Transfer iweb files from one computer to another

There's just one file, Domain.sites, that needs to be moved to the other computer. It's located in your Home/Library/Application Support/iWeb folder. Move it to the same location on your other computer. If there's no iWeb folder in the Home/Library/Applications Support folder create one.

NOTE 1: In Lion and Mountain Lion the Home/Library folder is now invisible. To make it permanently visible enter the following in the Terminal application window: chflags nohidden ~/Library and press the Return key - 10.7: Un-hide the User Library folder.

NOTE 2: iWeb 2 (08) is not compatible with Mt. Lion. So if you're moving it to a Mac running Mt. Lion you'll need to obtain a copy of iWeb 3 to use.

OT

I have the same question, but in a very worse case: On my old computer, there is file named domain.sites2 with a size of about 3.8 GB. When I try to copy the file to the same location in the new computer, first I get a warning that the transfer could not be completed before anything is done because this file would already exist. But later a file with the same name is copied having a size of 20 MB. This file cannot be opened. I have tried many tricks (e.g. putting the file in another folder or copying to another location on the new computer.

The file on the old computer is not corrupted. I can use it like before. After deleting all files with the name domain.sites2, the search does not detect any files like this. But I am still not able to copy it in the same size. Where is the culprit?

Change the name of the file to Domain-2.sites2 and try to copy it to the Desktop on the new Mac.

To open your domain file in Lion or Mountain 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

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

Just launch the application, find and select the domain file in your Home/Library/Application Support/iWeb folder that 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.

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.

NOTE: In Lion and Mountain Lion the Home/Library folder is now invisible. To make it permanently visible in Lion or Mt. Lion enter the following in the Terminal application window: chflags nohidden ~/Library and press the Return key - 10.7: Un-hide the User Library folder.

For Mavericks, 10.9, go to your Home folder and use the View ➙ Show View Optionsmenu to bring the this window:

Thanks for helping.

I did all what you describe. Sometimes the new file is copied in full size, in other cases it is reduced to 20 MB. I can rename the file and put in the correct folder (Application Support) in full size. After opening iWeb, it is reduced to 20 MB again. What hack does iWeb do with my files? Kind of Voodoo?

iWeb Switch does not function in Mavericks. I have downloaded it multiple times. The system claims the app is corrupted.

The only progress is that I can open iWeb, but generate fully new websites. What else might be useful?

Thanks again. I have just changed the security settings of my new computer. iWeb Switch worked now and opened my original websites.

The help came through what you had written to another user.

🙂

I read your instructions as well as most of the postings else where but I don't have or see an iWeb folder in Home/Library/Application Support in my old MBP running 10.9.3. You said create one. How do you do this? And I have no idea where my files are for my web pages in the old MBP. I went searching in Finder using "iWeb" and "domain"...nothing!?!

I have copied the iWeb application (3.0.4) from the old mac and downloaded it to my new MBA. Open successfully but obviously without the files from the original in the old MBP.

Thanks a million for any help.

If you don't have that iWeb folder on your old Mac then you don't have a domain file to move over to the new Mac. You jumped into this thread without indicating what your problem is.

Download and run Find Any File to search for a file with "Domain.site" in the file name.

FAF can search areas that Spotlight can't like invisible folders, system folders and packages. If there's a Domain file hiding somewhere on your hard drive FAF will find it.

Of course there is an iWeb folder. You simply tell it wrong everytime.

Home does not exist, but the Home directory does.

Or use this:

~/Library/Application Support/iWeb/

Or better yet :

http://wyodor.byethost8.com/iwebsites/iWebSites.html

I jumped into this thread because I wanted to know how to transfer the files from iWeb from one mac to another. I was having a lot of problems with my 3 year old macbook pro after dropping it by accident. I treated myself to a new macbook air. I went through the many treads and decided you were the nearest to what I am looking for.

The problem I have is that I could not find the Domain.site file in Finder to copy into the new mac. I did follow your instruction and went into ~/Library/Application Support but there was no iWeb folder and therefore no Domain.site file to copy and transfer. Therefore I came here to ask for assistance.

However, I have now followed your advise and downloaded Find Any File and somehow it found the file Domain.sites2 file under the path ~/Library/Application Support/iWeb/Domain.site2. Strange, as I went back into Finder and followed the same path ~/Library/Application Support/iWeb but no Domain.site2 file.

From the window of Find Any File, I dragged it into desktop and then copied it into a USB drive and then transfer and copied it into the location as suggested to the new mac. I then opened the iWeb application which I have previously copied from the old mac into the new mac. But it opened without my files and asking me to choose a template. I even restarted the mac but to no avail. One note, when I copied the file to the USB drive the file changed to just Domain, so I changed it back to Domain.sites2.

Any further advise??

Thanks.

You can drag the domain file from the search results window to the Desktop.

Old Toad - I know this is an old thread. I'm trying to move an iWeb site from a machine running 10.6.8 to a machine running 10.11. I have found the Domain.sites2 file on the original computer, copied it on a flash drive over to the new computer, and put it in the Home/Library/Application Support/iWeb folder. I then try to open iWeb, and like Jimmy Loh, iWeb just asks me to start a new site. I have searched the archives and the Google and not found any other information about moving sites from one computer to another. What am I doing wrong?

Thank you for your help.

To open your domain file in Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite or El Capitan 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

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

Control (right) - click on the app and select Open to launch the application for the first time. Find and select the domain file in your Home/Library/Application Support/iWeb folder that 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.

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.

NOTE: In Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks and Yosemite the Home/Library folder is now invisible. To make it permanently visible in Lion or Mt. Lion enter the following in the Terminal application window: chflags nohidden ~/Library and press the Return key - 10.7: Un-hide the User Library folder.

For Mavericks, and Yosemite, go to your Home folder and use the View ➙ Show View Options menu to bring the this window:

Couldn't find the information?

If you had followed the link in my post above, you could have solved the problem

Scroll upwards or follow the link :

Link to this post

Old Toad - I can do some things on a computer, but am still not very literate. I watched a YouTube video on transferring my iWeb content from one computer (2007 Macbook Pro running Lion 10.7.5) to a desktop also running Lion.It looked pretty easy and I found everything OK except the file in iWeb was only labeled "domain" without ".sites.2" Then I followed the directions for the transfer, but I have the same problem as Jimmy Loh and skookumchick - I was unable to get iWeb on the receiving computer to open the transferred domain file from the older computer.; it only opened a new site/templates. I also am afraid I may have accidentally overwritten the older version of iWeb domain by not realizing how or when I should use the "save" or "don't save" buttons!! (I am not at all familiar with what you mean to make an Applescript application out of the copied "/usr/bin ...etc", so I did not try that!) If I indeed "lost" the old website domain, is there any way to get it back?? (I'm feeling way out of my league & would not like to start re-creating our website from scratch!! I checked and our website, www.tiemeierstudios.com, is still accessible on the web... if that could also help me retrieve it!) Thanks for whatever advice you can give me!