I have a very unique problem. I will do my best to describe it to you. First, I am not a web designer and I do not know html. I am just a Dad who chose to get a domain to share some family photos online. When I signed up with Lunar Pages to host my site several years ago they gave me free CoffeeCup software to use to design my web page. It was an earlier version of Visual Site Designer and they do not use CoffeeCup any longer. I would tell you the version but here is my problem; my hard drive crashed recently and they were unable to recover any of the installed programs including Visual Site Designer as well as my saved website template!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want to continue uploading to my site but I need help figuring out how to do it now. Are there any possible scenarios if I re-install the current version of Visual Site Designer that I can somehow import or download any of the data from my index page on my website to basically reproduce the template in Visual Site Designer with all of the separate pages and links???? Do you have any idea what I mean? I have a lot of links at www.johnkallas.com that would take me forever to reproduce in the software. Please help.

Unfortunately there is no way to import an existing web site into VSD. It uses a proprietary file format to store the site, and exports the HTML for publishing to the web. The only way to import the old site into VSD again is if you had a copy of the VSD-format saved file to work from.

If you can't recover a copy of that file your only recourse (without switching to coding the site in HTML) is going to be re-create it, sorry to say.

Is there any chance a copy of the VSD file was uploaded to the server along with the web page files?

hiya John,

All of what Spinny says and ... The file would end with a .vnu so you know what file to look for.

thanks!!! Maybe a copy was uploaded, I wouldn' know where to begin to look. What file extension would it have? If I give you my login info could you look around? Nothing secret there.

What if I don't need to edit any of the existing pages and just want to add on pages with new links with VSD? Can I use VSD to add pages where I left off with my previous template?

well yes and know, I do think you need the current pages and vsd file in order to be sure you aren't going to overwrite what you have. I believe (guessing here since I don't use the program) that it will create the index.html page as well as the new pages you create so you'd risk overwritting your current home page.

The file ends in .vnu that you are looking for. If you have ftp access or file manage access on the server, that would be where to start looking. Look in all the folders that are in there I guess for a file named with the ending extension of .vnu

Jo Ann;

I looked all through the File Manager at my site and couldn't find a .vnu file anywhere. I am really bumming. When you create a .vnu file with VSD, where is the default location to save it? Is it in 'Program Files' under the software? Or does it create a folder in 'My Documents' to save it? I ask because I did get to recover 'My Documents' from my old hard drive.

Thanks. What would you do if you were me and didn't understand html editing????

Hi John,
I don't mean to step on any toes here, but the older version of VSD saved the .vnu file in My Documents as you mentioned as well as your website folder. If you did not retrieve this then as Mr Spinny says you will have to redo your site. The new version now uploads the .vnu to your web server in a backups folder so this will not ever happen again. sorry!
If your .vnu file was uploaded it would be in the public_html folder with your website files, what version did you have?

Thanks, Bruzer. I will check my recovered "My Documents" when I get home. I cannpt find a copy on the server. If I can't find it; do you know of anyone who frequents this site that would be interested in re-creating my vnu file in CoffeeCupp for a fee? I do not know what version I had only that I started using it in 2006 and never updated it.

Hi John,
I'm sure will come along that would be willing to rebuild your site for you. The version you used was 5.3.
You did such a great job with your website that's there that you shuld just do it yourself in my opinion.
I would attempt it but I make a better lumberjack then web design lol.

John, you mentioned you used a template, can I ask which?
I'd be happy to get you started...