updating website from CS3 + CS4 version of Dreamweaver

[thomash70521303]

I created a website using Dreamweaver CS3 many years ago, which continue to look fine on my older computer windows XP.  Yea, it all sounds antique. It looked fine on my browser when launched and still does. [ I later acquired CS4 but did not use it. ]

I want to add new images and text and preserve much of the original website.

When I look at my website on newer computer operating systems, the text areas 'drift' from the original appearance viewed on my computer, meaning titles overlap, text is not justified, etc.

I now have a refurbished PC with windows 7.  Do I need to completely rebuild and if so do I need the latest version of the now Adobe software?   Any suggestions?

[pziecina]

CS4 should work fine. The only suggestion I would make is that you use html 5 and modern css. Which would be relatively simple, unless you wish to make your site responsive, (usable on both desktop and mobile devices).

Unfortunately I don't know if the Dw html5/css3 pack is available for CS4.

[hans-g.]

Hello Thomas,

stimulated by your question, I brought back my DW CS4. All my "modern" files made with DW CC, which I tested, looked the same and I could revise them without any problem. Best you try it. Use a file, copy it to another name, edit it and load it up to your server to see how effective your CS4 works.

Hans-Günter

[Nancy OShea · Accepted solution]

The browsers you once used on XP are end of life now.   Modern browsers are less forgiving of code errors and will render pages according to the modern web specifications.   IE7 and IE8 were not web standards compliant browsers.

Start by validating the code in your legacy web site pages.  If the errors are few, you can probably salvage what you have by fixing them.   Otherwise, it might be better to scrap the old site and build a new one.

CS4 is a legacy product (approx 9 years old and many versions behind the current CC 2017).  As such, its support for modern HTML5 and CSS3 is negligible.   In other words, to use modern code you will need to know how to work in Code View. 

Nancy

[hans-g.]

Hello Thomas,

In addition to Nancy's hint: Of course Nancy is correct in saying that "CS4 is a legacy product", on the other hand I can understand, that you want to use it (for a while! ). So a good alternative could be to use a free CC DW trial, to decide whether it is cost-effective for you to invest in CC. Here a link for Download a free trial or buy Adobe products | Adobe downloads and Update on Creative Cloud Trials | Adobe Customer Care Team (I quote: "Beginning May 9th, 2016 the length of the trial period for Creative Cloud will be standardized worldwide to 7 days.")

Hans-Günter

[mbk28]

Sometime DW don't show you the real design, you can see difference between the code and the graphic vue, you can see what's the good using browser