FrontPage 2002 Tutorials - How to Backup FrontPage
by Tina Clarke
(some tutorials cover FrontPage 2000 as well)
To back up your web from your host's web server
To back up your web on your hard drive
Backing up your navigation data
How to make backups of individual files in a web site
How to restore a file from a backup in the same web
Backing up to a cd
Remote Data Backup to any FTP Server
Sharepoint users backup features
Points to remember
There is no Recycle Bin in FrontPage so if you delete a file or even completely lose a web through dire circumstances your going to be in a Restore situation. Backing up your web should be part of your maintenance schedule, especially if you tend to work only on the server.
TO BACK UP YOUR WEB FROM YOUR HOST'S WEB SERVER
Make sure you have FrontPage extensions enabled at on your host. Open up your FrontPage application close down any webs you have open.
Open the site live
Recalculate Hyperlinks under the Tools menu
File | Open | on the pop up box click 'Web Folders' on the left hand menu
Insert the URL of the site you wish to open
E.g.: http://accessfp.net/
Click ok
A box will appear asking for your username and password insert this press ok.
In FrontPage, click on the navigation view so you know when the site will come in.
The site will load once it is fully loaded you may publish to your hard drive.
File | Publish | insert the location on your hard drive you wish to publish to or make an empty web beforehand in preparation.
When the site has finished publishing close the live site.
TO BACK UP YOUR WEB ON YOUR HARD DRIVE.
Open up the site you wish to back up.
Recalculate Hyperlinks under the Tools menu
File | Publish | insert the location on your hard drive you wish to publish to or make an empty web beforehand in preparation.
It's that simple, and once you have done this you only need to tick Changed Pages Only in the Publishing Dialog Box to update your web.
BACKING UP YOUR NAVIGATION DATA
This situation is for dire emergencies and to be used as a last resort.
FrontPage stores your navigation data in the _vti_pvt folder so to back up your navigation data, make a copy of the _vti_pvt/structure.cnf file.
To see these files on your HARD DRIVE you may need to show hidden documents.
Tools | Web settings | Advanced Tab | Make sure the 'Show documents in hidden directories' box is ticked. Press ok. You will be asked to refresh the web.
NOTE: You cannot see vti files through FrontPage on the server.
So if you need to restore your navigation data you can copy your back up structure.cnf file and recalculate hyperlinks to restore the data.
(Quote) "Backing up your navigation view data (use this information at your own risk - I do not recommend that you do this and offer this only as a last resort & if you have nothing to lose!)
The navigation data for your web is stored in your in our default directory in the _vti_pvt folder. The file that actually contains the navigation view data is:
structure.cnf copy this files to a temporary directory on your hard drive before reinstalling your server extensions. You may have to go into your folders options (TOOLS > FOLDER OPTIONS >) and enable the "show hidden files and folders" option before you actually are able to see the _vti folders.
After you reinstall your server extensions copy the new versions of the structure.cnf file into a backup folder and then replace the structure.cnf file that you placed in the temp folder into the correct _vti_pvt folder.
Recalculate hyperlinks for this web. (TOOLS > RECALCULATE HYPERLINKS)" (End quote)
This quote is from Tiffany K. Edmonds Microsoft MVP - FrontPage
HOW TO MAKE BACKUPS OF INDIVIDUAL FILES IN A WEB SITE
Open FrontPage with the web you wish to use
Double click on the file to be backed up to open it up.
Go to File | Save As. In the 'Save As' Box, rename the file, change the directory if desired, and press the "Ok" button. (Note: do NOT use drag and drop!)
Close the file.
A copy of the file is created with a new name the old file stays exactly the same complete with hyperlinks connections. Though in the new file you may see some differences if there are navigation bars or page banners in the file (They won't appear).
You can use this method to store a copy in the SAME web, but you can also use it to store individual files in other webs or a storage web set up for that purpose. Again navigation bars page banners won't show up, also internal links will be incorrect.
Why not use drag and drop?
Using File | Save As will leave you with a copy of the backup file intact. In FP2000 dragging and dropping a file from one location to another is a different type of action. File | Save As prevents FrontPage from trying to adjust hyperlinks and image references, drag and drop causes FrontPage to automatically change references to images and hyperlinks. While restoring a file you do not want FrontPage to make any reference changes.
HOW TO RESTORE A FILE FROM A BACKUP IN THE SAME WEB
Open FrontPage with web site you wish to use.
Locate the file that is the backup and open it.
Go to File | Save As. In the save as box, type in the name of the (damaged) original file.
NOTE: Do NOT use drag and drop!
Change the directory if needed. (A simple way to do this is to use the 'Save As' box to browse to the location and click once on the file to be overwritten.)
Press the OK button when finished.
Go to Tools | Recalculate Hyperlinks say, "Yes" when asked to Refresh.
This action will over-write the damaged file. Hyperlinks that were accessing the file will be unchanged. Recalculating hyperlinks insures that navigation bars and page banners are updated.
BACKING UP TO A CD:
1. This add-on simplifies the process of publishing a web to blank CD media (CDR or CDRW). It is a five-step wizard with built in verification features, which prevent the occurrence of known problems.
Strictly CD-it 1.01 FREE FrontPage 2000 ADDON
Available for download but there is no support.
CD-it is also intelligent enough not to publish those folders, which are used only by Microsoft FrontPage 2000 for configuration purposes. This can save valuable data space on your CD. It also includes an autorun feature to it, so that it automatically loads on a 32bit Windows PC. You can even add an icon to represent the drive in which your CD is inserted.
Written in 1999, this FrontPage2000 add-in was coded just to experiment with MSOffice extensibility. Strictly CD-it publishes a Frontpage website to a CD, it requires FP2000 and packet writing software (such as Adaptec's DirectCD) to work.
2. How to publish a FrontPage 2003 Web site to a CD-R or a CD-RW
This step-by-step article describes how to publish a FrontPage Web site to a compact disc-recordable (CD-R) or a compact disc-rewritable (CD-RW) disc.
3.
ThemePak Backup
Works with Microsoft FrontPage 2000 and 2002/03. Backup and restore a complete FrontPage Web including Content, FrontPage Navigation Structure and Themes. $29. 95.Not a bad price for peace of mind.
REMOTE DATA BACKUP TO ANY FTP SERVER
FrontLook Data Backup Pro
Remote Data Backup to any FTP Server
Instead of backing up to tape or CDROM, it uses available disk space on FTP servers, making it possible to backup your computer data to anywhere there is an Internet connection. Unlike other "on-line" backup programs that require you to use their backup servers, FrontLook Data Backup Pro allows you to use your own, making this an ideal backup solution for your home, small office or enterprise. FrontLook Data Backup Pro supports high level of data encryption, data compression, incremental and full backups and supports backing up to multiple FTP sites for additional security.
FrontLook Data Backup Pro is set up as "trial-ware" - it is available via download. Try FrontLook Data Backup Pro for up to 30 days at no charge. After the trial period, FrontLook Data Backup Pro must be registered to continue operation.
Download a fully functional copy of FrontLook Data Backup Pro for evaluation.
SHAREPOINT USERS BACKUP FEATURES:
Customize the Document Library with Auto Backup Template in FrontPage 2002
The Document Library with Auto Backup template creates a document library that automatically makes a backup copy of a file once the file is approved.
POINTS TO REMEMBER
Make sure you Recalculate Hyperlinks before every publish.
Always use File | Publish not the publish button.
Hopefully you won't need to use your backups but if you do you will glad you read this article.
By Tina Clarke
First Published in
ABC ~ All 'Bout Computers
Volume 10, March 2002
