longart wrote:
Is there anything I can do other than throw out the program and reinstall it?
I suggest you first see what key iWeb Domain file(s) you have on your Mac's internal HD. The Domain file is normally located in the ~/Library/Application Support/iWeb folder (although it can be moved). Since you may have multiple Domain files in different locations, you could use Spotlight to search for them — they have an extension (usually hidden) of:
.sites2
But Spotlight doesn't look in all areas of the hard drive — so if no luck, download and run
Find File to search for ".sites2". ...If you find any .sites2 files, back them up now before proceeding:
_iWeb: Backing up your Domain file_
By the way, a Domain file should open up in iWeb when double-clicked.
longart wrote:
...all the menu items are dimmed and I cannot start a new page or access a previous page.
The following trick has worked for some:
Quit iWeb. Start iPhoto. Select a couple of photos, click on the iWeb icon at lower right and choose Photo Page. iWeb will open up and invite you to choose a template for your new Photos page. Choose any template so that the page is created and then delete that newly created page.
...Now perhaps things are no longer greyed out in iWeb. If not, +"A lot of problems can be solved simply by..."+ Read more in the "Fix iWeb" section here:
http://www.iwebformusicians.com/WebMusic/iWebTips.html
longart wrote:
I think I probably still have them published on the web...
Only iWeb's Domain file can be opened in iWeb. See this Apple doc on
How to back up MobileMe data — in regard to the Domain file, it says:
If you no longer have this file, you can view your currently published pages and manually recreate them within iWeb,
but there is no way to import published pages back into iWeb.
You can manually back up the Domain file, or use Backup to back it up.
Paragraph 2.3 of this FAQ page gives some tips on how to use published files, graphics, photos, etc., to help rebuild the site from scratch:
http://iwebfaq.org/site/iWebBackupretrieve.html
longart wrote:
Also is there a better web building program out there for the Mac.
You could take a look at
Sandvox Pro — you may particularly appreciate its integrated search engine optimization:
http://www.karelia.com/sandvox/getyour_site_noticed_andb.html
longart wrote:
Something more reliable? (...) I'm about ready to find a stable program for the PC.
No software can be guaranteed to be reliable and your Mac's internal HD may crash at any time. Even if you use what is considered by many to be "reliable", you still need to protect your data by backing it up. On the Mac, you have several options: Time Machine and the following free apps can also be used to regularly create a bootable clone of your entire internal HD on an external drive:
http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper
http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html
...then if your internal HD fails, you re-boot with the Option key held down. Your Mac will start into Startup Manager, where you can use the arrow keys to select a Mac OS X volume to start from, i.e. your bootable clone. Besides the advantage of not losing any valuable data, you can continue working and use Disk Utility app in Applications > Utilities to diagnose the problem.
And this free SMARTReporter may give you an early warning of impending hard drive failure:
http://www.corecode.at/smartreporter
...There are only two types of HD: Those that have crashed and those that haven't ...yet.
