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G
Goloh
Participating Frequently
May 15, 2018
Answered

My website won't let me edit

  • May 15, 2018
  • 1 reply
  • 1328 views

This might be the most naive question this month, but here goes.  Some 12 years ago, a webmaster built my website using Dreamweaver.  It sells things.  For inventory, descriptions, and so on, I can log in and do all that by myself.  But the structure of the site is "fixed" and I do not know how to edit the mistakes:  that webmaster has disappeared, and I can't find anyone else.  After I log in, and right click to "inspect source" or "View Element,"  I can see what looks like coding, but no amount of highlighting or clicking delete--or anything else I can see--lets me edit some of the mistakes.  

Even I use FileZilla to back up the site from time to time, but can't figure out how to get into the codes while logged into that, either.

Can anyone please suggest a way I can actually get into the heart of the coding and make some simple changes?   Many thanks ...

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer John Waller

I don't know what to say:  the website doesn't have anything called a "Style" folder, or anything like "main.css," or if it does, I would not know where to find it.  Using Internet Explorer 11, there's a toolbar at the top and one item is "View".  Under that, there's "Style" but clicking that only leads to two options:  "No Style," or "Default Style," and I'm certain that's not what you mean. 

This was my fault, for not insisting the original webmaster show me how to enter the coding so I could do it myself.  But he's gone.

Please direct me, then, to what I need to do to find the "main.css" because it must be very close.  Meanwhile, I will also tery logging in through the host server, and see if what you mention is visible there.

Thanks.


Seems like you're trying to edit your website using a web browser. That won't work.

You need a web editor. Or at least access to the server where the web files reside so you can download them, edit them and save them. That's what a web editor like DW does for you from your desktop via FTP.

In IE, View Source shows this on line 62

<link href="style/main.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />

so you've definitely got a styles folder, and many more.

You just can't edit it without FTP access (username/password).

1 reply

John Waller
Community Expert
John WallerCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 15, 2018

What is the website address?

Which version of Dreamweaver are you using?

G
GolohAuthor
Participating Frequently
May 15, 2018

1.  globalpostcardsales.com

2.  I don't know because the webmaster did it.  Can you tell me how to find out?

Thanks.

G
GolohAuthor
Participating Frequently
May 16, 2018

You need a code editor like Dreamweaver or Brackets to open and edit CSS & HTML files.   Which code editor do you have?


I've not made myself clear:  I know nothing about coding or editing, and had a webmaster to handle all that for me.  With his sudden departure, it left me in the position of finding another one, or learning how to make (what I thought might be) simple changes by myself.  As this message string shows, that is going to be over my head. 

I have no code editor, and wouldn't really know what to do with it if I had it.  Apart from this forum, I looked online for varous Dreamweaver discussions and instructions.  The basic message seems to be that one needs to be pretty good with this already to start messing with it.

But I am grateful for these messages, from you and John and Ben above.  They corrected one major error in my thinking, that I could just log into the site (online), somehow access the coding, and make my changes.  Obviously not so, and no point in wasting time trying.  Where I live, we are not swimming in available coders but I will keep looking for someone experienced in Dreamweaver who might want to help.

Thank you all.

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