Need someone with some web design expertise...

I cannot, for the life of me, access a client's site to make changes to it.

The previous admin support was able to via Dreamweaver ftp, but I use Expressions Web Studio (or I did until the free trial ran out). I have tried every combination of host, user, password I can think of and can't get access.

I even fired up the old laptop with Frontpage on it and couldn't get in.

Is there anyone online that could try opening up the client site for me and see if it's me (operator error) or something else. I am stupefied...or stupid.

Thanks,

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Trish Hallmark
www.thvaonline.com

Not sure what you're trying to do? Are you just trying to access/upload files? Try Filezilla maybe?

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Shellye L. Lyons, Business/Marketing Manager ~~ The Lyons Group, LLC

...thanks for picking this so quickly.

already did the filezilla thing.

I cannot access the site to make revisions. Do you want to try it? I'll send you a PM with the lowdown.

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Trish Hallmark
www.thvaonline.com

Unless your client's site is created in Front Page you won't be able to edit in Front Page.
In order to edit an HTML website you need to access via FTP. Dreamweaver is a program used to edit the files. The link Shellye provided for you is a free FTP program you can use to access the client's site and download the files you'll need to edit to make changes. The only thing you need to access the site via Filezilla is the FTP access information [username and pass].

When you say you 'already did the Filezilla thing' I'm curious to know what it is you tried to do and what errors or issues did you encounter?

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Wish I could help. I'm not the web expert. I just assist at times. Hubby's the expert and he's out of the office otherwise I'd put him on!

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Shellye L. Lyons, Business/Marketing Manager ~~ The Lyons Group, LLC

In re-reading your post I think maybe I misunderstood your question and wanted to clarify that if the issue is simply a log in error [ie - incorrect username/pass], you can get the correct FTP information from your client's web host.

HTH!

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Thanks Tess.
Let me preface this with the fact that I may not know what I'm doing.

I opened up the site via filezilla, actually downloaded all the files. I'm stuck on how to revise the files. BECAUSE the 3 sites that I do manage, I use the template that host provided or with 1 client it's accessible via Frontpage, now Expressions.

This particular site I'm trying to revise is different than what I'm used to, but I still think I've got enough knowledge to do it. I mean theoretically, i can make the page revisions through MS Publisher, but my concern is publishing the changes. I guess I would go through Filezilla again???

What would you do? Do you want to see the site? (www.ctfalliance.org)

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Trish Hallmark
www.thvaonline.com

I don't know enough about publisher to say if it can be used to edit an HTML site - though honestly I'm doubtful.

We use Dreamweaver to edit sites and then yes, you upload the edited and saved files back to their original location on the server via FTP. Though sometimes I will just use Notepad to edit simple HTML files and that might be an option if you don't have Dreamweaver.

Whatever you do, I recommend saving a copy of your client's site on your hard drive just in case your changes don't go as planned.

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Tess is correct. Any changes you made would have to be uploaded via FTP. However, I would suggest that before you actually change the site, you create a staging area and upload the files to the staging area to ensure proper functionality. Once you feel confident all is correct, move the files from the staging area to the active area. This would not require you to download the site to your computer.

I also use Notepad to edit sites. I would not suggest using MS Publisher unless the site was originally designed in Publisher as it could change the overall look and functioning of the site. Publisher is great with simple sites and not too good with complex sites with all the intricacies your site has.

Thanks to you both for getting on the right track. BTW, I wasn't really thinking of using publisher, so threw at out as an example. Damon, I'll check out the notion of using a staging area...not sure how that is done or if the host provides something like that, but I'll follow your advice and see if I can get done what needs to be done.

Thanks so much for your help Tess and Damon. Fortunately most of these changes are just text, though there are a couple of links and pdfs I need to put on there also. I'm just used to doing this via the template where I can "see" the edits as I make them. Not sure how one does that using Notepad and then uploading revisions.

Anyway, beginning to think out loud and how boring is that.

Thanks again! I've got some work to do these next few days.

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Trish Hallmark
www.thvaonline.com