404 error for new site

[BQ]

Maybe I'm missing something, but wouldn't it be a lot easier to just rename your homepage in WD back to index.html and then reload the site?

This may be a good lesson to others (including myself) when recreating existing websites to give the new homepage the same extension as the old one.

[covoxer]

So I create a blank page. Copy what you have done, and then in the web properties dialogue, call the filename index.html. (Won't this be published as index.html.htm when WD adds on the suffix?). Then reload the entire site back up using the upload button?

Yes. But before uploading, export locally and make sure that index.html is in place and when you open it, the index.htm opens instead. If it's ok, then you may submit your site.

[covoxer]

Maybe I'm missing something, but wouldn't it be a lot easier to just rename your homepage in WD back to index.html and then reload the site?

The problem is, that in this case the www.bloomsburycleaning.co.uk/index.htm will give you 404 error.

[johne53]

DO you need both index.htm and index.html to be present?

I've generally found the safest option is to have both. It's only necessary for the 'index' page though. The other pages don't tend to create any problems.

[stuart1980]

Yes. But before uploading, export locally and make sure that index.html is in place and when you open it, the index.htm opens instead. If it's ok, then you may submit your site.

'Export locally' you mean press publish, it asks you to export, then just save it to anywhere on the pc. Open that file in my computer and click on index.html. If its the same as the homepage file then everything should be ok?

Sorry to be an idiot, I don't know much about this sort of technical stuff.

[covoxer]

'Export locally' you mean press publish, it asks you to export, then just save it to anywhere on the pc. Open that file in my computer and click on index.html. If its the same as the homepage file then everything should be ok?

Yes. But I'm not sure what you mean by publish. To make it clear, open main menu "File" / "Export website...". Then select a folder on your HDD to export the site to. When done, open this folder and double click on the index.html. If it shows as index.htm, then you may go back to WD and publish this site the usual way. If it doesn't, tell me what you see, and we'll try to make it work anyway.

[stuart1980]

My seo guy said he would sort it all out on Monday, and do a 301 redirect.

Thanks for the info guys, but I reckon I'll leave this to an expert as I'd probably muck it all up!