default and index pages

[misslilbit02]

Somebody please help me. I recently changed from frontpage to dreamweaver and in front page you could have a bunch of folders and the default or index page in that folder would pop up when you referenced that folder. Now in dreamweaver...the I have to include the default page in the URL.

For instance:

In frontpage http://www.somewhere.com/folder/
Then the default page in that folder would come up

In dreamweaver http://www.somewhere.com/folder/
I get a HTTP 403 Forbidden error

Can someone help me get the default page to come up in this instance.

Thanks so much!!!

[KDLA]

Were (or are) you using FrontPage extensions on your web server, and relying on them for configuration? If so, they aren't compatible with Dreamweaver. You may need to change the configuration settings and forego using the extensions.

Here's some more information: http://www.htmlgoodies.com/beyond/webmaster/article.php/3473251

KDLA

[misslilbit02]

I know they aren't compatible with dreamweaver.

I had a site totally redesigned. So it's not the same pages. Yes I was relying on front page but no longer am.

I'm just trying to figure out how to get my default page to show up.

[nickelleon]

Technically, every document on the web needs to be called with the filename as well. www.google.com is a shortcut for www.google.com/index.html. The shortcut part of this is handled by Apache. Its called the Directory Index and is an ordered list of possible filenames to be used as default when one is not specified.

For instance, if I go to google.com, their Directory Index can be:

index.htm
index.html
index.php
default.htm
default.html
default.php


When I visit www.google.com, Apache will check the Directory Index for the first file in the list. If it doesnt find it, it goes to the next. And the next, so on and so forth until it goes through all the files looking for a default file.

If it cant find the default file, it will display a 403 Forbidden error.

As someone mentioned, your Frontpage extensions may have its own Directory Index that it uses (maybe overiding Apache's? I dunno), and the extensions may handle what your "first page" is. This means that you can call your default page awesome.htm and the Frontpage extensions will load that as the index? I dont use Frontpage, but I can see Microsoft including something like this..

Anyways, ask your web host for their Directory Index if you want to see what filenames you can use. 99.999% of the time, just renaming your file to index.htm or index.html will fix this.

[ray326]

If it cant find the default file, it will display a 403 Forbidden error.If it can't fine an index file AND directory indexing is forbidden.

The desired index page has to match one in the server's list of potential index pages. On Apache servers (when allowed) you can use .htaccess to redefine the set of index page names for a directory tree.

[misslilbit02]

Renaming the file from default.htm to index.htm doesn't help.

I'm not using an Apache I'm using a windows server. Does anyone have insight into accomplishing this task using a Windows server.

[KDLA]

It's been a long time since I've done this, but I think you go into IIS Manager, then to the virtual directory and click properties; there you can go to the documents and set up the default page.

[kelly23]

Did you try default.html and index.html? Did you also change hosts?

Most hosts provide several options, but yours may not, so you have to use the exact one that they specify.

[nickelleon]

default.htm is common entry in a directory index, as is index.htm, so something else is wrong here. Can you provide more information and maybe the URL this is happening on?