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Domain.sites2 will not open after Lion install

After installing Lion and performing all of the updates and upon clicking on our Domain.sites2 file, iWeb opens with the original "create a new website" screen and it won't load the actual Domain.sites2 file.


I've tried following other threads of running disk utlilites, deleting the app, removing .plist files and performing a reinstall with updates and to avail no luck!


After looking at the [ - library/application support path ] it seems that the iWeb folder is no longer present. Even after adding a iWeb folder manually and inserting the original Domain.sites.2 file, it still won't work.


Does anyone have a "solid" fix for this?


HELP!

iMac (27-inch Mid 2011), Mac OS X (10.7.2)

Posted on Jan 29, 2012 2:00 PM

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18 replies

Jan 29, 2012 2:13 PM in response to chphoto

In Lion the Library folder is now invisible. To make it permanently visible enter the following in the Terminal application window: chflags nohidden ~/Library and hit the Enter button - 10.7: Un-hide the User Library folder.


For opening your domain file in Lion or to switch between multiple domain files Cyclosaurus has provided us with the following script that you can make into an Applescript application with Script Editor. Open Script Editor, copy and paste the script below into Script Editor's window and save as an application.

do shell script "/usr/bin/defaults write com.apple.iWeb iWebDefaultsDocumentPath -boolean no"

delay 1

tell application "iWeb" to activate


Just launch the application, find and select the domain file you want to open and it will open with iWeb. It modifies the iWeb preference file each time it's launched so one can switch between domain files.


You can download an already compiled version with this link: iWeb Switch Domain.


WARNING: iWeb Switch Domain will overwrite an existing Domain.sites2 file if you select to create a new domain in the same folder. So rename your domain files once they've been created to something other than the default name.


OT

Jan 30, 2012 9:28 AM in response to Old Toad

Thanks a lot Old Toad for your extremely useful tips!


I have two additional questions though:


1) What should be the script to "reverse" the behaviour of iWeb back to the original one please?


2) If you don't have the "domain" file anymore, is there any possibility to "re-load" a site into iWeb from its html pages (the ones actually published on the web)?


Many thanks in advance for your assistance 😉


By the way, anybody having the answer(s) may come forward of course.

Jan 30, 2012 10:09 AM in response to Didier Dochain

You can't reverse the preference file. With the advent of Lion and the non support of iWeb the script is needed so that files other than those named Domain.sites2 can be opened. The preference file remembers the last file opened and will direct iWeb to that file.


There's an application designed to help you maintain multiple domain files, Web Site Maestro. What it does is change the name of the selected default file to domain.sites so iWeb can open it. When you select another file with WSM it changes the name of the current default file back to what you named it and changes the newly selected file to domain.sites2.


With the script it clears the preference file so that you can open any selected domain file regardless of its name.

Jan 30, 2012 11:40 AM in response to Old Toad

Many thanks for all these additional explanations 😀


Very helpful indeed.


And, if I understood you correctly, the alternative to the script is the use of this last software; both giving the same possibility to "deal" with several websites at the same time with iWeb ... assuming that you still have the "domain" file. Without it, no way out with iWeb at least.

Mar 30, 2012 12:21 PM in response to Old Toad

Hi.


I cut and pasted the script, saved as an application, ran the application. Seemed to be working.


...but when I ran the application, the Try Mobile Me popup came up as usual, I hit "No Thanks", and then iWeb briefly opened then closed. Tried it twice, and used the already compiled version too with the same result. Any suggestions?


Thanks so much,


PS. running OSX 10.7.2

Mar 30, 2012 5:21 PM in response to Grigger

Do you have a MobileMe account? If you do try this:


  1. go to the System/MobileMe preference pane and log out of MMe.
  2. login with a bogus username and password like "Ying" and "Yang". This clears the caches.
  3. login with your correct username and password.
  4. launch iWeb and try again.


If that doesn't work or you don't have a MMe account tere's a edit to the iWeb preference file that will stop that message which was posted a while back:


Go to your Library / Preferences

Open com.apple.iWeb.plist and set the value of dismissDotMacUpsellWindow to true (checkbox checked)

You can do that with TextWrangler and look for dismissDotMacUpsellWindow in the file. If it's not there then add the following to the list of keys:


<key>dismissDotMacUpsellWindow</key>

<true/>

There are other apps that can open a preference file and add a new key. One is PrefSetter. Try double clicking on the preference and see what apps opens by default is any

Oct 15, 2013 9:55 AM in response to chphoto

Thank you! I am running Mountain Lion (10.8.5) and was not able to use the complied version of I Web Switch Domain but I followed your instructions and created an app and it works like a charm. So silly of Apple to remove this - no one wants all of their sites in one big database - and really miss the fact that iWeb is not being continued.

Oct 15, 2013 10:05 AM in response to juliefarr

If you're running iWeb 3 it's not a big problem having multiple website in the same domain file as each can be published to a folder or FTP client individually from iWeb. If the sites become very large than it might be worthwhile to have each site in its own domain file.


In any case be sure you maintain current backups of the domain files on another HD.

Domain.sites2 will not open after Lion install

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