click OK.

You should now be able to see all the _vti folders.

How to Tell if You Have a Web Server Installed

I'm not running Windows XP Home Edition, but I don't know whether I have a Web server installed on my machine. How can I tell, and what do I do if I don't have one?

If you have a Web server installed and running correctly, you should be able to open your Web browser and browse to http://localhost. If a Web page is displayed, your Web server is installed and functioning.

If you get an error indicating that your Web browser could not find the server, you might now have IIS installed. You can install IIS from the Add/Remove Programs applet in Control Panel. Make sure that you have your Windows CD handy and then complete the following steps:

1. Open Control Panel and double-click on Add/Remove Programs.

2. In the Add/Remove Programs applet, click the Add/Remove Windows Components button.

3. In the Windows Components Wizard dialog box, check the Internet Information Services check box and click Next.

4. If you are prompted to enter a path to any files, point Windows to the i386 folder on the Windows CD.

5. Click Finish when the Wizard finishes.

The installation of IIS includes the FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions by default.

Server Extensions Don't Appear to Be Installed

I am trying to create a new server-based Web site on my local machine, and I keep getting an error that says my server doesn't appear to have the FrontPage Server Extensions installed.

It is possible that you have not installed the FrontPage Server Extensions on your Web server. To ensure that they are installed:

1. Open Control Panel and double-click the Add/Remove Programs applet.

2. Click the Add/Remove Windows Components button.

3. Scroll down until you see Internet Information Services and select it by clicking on it once.

4. Click the Details button.

5. Make sure that the FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions check box is checked and click OK.

6. Click Next.

7. Click Finish when prompted.

If the FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions check box was already checked, remove the check and complete an uninstall of them. Then complete the preceding steps again and install the FrontPage 2000 Server extensions by checking the FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions check box.

Web Folders Aren't Working

When I try to look at my FrontPage files using a Web Folder, I get an error message telling me that the files are unavailable. I have been able to open these Web Folders in the past, but even then, they were empty even when I knew files were there.

Web Folders are sometimes problematic, and when they get broken, they are often difficult to get working again. Fortunately, Microsoft has done a very good job of documenting all the known troubleshooting steps to correct problems with Web Folders.

You can access Microsoft's Knowledge Base article entitled "Troubleshooting Web Folders" at the following URL:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;287402

I Don't See My Web Folder

I opened my Web site in FrontPage, but I don't see my Web Folder.

FrontPage doesn't always create a Web Folder when a Web site is opened. It will only create the Web Folder if it needs it to access the site.

FrontPage will not create a Web Folder under the following conditions:

• When the site is opened automatically by FrontPage immediately after it's created

• When the site being opened appears on the Recent Webs List on the File menu

• If the Web site being opened is a disk-based Web site

• If another Web Folder already exists for the Web site