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Microsoft FrontPage FAQ

SUMMARY:

Answers to many of the most common questions regarding how to use Microsoft FrontPage with our web hosting services.

DESCRIPTION:
 

Microsoft FrontPage FAQ

  1. Why must I have FrontPage extensions installed?
  2. What is the scope of technical support for FrontPage?
  3. What are FrontPage server extensions?
  4. Regarding UNIX servers, how do I get FrontPage extensions installed on my Web site?
  5. Is there a charge for the server extensions?
  6. Are there any limitations if I choose to publish my site with FrontPage?
  7. Are there any precautions that I need to be aware before I begin using FrontPage to publish my site?
  8. What known issues must I consider when using FrontPage forms on your Windows 2000 servers?
  9. How do I publish my site using FrontPage?
  10. What is a WebBot?
  11. Are all the features available in FrontPage supported on my site?
  12. How do I use SSL (Secure Socket Layer) with FrontPage?
  13. Where can I find additional FrontPage support?

 

 

Why must I have FrontPage extensions installed?

Installing FrontPage server extensions gives you full support of all the features of FrontPage.  Features include remote authoring, threaded discussion groups, full text search and surveys.

 

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What is the scope of technical support for FrontPage?

  • We will configure your site for FrontPage by installing and maintaining server extensions.
  • We will provide support related to the functionality of the extensions.
  • We will point FrontPage users to resources that will help you solve problems, publish your FrontPage webs and learn techniques for getting the most from your FrontPage software.

 

We will not provide support related to the use of your FrontPage software. Please see Where can I find additional FrontPage support?"

 

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What are FrontPage server extensions?

FrontPage server extensions are CGI programs that provide the server side implementation of FrontPage. FrontPage communicates with the extensions via Hyper Text Transmission Protocol (HTTP) using a Remote Procedure Call (RPC).

 

When the server sees the "POST" request addressed to the FrontPage server extensions it simply directs the request to the appropriate CGI program. The extensions implement authoring (uploading/downloading documents, To Do Lists), administration (setting end-user, author, and administrator privileges), and dynamic content (browse-time WebBot components).

 

Without the FrontPage Server Extensions you will not be able to take advantage of the WebBots that are available through FrontPage. Also, without the extensions you cannot author and administer your web using the tools provided as part of the FrontPage Editor/Explorer package.

 

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Regarding UNIX servers, how do I get FrontPage extensions installed on my Web site?

 

New Accounts

On the order form, you will see a check box asking if you would like FrontPage extensions installed on your account If you do, then check the box and your FrontPage extensions will be installed during the activation of your account.

 

Existing Accounts

To have the FrontPage server extensions installed on your existing site, please send an e-mail request with the following information to our customer care department:

  • Your domain name
  • Your User ID
  • Confirmation that you have back-up files of all web pages on the site at that time.

    In most cases, you will not need to delete files that are currently on your site to install FP extensions. However, if there are directories or files with special permissions (.htaccess) these will have to be removed. You can then re-establish permissions and password protection by using FrontPage Explorer.
  • Installation will be complete within 24 hours.

 

Upgrade Information

All FrontPage extensions are running on FrontPage version 4.0.2.2717 or FrontPage 2000.

 

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Is there a charge to install FrontPage extensions?

There is no charge for installing the server extensions. In addition to installing server extensions, we will also reinstall corrupted extensions free of charge.

 

NOTE:   There are limitataions and precautions that should be considered before publishing and maintaining your site with FrontPage.

 

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Are there any limitations if I choose to publish my site with FrontPage?

  1. Web size : This seems to be most critical when a "searchable event" is present in the web (Search, Discussion Forum and Table of Contents). The lengthy process of updating the indices for these functions can lead to the connection timing-out (HTTP 500 Error or 'Server' has timed-out).
  2. Disk Usage: You may create and publish as many child webs as your disk storage space allows (NT accounts are limited to 5 childwebs). However, for each child web you publish, FrontPage duplicates certain information into indices and hidden files. This adds "overhead", increasing the storage space required for your files.

 

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Are there any precautions that I need to be aware before I begin using FrontPage to publish my site?

In order to protect the FrontPage extensions on your Unix account, please take into consideration the following precautions:

  1. Do NOTuse the Edit Access features found in your Control Panel to set passwords, limit access, set file permissions or delete directories or files in a FrontPage web. This should only be done through the options in FrontPage Explorer.
  2. Do NOT use regular FTP (such as WS_FTP) to upload files to the server when FrontPage extensions are installed. This may corrupt the extensions, disabling the interactive features available with FrontPage.

 

NOTE: The exception to this is when loading custom scripts to the cgi-local directory on your site. Instructions for uploading custom CGI scripts are included in the notice you will receive when the extension installation is complete.

 

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What known issues must I consider when using FrontPage forms on your Windows 2000 servers?

 

If you are storing the form results on your site, FrontPage places those results in your site's "_private" directory (for example, "_private/form_results.txt"). However, for the form to function correctly and for it to write information properly to the results file, that file must be located in your site's "/data" directory.

 

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How do I publish my site using FrontPage?

To publish your site using FrontPage, follow these steps:

  1. Get online with your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
  2. Open Microsoft FrontPage.
  3. Open the web that you wish to publish.
  4. Click on Files then Publish Web.
  5. A Publish Web dialogue box will appear. Enter in the domain name of the site in which you want o publish the pages to (using http://yourdomain.com format).
  6. If you have an existing page and are updating it you have the option of only publishing changed pages or re-publishing the entire site.
  7. Click on OK when you are finished with your selection.
  8. You will be prompted for your userid and password if you have never connected to the server during your session. Enter this information in the spaces provided and proceed.
  9. During the publishing process you will see the pages listing, copying and updating the server.
  10. You can check the changes by going to your site in an open browser.

 

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What is a WebBot?

WebBots are the mechanism for invoking many of the interactive features built into FrontPage. These features are added to your web through the FrontPage Editor | Insert FrontPage Component.

 

Some, such as Include and Substitution allow elements of the web to be entered once and included in any or all of the pages by inserting the Bot component referencing that element for example a logo or a navigation bar. Changes made to the "master" element are made automatically to any page containing the referencing WebBot.

 

Other WebBots, such as Search, Table of Contents and Timestamp, control dynamic browse-time features. These WebBots work "behind the scene" to keep your site up-to-date for visitors.

 

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Are all of the features available in FrontPage supported on my site?

FrontPage was created for developing websites in the Windows environment, the following features are not available if your site is hosted on our UNIX servers:

  • Active Server Pages
  • ODBC and MS SQL Database connections (Access, FoxPro)
  • ActiveX
  • VBScript

 

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How do I use SSL (Secure Socket Layer) with FrontPage?

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) can be used with FrontPage if the following criteria is met:

  1. You must have a Plan 2 or higher account with FrontPage extensions installed.
  2. You must have your own SSL certificate/Digital ID.
  3. Only scripts in cgi-local will be recognized by SSL. (_vti_bin/shtml.exe which FrontPage configures will not work securely)

 

NOTE: The WebBot Save Results component configuration in the FrontPage Form Handler Properties cannot be used in conjunction with SSL. Output from the form must be routed through the cgiemail script.

 

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Where can I find additional FrontPage support?

For more FAQ's and support please go to Microsoft's Product Support Services site at http://support.microsoft.com/support/frontpage/faq/default.asp.

 

For Microsoft's Personal Online Support Services for all Microsoft's products including FrontPage, please go to http://support.microsoft.com/support.

 

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