Custom 404 page

[Damzish]

1. Any tips on getting a custom 404 page going?

The site in question is on an Apache server and the host provides a script editor to create custom error pages.

2 Should I build the page using FP03 and then insert that code into the provided file?

The next logical question for this newbie is what are the elements of say a 404 page that will need to be included and does FP offer script for this?

Please answer questions 1 and 2 first !!! Thanks for any suggestions.

Damzish

 

[Crash Gordon®]

You will probably get a nicer looking page if you used FP to create it...yes you can do it if the host allows, just name it per their instructions. Put whatever you want on it...its really just a page.


| 1. Any tips on getting a custom 404 page going?
|
| The site in question is on an Apache server and the host provides a script editor to create custom error pages.
|
| 2 Should I build the page using FP03 and then insert that code into the provided file?
|
| The next logical question for this newbie is what are the elements of say a 404 page that will need to be included and does FP offer script for this?
|
| Please answer questions 1 and 2 first !!! Thanks for any suggestions.
|
| Damzish
|
|
| --
| Dedicated Virtual Assistant at http://www.world-wide-virtual.us

 

[Crash Gordon®]

As far as I know. My current host doesn't allow custom error pages, but my last one did. I made them look exactly like a regular page of the web only it said...

Oops! You've been 404'd, please use your back button to return from whence you came...


| Really, any thing I want? So there are no magic tricks?
| --
| Dedicated Virtual Assistant at http://www.world-wide-virtual.us
|
|
| "Crash Gordon®" wrote:
|
| > You will probably get a nicer looking page if you used FP to create it...yes you can do it if the host allows, just name it per their instructions. Put whatever you want on it...its really just a page.
| >
| >
| > | 1. Any tips on getting a custom 404 page going?
| > |
| > | The site in question is on an Apache server and the host provides a script editor to create custom error pages.
| > |
| > | 2 Should I build the page using FP03 and then insert that code into the provided file?
| > |
| > | The next logical question for this newbie is what are the elements of say a 404 page that will need to be included and does FP offer script for this?
| > |
| > | Please answer questions 1 and 2 first !!! Thanks for any suggestions.
| > |
| > | Damzish
| > |
| > |
| > | --
| > | Dedicated Virtual Assistant at http://www.world-wide-virtual.us
| >

 

[Tom Pepper Willett]

Of course, if they came from a search engine, or a link from another site,
they won't get to your site if you tell them to use the back button. It's a
good idea to have a link to your home page on the error pages.
--
===
Tom "Pepper" Willett
Microsoft MVP - FrontPage
---
About FrontPage 2003:
http://office.microsoft.com/home/office.aspx?assetid=FX01085802
FrontPage 2003 Product Information:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/frontpage/prodinfo/default.mspx
Understanding FrontPage:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/office/understanding/frontpage/
===
message As far as I know. My current host doesn't allow custom error pages, but my
last one did. I made them look exactly like a regular page of the web only
it said...

Oops! You've been 404'd, please use your back button to return from whence
you came...


| Really, any thing I want? So there are no magic tricks?
| --
| Dedicated Virtual Assistant at http://www.world-wide-virtual.us
|
|
| "Crash Gordon®" wrote:
|
| > You will probably get a nicer looking page if you used FP to create
it...yes you can do it if the host allows, just name it per their
instructions. Put whatever you want on it...its really just a page.
| >
| >
| > | 1. Any tips on getting a custom 404 page going?
| > |
| > | The site in question is on an Apache server and the host provides a
script editor to create custom error pages.
| > |
| > | 2 Should I build the page using FP03 and then insert that code into
the provided file?
| > |
| > | The next logical question for this newbie is what are the elements of
say a 404 page that will need to be included and does FP offer script for
this?
| > |
| > | Please answer questions 1 and 2 first !!! Thanks for any suggestions.
| > |
| > | Damzish
| > |
| > |
| > | --
| > | Dedicated Virtual Assistant at http://www.world-wide-virtual.us
| >

 

[Damzish]

Still here just listening to the posts as they come in...

 

[Steve Easton]

Use your hosts "web interface" ( sometimes called Control Panel ) to actually create and activate
the original custom error page.
Then open the live site in FrontPage and edit the newly created custom error page which will be
named 404.shtml

Or:

Create the page in the root of your local web and save it with the file name 404.shtml
Then publish it and then open the hosts web interface and activate it.

A custom error page can have anything on it that you desire.

--
Steve Easton
Microsoft MVP FrontPage
95isalive
This site is best viewed............
........................with a computer

1. Any tips on getting a custom 404 page going?

The site in question is on an Apache server and the host provides a script editor to create custom error pages.

2 Should I build the page using FP03 and then insert that code into the provided file?

The next logical question for this newbie is what are the elements of say a 404 page that will

need to be included and does FP offer script for this?

 

[Crash Gordon®]

troo enough.


| Of course, if they came from a search engine, or a link from another site,
| they won't get to your site if you tell them to use the back button. It's a
| good idea to have a link to your home page on the error pages.
| --
| ===
| Tom "Pepper" Willett
| Microsoft MVP - FrontPage
| ---
| About FrontPage 2003:
| http://office.microsoft.com/home/office.aspx?assetid=FX01085802
| FrontPage 2003 Product Information:
| http://www.microsoft.com/office/frontpage/prodinfo/default.mspx
| Understanding FrontPage:
| http://msdn.microsoft.com/office/understanding/frontpage/
| ===
| message | As far as I know. My current host doesn't allow custom error pages, but my
| last one did. I made them look exactly like a regular page of the web only
| it said...
|
| Oops! You've been 404'd, please use your back button to return from whence
| you came...
|
|
| | | Really, any thing I want? So there are no magic tricks?
| | --
| | Dedicated Virtual Assistant at http://www.world-wide-virtual.us
| |
| |
| | "Crash Gordon®" wrote:
| |
| | > You will probably get a nicer looking page if you used FP to create
| it...yes you can do it if the host allows, just name it per their
| instructions. Put whatever you want on it...its really just a page.
| | >
| | >
| | | > | 1. Any tips on getting a custom 404 page going?
| | > |
| | > | The site in question is on an Apache server and the host provides a
| script editor to create custom error pages.
| | > |
| | > | 2 Should I build the page using FP03 and then insert that code into
| the provided file?
| | > |
| | > | The next logical question for this newbie is what are the elements of
| say a 404 page that will need to be included and does FP offer script for
| this?
| | > |
| | > | Please answer questions 1 and 2 first !!! Thanks for any suggestions.
| | > |
| | > | Damzish
| | > |
| | > |
| | > | --
| | > | Dedicated Virtual Assistant at http://www.world-wide-virtual.us
| | >
|
|

 

[David Baxter]

Suggestion: Put links to a sitemap and a search on the custom error page

See http://www.psychlinks.ca/error.htm as an example.

Then, if can create an .htaccess file in the root of your site, add this
line:

ErrorDocument 404 /error.htm (or whatever you want to name your error
page)

1. Any tips on getting a custom 404 page going?

The site in question is on an Apache server and the host provides a

script editor to create custom error pages.

2 Should I build the page using FP03 and then insert that code into the provided file?

The next logical question for this newbie is what are the elements of

say a 404 page that will need to be included and does FP offer script
for this?

 

[Andrew Murray]

You need to create a text file with this line in it. (use notepad):

Type this line:

ErrorDocument 404 http://www.pathtoyoursite.com/404.html


Save the file as "Other File type" (not as *.txt) and type in ".htaccess"

This file needs to be saved as ".htaccess" (that is "fullstophtaccess"). The
"404.html" file can be anything you design - to fit your site or whatever -
nothing special about it.

All the .htaccess file is doing is whever there is an error encountered the
server looks for this file and then goes to the page for the error encountered

You can do the same for any of the other unix error codes such as 501, 500, 503,
403, 400 - they each have a specific 'error' like 403 - Forbidden for example
using the same format as above and use the equivalent error code for each line,
and include a separate HTML document for each error message.

Put the .htaccess file and the 404.html in the same folder. When someone requests
a page that ends up not being found, the server will load your error page rather
than the default error.

Search google for "htaccess" for further information

1. Any tips on getting a custom 404 page going?

The site in question is on an Apache server and the host provides a script

editor to create custom error pages.

2 Should I build the page using FP03 and then insert that code into the provided file?

The next logical question for this newbie is what are the elements of say a

404 page that will need to be included and does FP offer script for this?

 

[Ronx]

The .htaccess file must go into the root folder of the web, else it will
only work for the folder it is in, and subfolders.
There may already be a .htaccess in the web root folder - this is used by
FrontPage and if overwritten by your file, may disable the web totally.

Ron

 

[David Baxter]

what does FP use the .htaccess file for?

The .htaccess file must go into the root folder of the web, else it will
only work for the folder it is in, and subfolders.
There may already be a .htaccess in the web root folder - this is used by
FrontPage and if overwritten by your file, may disable the web totally.

Ron
--
Reply only to group - emails will be deleted unread.


"fullstophtaccess"). encountered 501,
500, 503, for each someone page a elements of
say a

 

[Ronx]

The (edited for security) content of my .htaccess file is:


# -FrontPage-

IndexIgnore .htaccess */.??* *~ *# */HEADER* */README* */_vti*

<Limit GET POST>
order deny,allow
deny from all
allow from all
</Limit>
<Limit PUT DELETE>
order deny,allow
deny from all
</Limit>
AuthName computername
AuthUserFile /path/to/service.pwd
AuthGroupFile /path/to/service.grp


I am definitely not an Apache expert, but the code appears to limit what the
anonymous user can see and do in the web, and provides the paths to the
password files used by FrontPage.

Ron
--
Reply only to group - emails will be deleted unread.

what does FP use the .htaccess file for?

 

[Damzish]

I removed some of the code to see what would happen, basically nothing happened. It would be nice if someone knew the reason for the FP code and how to insert new commands with out causing other problems.

Damzish

 

[Ronx]

I inserted new commands by ignoring the warnings issued by my host -
"editing the file could cause the web to cease functioning" - then
downloading the .htaccess file, placing the new commands under the FrontPage
stuff, and uploading the edited file.

Some of the FrontPage stuff may also be in the httpd.conf file (Apache
server configuration), so removing those lines would have no effect, but
other lines are unique to the .htaccess file, such as the IgnoreIndex and
password data.

Ron
--
Reply only to group - emails will be deleted unread.

I removed some of the code to see what would happen, basically nothing

happened. It would be nice if someone knew the reason for the FP code and
how to insert new commands with out causing other problems.