8 Replies Latest reply: Jul 22, 2011 12:27 PM by Jd_Johnson8 RSS

    DW is previewing locally instead of remotely

    Jd_Johnson8 Community Member

      When I use the "Preview" drop down to choose what browser to preview my file in, Dreamweaver isn't going to the server to bring the file up in the browser.  It is pulling the local file so that on my .asp pages where i am using include files, they won't appear correctly in the browser.

       

      When i click that preview drop down, it no longer asks me if I want to update the file on the server to preview it.

       

      How do I get this back to the way it was, and do you have any idea why this might have changed in the first place?  I don't remember changing any settings, but I may have and didn't realize what I was doing.

       

      I am using DW from CS5 on OS 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard).

       

      tia!!!

       

      Jd

        • 1. Re: DW is previewing locally instead of remotely
          MurraySummers CommunityMVP

          When I use the "Preview" drop down to choose what browser to preview my file in, Dreamweaver isn't going to the server to bring the file up in the browser.  It is pulling the local file so that on my .asp pages where i am using include files, they won't appear correctly in the browser.

           

          But DW never does this.  If you have defined a testing server for the site, then DW will request the testing server to SERVE the file to the preview, in which case you will see the server scripting properly executed.  But without a testing server defined, you can only view the local HTML.

          • 2. Re: DW is previewing locally instead of remotely
            Jd_Johnson8 Community Member

            actually, when creating Active Server Pages .asp files, DW has to upload to the server in order to process the file and get an accurate preview. I am using Server Side Includes, and in order to process those, they need to go through the server where the includes are located.  I am not using a testing server. Thus, my problem - it stopped going to the server to preview the file.

             

            Jd

            • 3. Re: DW is previewing locally instead of remotely
              MurraySummers CommunityMVP

              actually, when creating Active Server Pages .asp files, DW has to upload to the server in order to process the file and get an accurate preview.

               

              No - I believe that IIS will still serve ASP.  Or am I mistaken?

              • 4. Re: DW is previewing locally instead of remotely
                bregent CommunityMVP

                Murray, he is saying is that he does not have a local server - he's running Snow Leopard so I'm pretty sure that's true

                WIthout a test server, preview should execute the file on the remote server. I'm not sure what may have changed to prevent this.

                • 5. Re: DW is previewing locally instead of remotely
                  Jd_Johnson8 Community Member

                  Yes, sorry if my terminology isn't accurate, but normally DW puts the file on the server and then shows me the prevew from the server.  instead, when i hit preview, the browser shows me the file as url "file:///volumes..."  it used to show url "http://www...".  this is driving me crazy and dragging me down.  any help would be much appreciated.  i can't figure out any setting in DW where i can change this.

                   

                  Jd

                  • 6. Re: DW is previewing locally instead of remotely
                    MurraySummers CommunityMVP

                    In your definition of the Remote server, have you filled in the Web URL field?

                    • 7. Re: DW is previewing locally instead of remotely
                      Jd_Johnson8 Community Member

                      on one site, yes, it is defined.  on another it is not b/c it is an internal site on an internal server crossing a local network, and i've never had it defined that i can recall...besides that, i just checked my old system (OS 10.4.11) and DW - CS3 and it is doing the same thing.  I have not updated that system, nor have i made any changes on it since this problem began a week or so ago...And it is not like i can't upload files - I can, just fine, and when I manually plug in the url to the browser i see my changes.  I just can't get DW to update the server and preview from the server anymore...how is that possible?

                       

                      I am changing my name to Frustrated...

                      • 8. Re: DW is previewing locally instead of remotely
                        Jd_Johnson8 Community Member

                        Ok, I found the answer.  Please note, I have never previously defined a testing server in DW, so I have no idea what or how this was changed, maybe it was a DW update, or an OS update, or a change in our network that caused DW to detect that a setting needed to be changed - I am completely clueless...

                         

                        Anyways, when i go to the Manage Sites dialogue box, choose a site, click edit, and then select Servers, i turned the checkmark on for Testing as well as Remote.  And Wa-la!!!! - DW is back to previewing the way it used to.

                         

                        I had to go and do this across all of my sites, and they are all working successfully!

                         

                        Thank you to anyone who put some effort in on my question.  I truly appreciate your help, time and efforts.  I hope this post helps somebody else along the way!

                         

                        Jd