Skip to main content
MsLinda
Participant
May 14, 2026
Question

No Person Left Behind need your help to learn how to update our website with DW 21.7

  • May 14, 2026
  • 3 replies
  • 53 views

We are a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit org, No Person Left Behind.org, and we need your help to learn how to update our website with DW 21.7 and add some new features that have been requested.

We started back in 2005 with our website using Windows FrontPage. Then, when it was dropped, we moved to Windows Expression.  We currently have one sub-website using Expressions 4 and the other using DW5/6, both on Windows 10 Pro. till win 10 Pro end of life. 

We tried to upgrade to Windows 11 Pro, but the software would not work on our system, so like many others, we had to buy a new desktop and reinstall all the software.  A lot of my Windows Office software would not work on Windows 11 Pro, so I installed Office 365 and Creative Cloud Pro, which included DW 21.7.

Now the issue: I'm very old-school, need some help with our website, and am also learning how to use DW 21.7.   

 Your help would be greatly appreciated so very much

 

Ms. Linda
Executive Director
No Person Left Behind.org

    3 replies

    Community Expert
    May 20, 2026

    @MsLinda , 

    I think ​@Ben M and ​@Nancy OShea both raise very valid points, especially regarding security, hosting maintenance and long term sustainability.

    Before making a major decision about rebuilding or migrating everything, it may help to better understand what kind of help and new features you actually need:
    • updating existing pages,
    • donation or contact forms,
    • mobile support,
    • news/events,
    • multiple editors,
    • or more dynamic functionality.

    The answer may help determine whether a gradual modernization of the current site is enough, or whether moving toward WordPress, Squarespace or another platform would make more sense long term.

    Since your workflow evolved progressively from FrontPage to Expression Web and then Dreamweaver over many years, it may also help to approach this transition step by step rather than feeling forced to rebuild everything immediately.

    Dreamweaver 21.7 can still work perfectly well as a code editor and site management tool for maintaining older static or semi static websites. In many cases, the real challenge today is less Dreamweaver itself and more the surrounding ecosystem:
    • secure hosting,
    • HTTPS/SSL,
    • backups,
    • spam protection,
    • responsive layouts,
    • and modern maintenance practices.

    Regarding the HTTPS/security issue ​@Nancy OShea mentioned, this article may also help clarify some of the practical migration steps older websites often encounter: Migrating a website from HTTP to HTTPS 

    Please don’t hesitate to let us know

    Community Expert
    May 15, 2026

    I wouldn’t recommend wordpress in these instances. If you are not wanting to work in code or worry about hosting, I would look towards a hosted solution like Squarespace or Wix. They offer non-profit discounts and have templates that you could easily use. They would also take care of the SSL and security that has been brought up. Then you don’t need the current hosting you have, nor the subscription to Dreamweaver which should save you a lot of money in the long run. There would still be the migration piece to move your content, but looking at the age of the site and that many links are to PDFs or external sites, it looks like that would be a moderate lift, but easier than trying to learn Dreamweaver or updating the site with Wordpress.

    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    May 15, 2026

    Squarespace is fine if you have the budget for it and don’t mind being tethered to their hosting service, templates & modules. Self-hosting is not an option. 

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
    Community Expert
    May 16, 2026

    I agree, but if you don’t have the expertise or time to manage, moving to a hosted solution often makes sense. A subscription to DW alone is ~$23/mo and if add in cheap godaddy hosting (14.99/mo, not the 5.99 promo price) the price is greater than the hosted solution. 

    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    May 14, 2026

    Your site has problems, it’s not on a secure web server. 😣

     

    Use WordPress. That’s the favorite choice among non-profits, charities & NGOs. 

    Here’s an example: NoChildLeftBehind

     

    WordPress Themes for Non-Profits

    https://jetpack.com/resources/best-wordpress-themes-and-plugins-for-nonprofits/

     

    Learn to Use WordPress

    https://learn.wordpress.org/

    Switching from stand-alone software to WordPress moves your site editing from a single computer to your online website. Your WP dashboard can be accessed from anywhere with any web device (mobile, tablet or laptop). In a natural disaster, this could be critically important. 

     

    Hope that helps.

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
    MsLinda
    MsLindaAuthor
    Participant
    May 14, 2026

    That would be nice, but i do not know how to do that since i have never used WordPress and i have so many pages and storage files listed on the site., i need to have someone who has worked with WP to help me or be able to convert it for me

    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    May 14, 2026

    Everyone, young & old can use WordPress. That’s why it’s the most popular CMS. 

     

    Most reputable hosting providers offer one-click WP installation. Or you could pay them to install it for you.

     

    Once WP is deployed on your server, the rest is just copy & paste busy work. Recruit some volunteers to help you. Or hire a WP developer. Finding one will not be a problem.

    https://www.codeable.io/

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert