uploading changes to web site

[as]

i was successful in uploading a web site using Publisher (2000??). I was able
to "re-upload" a set of changes. Now everytime I try to make more changes the
office assistant says "publisher cannot save file to web." I have contacted
my web site hoster and they could not fix it saying contact microsoft. I have
cleaned up my cookies, re-entered my FTP info - you name it! I need to make
weekly if not daily changes to the site. If anyone could help I would
appreciate it.

 

[DavidF]

Are you running XP or Vista? Did you just install SP3 for XP or any other
MSFT patch?

DavidF

 

[Liz]

Hi,

Could be many things, such as the previously mentioned SP3 update, which has
caused a wide variety of problems.

One other possibility you might consider is leaving anything on the scratch
area of any page in your web site during an upload.

Definition of scratch area at
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/publisher/HP062073571033.aspx?pid=CH100793401033.
Basically it's the blank space surrounding your actual Web page, and can be
used to temporarily store graphics, text boxes, etc.

I use Publisher 2007. I learned the hard way that if I stored a design
element or text box in the scratch area while updating my site, then forgot
to delete it before uploading to the server, it might work the first time.
But thereafter you'll get the "Publisher cannot save file to web" error
message.

To fix, run the Publisher/Office diagnostics. Within Publisher, click
Windows at top, then Office Diagnostics, then Run. Takes a few minutes. It
finds and corrects the error produced when you uploaded previously with
something in the scratch area, plus any other possible errors.

Then, try to upload the site again, making sure there isn't anything in the
scratch area first on any site page. I find the site uploads OK again at
that point.

Of course, I also upload from within Publisher, using File, Publish to Web,
then My Network Places, then Index, the OK. I read (on this discussion board
I think) that trying to upload a Publisher Web site using a separate FTP
could cause problems in and of itself. Anyway, I've always used the
Publisher "Publish to Web" and it works fine.

Don't know if this caused your problem, but it's worth a try.

Good luck.

Liz4.0

 

[DavidF]

Liz,

Good feedback. Are you saying that having content in the scratch area
stopped the upload? I didn't know about this, and almost always have a lot
of stuff in my scratch area. Is it possible that you had something
overlapping the scratch area and the main page, and that was what kept you
from uploading? I know that will frequently choke Publisher...

DavidF

 

[Liz]

Hi, David,

You're right about the overlapping objects causing problems. Actually, I
always run Design Checker for the Web before I upload a Web update, and then
resolve any conflicts. Overlapping frames or objects do show up from time to
time, and I fix them before uploading.

This problem involves a temporarily stored object or text box completely in
the scratch area, with no overlapping with the main page or any other object
involved. The first time it happened, I had only one object in the scratch
area, far away from the main page.

Two or three times I've uploaded a revised site leaving something in the
scratch area by mistake. In all these cases, that first upload worked just
fine.

However, when the NEXT update was ready to upload, even if I had by then
deleted the scratch area objects, I always received the "Publisher cannot
save file to web" error message.

The first time this happened (months ago when I was a rank newbie), I was
stumped. I called the ISP, researched everywhere I could find on Publisher
Help and on the discussion boards, etc. Took me a long time to finally find
this work-around.

Somewhere (forgotten where exactly) I found advice that uploading Publisher
sites with objects in the scratch area (even with no overlapping) could
sometimes cause this problem on a subsequent upload.

The solution was as described...running Publisher/Office diagnostics, then
trying to upload the site again, making sure all scratch area objects were
deleted.

Each time a subsequent upload stalled, I ran diagnostics, and it found and
fixed an unspecified error. And each time I then tried re-loading the site
(with a now clean scratch area), it uploaded with no problems.

Ever since, if I'm careful not to leave anything in the scratch area before
uploading, I've not run into this error message on any other subsequent
update.

Again, the first upload with scratch area objects does work OK. But it
seems to produce a Publisher error (at least in Publisher 2007 running on XP
Pro SP2) that prevents uploading the next time, unless you run diagnostics to
fix the error produced by the previous upload, and make sure the scratch area
is clean.

I don't know why, but this method seems to work for me. Maybe others don't
run into this, but I thought it might be worth a try since it seems at least
one other person might be going through a similar situation.

 

[DavidF]

Liz,

Thanks for the detailed explanation. I will add this as a possible "cure"
for uploading problems with XP.

I don't doubt your experience, but I still am wondering if there is another
explanation, and am trying to learn. I assume that you are using FTP
uploading protocol, correct? And if so, under Tools > Options > Web tab, do
you have the "Enable incremental publish to the web" option checked? This
can also stop create a problem with uploading as it only works with HTTP
uploading protocol. If you do have that option checked, and if you have
time, uncheck it, put a few things in the scratch area, and try uploading
again...try to reproduce your experience.

Once again, I am not trying to disprove your experience...I am just trying
to eliminate other possible reasons than just having design elements in the
scratch area. If having elements in the scratch area is a sole reason for
choking an upload, then I would see that as a "bug" with Pub 2007, given
that using the scratch area to store elements is a pretty standard practice.
It would be a shame if you can't do this, and MSFT should fix it.

I appreciate your help and time in clarifying this.

DavidF

 

[Liz]

David,

Just tried to send a lengthy reply, but couldn't get a posting confirmation.
If you don't get the first reply, I'll try again now with a shortened
version.

Understand your need to verify this situation.

To answer your questions:

1) I always use Publish to the Web within Publisher. I think that's HTTP
publishing. Have never used a separate FTP program.

2) Incremental publishing has always been clicked, and still is.

3) I've experienced this exact situation and solution at least 3 separate
times. After the first time, it took a couple more times for me to actually
remember about clearing the scratch area so the subsequent upload would work
OK. No problems since.

Don't know of any other variables, except possibly all the MS critical
security and cumulative updates I downloaded since the site was first
published last September.

All Publisher procedures and settings have remained the same since the
beginning, and I can't think of anything else different I did on those
specific occasions when this problem occurred.

Haven't downloaded SP3 yet. Am waiting for the dust to clear first.

I'm interested if anyone else has experienced this as well, or can re-create
it on their own computer. Again, I use Publisher 2007, XP Pro SP2.

If you're using Pub. 2007, leaving objects on your scratch area, and have no
problems with any subsequent uploads, then maybe it is just something in my
computer or my copy of Publisher (installed via purchased disk from MS and
updated per MS downloads).

However, since at least one other person seems to have experienced a similar
situation, if my solution works for him/her, then maybe there is a bug.

Should be interesting to find out. Please keep me informed, and thanks again.

 

[DavidF]

Liz,

If you are not uploading to an FTP address, then yes, you are probably using
HTTP which is necessary when you have forms. In that case you should have
the incremental uploading option ticked, as by design you will only upload
those files that have changed since you edited your Pub file and
republish....in theory anyway.

Though the problem may still be associated with the incremental uploading
option, you have at least eliminated the possibility that it was because you
were using FTP uploading.

I will probably do some testing to see if I can reproduce this, but for now
I will just add your suggestion to remove everything from the scratch area.
If I come up with any thing else, I will ping you, but I don't have time
right now. Thanks.

DavidF

 

[Liz]

David,

Two more quick things to add that I just remembered:

1) It's possible that I didn't find the exact solution online, but was led
to discover it myself by trial and error, probably by a last resort
injunction to try running diagnostics and see if that helps.

It did, as I described, for the subsequent upload. And it helped in the
same way at least twice more under the same circumstances.

2) I also recall now that that last time I had to go through this process,
the computer flashed a window asking if I wanted to report this system error
to Microsoft after diagnostics finished running and had fixed it. I said yes.

Can I find a log of these reported errors anywhere on my computer to see if
there are any details?

Thanks.

Liz4.0

 

[DavidF]

Liz,

I appreciate the additional information. I haven't had time to even try to
reproduce your issue. At this point I guess I would just say keep doing what
you are doing. Sometimes I never do understand why a workaround works, and I
imagine this will be one of those times. But if I learn anything more, I
will ping you. Thanks.

DavidF