Exporting Dreamweaver Site Definitions
It’s a good idea to periodically backup your Dreamweaver site settings. When you backup your site settings the backup file is saved with an *.ste extension. This file includes your Remote site information (FTP username, login name, and password), Local Site Information, (the local path to your root folder), and any testing server information you may have setup. This is especially handy if you have to switch to a different computer or you want to setup classroom site definitions at home. This process does not backup the actual site files (html). To manually backup your Dreamweaver Site Definitions, perform the following steps:
- Click Site > Manage Sites.
- Select the site you would like to backup from the list, click Export.
- Select Back up my settings (includes login, password and local paths).
- Save the site definition file inside your site folder (you can save it to another folder, but it should be easy to find in the site folder. You may want to give this file the same name as your site.
- Repeat this process for each of your sites.
- To Restore the Site Settings.
- Click Site > Manage Sites.
- Click Import.
- Browse to your site folder and locate the ste file, click Open.
If you are prompted for to Choose the local root folder for site “sitename”, navigate to the folder that contains your site files (html). You will probably receive this message if you copy a site definition in class and then Import the settings at home. You must tell Dreamweaver where the local files are located if they are not found in the same “exact” folder path that was used when you performed the Export. Since you do not have a drive F:\ at home, you will have to navigate to the new folder location. A new site cache will be recreated and you’re done!
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August 5th, 2006 at 5:45 pm
Do you know of an extension that would allow all sites to be exported at once?
Once you have more than 20 sites it get’s to be a bit painful to do a back-up, or for that matter share the site settings with your laptop:)
August 13th, 2006 at 5:41 pm
exported 100+ sites today
1. closed all macromedia apps
2. started regedit (start -> run, write regedit)
3. find and select
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Macromedia\Common\8 \Sites
4. file -> export, save the registry file
5. run the file on new computer
If you want to change path to you local files, open the file and use search/replace.
December 10th, 2006 at 7:54 am
Hi Jesper,
did exactly as you described, however my sites do not show up in dreamweaver after i’ve updated the registry with the contents of Common\8\Sites.
Sites are in the same directory as before the format.
Rgds, dj
February 4th, 2007 at 9:08 am
Does anyone know how to recover site settings from a straight file system backup? My hard disk died, but my files are all backed up. I just need to know where to look for the directory and file where DW stores the file data (i.e. I didn’t create .ste files…lesson learned!).
February 26th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
Les: I currently have the same problem, I am able to recover the files after a reformat of the drive, however I cannot access the registry. On a PC this is where DW stores its site information. I have tried MM_exporter, but no luck.
Though, If you are on a Mac I believe the files are stored here:
users//Library/Preferences/Dreamweaver 8 Prefs
I am on a PC and I have a feeling I have to just recreate all my sites as I have no access to my previous registery. Unless someone can prove otherwise!
Let me know how you got on.
Kurt
October 26th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Thanks for this very helpful tip! Saved me lots of time.