Administration home/fpadmcgi.exe & web stats error

[carissa]

I have a few problems with my website I can't seem to fix (I should
indicate that I am not the one who built the website, I only maintain/
fix it; the guy who built it isn't around anymore). It's hosted by
GoDaddy.com on a Linux server using Apache, and I have contacted
GoDaddy, and they told me they have no plans at this point to
discontinue support for FrontPage Server Extensions.

So, on to the problems:

1) I had web stats disabled (it's an internal, entirely password-
protected website, so no need); when you did searches, though, a file
called "Web Stats Disabled" shows up (the search features uses WAIS,
not IIS). So I enablded Web Stats through GoDaddy, and now when you
search, THAT file comes up as "Web Stats Enabled." The location of the
file is http://www.ourwebsite.com/stats/index.html. The file itself
just says (now): "You have recently enabled statistics for your
hosting account, but statistics have not yet begun to be collected for
your site. This process may take up to twenty four hours." The problem
is, I don't need web stats and I don't want this come up when I
search, but I can't delete the file OR change the name of the stats
directory. What can I do?

2) The Administration Home doesn't work perfectly for me, either. When
I login, it will let me add usernames/passwords, but it always
downloads "fpadmcgi.exe" for EACH username/password I enter/delete
(even if I have a copy just downloaded, sitting on my desktop). If I
attempt to install it, it gives me an error message, saying that "The
NTVDM CPU has encountered an illegal instruction," and then I have to
close it. It seems to get the job done, however, it won't do OTHER
Administration Home functions, like Recalculate Web or Check Server
Health. What's wrong, and how do I fix it?

Thanks in advance for any help--I'm self-taught by trial and error and
Internet research, so any help at all is appreciated.

Carissa

 

[Ronx]

Make the stats folder a subweb[1] - this will exclude the folder from
the WAIS search. Making the folder a subweb should not affect the stats
(or lack of them) but you may wish to confirm this with GoDaddy.

[1] Open the GoDaddy site in FrontPage, browse to the stats folder and
right click on it. Choose "Convert to web"
Confirm the conversion
Then use Tools->Recalculate Hyperlinks to update the WAIS text index.


"fpadmcgi.exe" should not download - it should run on the server.
Since it is a file compiled for Unix, it is bound to generate an error
if you run it on a Windows PC. The extensions need to be checked by
GoDaddy.
--
Ron Symonds - Microsoft MVP (FrontPage)
Reply only to group - emails will be deleted unread.
FrontPage Support: http://www.frontpagemvps.com/
http://www.rxs-enterprises.org/fp

 

[carissa]

Yesterday, I attempted to follow both suggestions but unfortunately,
ran into problems.

On #1 (making stats folder a subweb): it would not let me convert to
web; when I selecte that, it would give me this error message:
Server error: Cannot create folder "_vti_pvt".
What am I doing wrong? Do I need to disable web stats first?

On #2 (talking to GoDaddy), things also did not go as planned. At
first they told me the file was being downloaded because it was a
virus on my computer; when I insisted that not everything that ends
with the file extension .exe is a virus, they came back and told me it
was because I was attempting to use FrontPage extensions they don't
allow, notably the multiple-user feature. Now, this is a little
confusing because I was told last week when I called in to ask about
their support for FP SE specifically, and was told that they had no
intentions of discontinuing support for it anytime soon. Also, this
doesn't explain why I get the file download when I'm trying to do non-
username/password stuff like check server health and recalculate web.
So, according to them, what I need to do is delete all the users
except one, then use their hosting manager to create users. The
problem with their hosting manager is all of its users are able to FTP
(upload & download), and our users should not be able to do that at
all; they should only be able to view the website. I told them I
thought the problem might be on their end with the extensions install,
and the only response I got was that I have the power to reinstall FP
SE in the control panel. I really hate to do that if that's only
possibly the problem because I really don't want to republish
everything unless I have to, but that might be my only option. Any
advice?

Thanks,
Carissa

Make the stats folder a subweb[1] - this will exclude the folder from
the WAIS search. Making the folder a subweb should not affect the stats
(or lack of them) but you may wish to confirm this with GoDaddy.

[1] Open the GoDaddy site in FrontPage, browse to the stats folder and
right click on it. Choose "Convert to web"
Confirm the conversion
Then use Tools->Recalculate Hyperlinks to update the WAIS text index.

"fpadmcgi.exe" should not download - it should run on the server.
Since it is a file compiled for Unix, it is bound to generate an error
if you run it on a Windows PC. The extensions need to be checked by
GoDaddy.
--
Ron Symonds - Microsoft MVP (FrontPage)
Reply only to group - emails will be deleted unread.
FrontPage Support: http://www.frontpagemvps.com/http://www.rxs-enterprises.org/fp

I have a few problems with my website I can't seem to fix (I should
indicate that I am not the one who built the website, I only maintain/
fix it; the guy who built it isn't around anymore). It's hosted by
GoDaddy.com on a Linux server using Apache, and I have contacted
GoDaddy, and they told me they have no plans at this point to
discontinue support for FrontPage Server Extensions.

 

[Ronx]

#1 - Sounds like GoDaddy has set up the stats folder so that only the
stats program can write to it. You will have to ask GoDaddy to convert
it to a subweb.

#2 - If GoDaddy does not support multiple users, then the Server
Permissions option in the FrontPage menus should be inactive, and
Administration Home page should not have a section for adding users.
This is another pointer to the extensions not being installed or
configured correctly. Any host can choose what aspects of the
extensions they support, or do not support (my host does not support
email transport). GoDaddy has a history in these newsgroups of not
being a good host when it comes to extensions.

Reinstalling the extensions may cure the problems. But it may destroy
any existing subwebs which must be restored before you publish anything.
The first publish you make may have to be a complete publish, since
re-installing the extensions may also destroy the FrontPage meta data on
the server. Or you may be lucky. In this situation I would bite the
bullet, remove the extensions and then reinstall them. Based on their
responses regarding fpadmcgi.exe I would change hosts at the earliest
opportunity.
--
Ron Symonds - Microsoft MVP (FrontPage)
Reply only to group - emails will be deleted unread.
FrontPage Support: http://www.frontpagemvps.com/
http://www.rxs-enterprises.org/fp

Yesterday, I attempted to follow both suggestions but unfortunately,
ran into problems.

On #1 (making stats folder a subweb): it would not let me convert to
web; when I selecte that, it would give me this error message:
Server error: Cannot create folder "_vti_pvt".
What am I doing wrong? Do I need to disable web stats first?

On #2 (talking to GoDaddy), things also did not go as planned. At
first they told me the file was being downloaded because it was a
virus on my computer; when I insisted that not everything that ends
with the file extension .exe is a virus, they came back and told me it
was because I was attempting to use FrontPage extensions they don't
allow, notably the multiple-user feature. Now, this is a little
confusing because I was told last week when I called in to ask about
their support for FP SE specifically, and was told that they had no
intentions of discontinuing support for it anytime soon. Also, this
doesn't explain why I get the file download when I'm trying to do non-
username/password stuff like check server health and recalculate web.
So, according to them, what I need to do is delete all the users
except one, then use their hosting manager to create users. The
problem with their hosting manager is all of its users are able to FTP
(upload & download), and our users should not be able to do that at
all; they should only be able to view the website. I told them I
thought the problem might be on their end with the extensions install,
and the only response I got was that I have the power to reinstall FP
SE in the control panel. I really hate to do that if that's only
possibly the problem because I really don't want to republish
everything unless I have to, but that might be my only option. Any
advice?

Thanks,
Carissa

Make the stats folder a subweb[1] - this will exclude the folder from
the WAIS search. Making the folder a subweb should not affect the stats
(or lack of them) but you may wish to confirm this with GoDaddy.

[1] Open the GoDaddy site in FrontPage, browse to the stats folder and
right click on it. Choose "Convert to web"
Confirm the conversion
Then use Tools->Recalculate Hyperlinks to update the WAIS text index.

"fpadmcgi.exe" should not download - it should run on the server.
Since it is a file compiled for Unix, it is bound to generate an error
if you run it on a Windows PC. The extensions need to be checked by
GoDaddy.
--
Ron Symonds - Microsoft MVP (FrontPage)
Reply only to group - emails will be deleted unread.
FrontPage Support: http://www.frontpagemvps.com/http://www.rxs-enterprises.org/fp

I have a few problems with my website I can't seem to fix (I should
indicate that I am not the one who built the website, I only maintain/
fix it; the guy who built it isn't around anymore). It's hosted by
GoDaddy.com on a Linux server using Apache, and I have contacted
GoDaddy, and they told me they have no plans at this point to
discontinue support for FrontPage Server Extensions.