Access To Site Stopped?

[pliles]

I was minding my own business, taking care of some minor updates to my 100 DW sites, and all of a sudden, I couldn't see the sites anymore.    In the upper right-hand corner where my sites used to be displayed, I get:

Using file manager, I see the sites under  HomeImac2020 as directory Sites: :

 

I scrolled it but could not find anything related to the 100 sites I had for years.   That means I cannot access them or update them.

I am using an iMac with the latest OS and version 21.5 of DW..

I am puzzled!

ALSO, the "Manage Site" dialog box comes up empty!  It used to be full of the names of my sites.

 I cannot get  DW to see HomeImas2020

Any help would be appreciated

http://lilesnet.com

Paul Liles

[email address removed by Moderator - this is to stop spammers from hammering your inbox]

[BenPleysier]

Hi Paul,
One thing that might help: try clearing Dreamweaver’s internal cache. It’s stored in a file called MacFileCache-<randomString>.dat inside the Configuration folder. For your setup (DW 21.5 on macOS), you’ll likely find it here:

MacHD/Users/<your username>/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Dreamweaver CC/<language>/Configuration/

Just quit Dreamweaver, delete that .dat file, and relaunch the app. DW will rebuild the cache automatically. This has resolved visibility issues for others when the “Manage Sites” dialog goes blank.

Let us know if that brings your sites back—or if you need help locating the file.

[Nancy OShea]

If you previously exported your site definition settings, you can recover them by importing your .ste files into DW's Manage Sites panel. 

Whenever I create a new site definition, I export my .ste files and store them in a safe place (external HD or USB stick) to have as backup. 

See Restore Preferences. 

https://helpx.adobe.com/dreamweaver/kb/restore-preferences-dreamweaver.html

[pliles]

Thank you both for the assistance.  I am 81 years old an what used to come easy, does not aymore!

I wanted to make sure you knew that I have close to 100 DW sites, because if I put everything in one site, it would be almost 400 GB.   As an example, I have one site dedicated to Christmas with the family.  I have kept it online since 2000, and it alone is 48 GB.   

For some unexplained reason, the Files Panel, which used to have a top directory of "Sites," disappeared???

It is located at iMac2020HD/Users/Homemac2020/Sites .  If I could get DW to make that the top directory on the Files Panel, I would likely be OK, right?

Right now I am afraid to do anything.  If it is safe I will try Ben's idea of rebuilding the cache.

I'm not sure, Nancy, where the .ste files are, but I will look for them.  Since you have helped me before, I tried your suggestion, but the File Panel came up without a change. I still cannot see the DW sites I used to have shown.

I REALLY REALLY appreciate your patience with the old man!

Paul Liles

[BenPleysier]

Paul, thank you for your kind words, and for reminding me that age is just a number. You were born in 1944, I was born in 1943, so between us we’ve got over 160 years of combined wisdom (and probably a few grey hairs earned from Adobe quirks alone).

As for the missing “Sites” directory, I still think rebuilding the cache is safe and worth a try. It’s like giving DW a gentle nudge to remember where it left its glasses. If it works, your top-level directory at iMac2020HD/Users/Homemac2020/Sites should reappear in the Files Panel, and you’ll be back in business.

@Nancy OShea’s advice on .ste files is also gold—those little guys are your site definitions in miniature. If you find them, you can re-import and restore your setup without breaking a sweat.

You’re not “just an old man,” Paul, you’re a digital archivist, a patient troubleshooter, and a generous soul. We’re lucky to be on your team.

[pliles]

OK Ben,

The old man is on a search for the  

MacHD/Users/<your username>/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Dreamweaver CC/<language>/Configuration/   loction!     Is there amything beyond /Configuration/ ??

and.... I feel safe now!  160 years, WOW!!

Paul Liles
   

[pliles]

I can't seem to find the file you told me about.  As you can see, I have been using DW for a long time.  None of  the DW------ directories have a  "Configuration" directory?

I will keep looking...

Paul

The closest I have come is:

The closest I have come is 

[BenPleysier]

This is what Copilot suggests:

Here's a clear guide for Paul Liles (pliles) to locate the Dreamweaver Configuration folder on a Mac:

---

🧭 How to Navigate to Dreamweaver’s Configuration Folder on macOS

To find the folder: MacHD/Users/<your username>/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Dreamweaver CC/<language>/Configuration/

Follow these steps:

:magnifying_glass_tilted_left: Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Open Finder
   Click the Finder icon in your Dock.

2. Access the Library Folder

   • Press Command + Shift + G to open the “Go to Folder” dialog.

   • Here's a clear guide for Paul Liles (pliles) to locate the Dreamweaver Configuration folder on a Mac:

     ---

     🧭 How to Navigate to Dreamweaver’s Configuration Folder on macOS

     To find the folder: MacHD/Users/<your username>/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Dreamweaver CC/<language>/Configuration/

     Follow these steps:

     :magnifying_glass_tilted_left: Step-by-Step Instructions

     1. Open Finder
        Click the Finder icon in your Dock.

     2. Access the Library Folder

        • Press Command + Shift + G to open the “Go to Folder” dialog.
        • Type:

          ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Dreamweaver CC/
          

        • Press Enter.

     3. Choose Your Language Folder
        Inside the Dreamweaver CC folder, you’ll see folders named by language (e.g., en_US, fr_FR). Open the one that matches your Dreamweaver language setting.

     4. Open the Configuration Folder
        You should now see the Configuration folder. This is where Dreamweaver stores internal settings, including the MacFileCache-<random>.dat file.

     ---

     🧹 What to Do Once You're There

     • Quit Dreamweaver.
     • Locate and delete the file named something like:
       MacFileCache-<randomString>.dat
     • Relaunch Dreamweaver. It will rebuild the cache automatically.

     This process often resolves issues where the “Manage Sites” dialog appears empty or the Files Panel loses track of your site directories.

     ---

     Let me know if Paul needs help identifying his language folder or if he’d like a script to automate the cleanup.

     Type:

     ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Dreamweaver CC/
     

   • Press Enter.

3. Choose Your Language Folder
   Inside the Dreamweaver CC folder, you’ll see folders named by language (e.g., en_US, fr_FR). Open the one that matches your Dreamweaver language setting.

4. Open the Configuration Folder
   You should now see the Configuration folder. This is where Dreamweaver stores internal settings, including the MacFileCache-<random>.dat file.

---

🧹 What to Do Once You're There

• Quit Dreamweaver.
• Locate and delete the file named something like:
  MacFileCache-<randomString>.dat
• Relaunch Dreamweaver. It will rebuild the cache automatically.

This process often resolves issues where the “Manage Sites” dialog appears empty or the Files Panel loses track of your site directories.

[Nancy OShea]

Tell Mac Finder to Show Hidden Files & Folders.

MacHD/Users/[yourname]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/DreamweaverCC/[language]/Configuration/

[pliles]

The more I search, the confusder I get !!

I found:

  

But I could not find any file entitled MacFileCache

The files I found are OLD and do not contain the current list of sites I have?