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Web site Archiving questions

by moneylab
3 replies
  • WEB DESIGN
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I have a friend who has a web site and a separate blog website that he would like archived before he takes the current versions offline.

He wants all existing links/pages/content to be viewable offline, including working links etc.

I've looked into two archiving programs, HT Track and Local Website Archive, which look like they will do the trick. However I have no experience whatsoever when it comes to archiving web sites.

My understanding is that the web site is basically stored on a folder on the hard drive of my computer, and can later be accessed and viewed even though the original site is no longer online/live on a hosting site. In the case of HT Track, it says they use a 'mirror' browser so I can view the web site which is stored on my hard drive.

Does anyone here have any experience with archiving, especially with either of the two previously mentioned archiving programs? Any cautions, things to be careful of, tips or suggestions?

Thanks for any and all input!
#archives #archiving #questions #site #storing websites offline #web #website archiving
  • Profile picture of the author Brandon Tanner
    I don't have any experience with those 2 programs in particular, but I can tell you that a static HTML website (one which does not involve PHP, MySQL, etc.), can be easily downloaded and used on a local computer.

    If that's the case, all you have to do is log into your site via FTP and download the 'public_html' folder onto your computer. Then you simply open up the index.html file inside that folder and navigate the site just like you would if it was online.

    IF the site relies on PHP, MySQL, etc., on the other hand (most blogs do), then things are a bit more tricky. If that's the case, then you won't be able to use the site on your local computer unless you first install server software on your computer (because PHP and MySQL require a server to run on). If you want to go that route, then XAMPP and WAMP are 2 popular options.
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  • Profile picture of the author ernestrategos
    Hello moneylab, I have had the same need. I ended up using Offline Explorer by MetaProducts. The software takes care of everyhing and it's pretty straightforward to use.

    I downloaded a dynamic website from within the application, after doing that I had several options such as file formats to navigate the site while offline. (It crawls the site and automatically changes links and page names so you can navigate locally through the site as HTML files if you'd like to.)

    I found it pretty useful when making presentations when an internet connection wasn't available for some reason.

    Other more technical choice is using Apache virtual hosts on your development machine, good luck!
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    • Profile picture of the author moneylab
      Brandon, thanks for the reply. Unfortunately we don't currently have admin access to the site. We are taking over the site November 1 but we want to have a copy of the existing site, including working links etc. prior to the current site manager taking it off line. We were hoping to find an archiving software so we wouldn't have to manually pdf-print or screenshot each and every page; it would be a massive undertaking because this site has been around for many many years.

      Ernest thanks very much, I'll take a look at that program!
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