FP2000: Database Menu Item or Tab Is Unavailable

ID: Q241203

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft FrontPage 2000

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to use the Database features of FrontPage 2000, the Database menu item or Database tab may be unavailable (dimmed).


CAUSE

This design feature may be caused by one of several possibilities:

  • You are using an HTTP web server that does not have Active Server Pages (ASP) capabilities.


  • The Compatibility settings are set to not allow Active Server Pages (ASP).

    -or-

    The Compatibility settings are set to not allow features that require the FrontPage Server Extensions.


  • The page is not in a FrontPage web.



RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, use the method appropriate for your situation.

Method 1: Web Server Without ASP Capabilities

In order to use the database features of FrontPage, you must use a web server that has Active Server Pages capabilities. The following web servers ship with built-in ASP functionality:
  • Internet Information Server 4 for Windows NT Server


  • Microsoft Personal Web Server 4 for Windows NT Workstation, Windows 95, and Windows 98


The following web servers require an ASP add-on to be installed:
  • Internet Information Server 3 for Windows NT Server


  • Microsoft Peer Web Services for Windows NT Workstation


  • Microsoft Personal Web Server for Windows 95 and Windows 98


To obtain the Active Server Pages add-on for these servers, please download and install the ASP engine from the following location on the Microsoft World Wide Web site:
Active Server Pages Engine
NOTE: Some UNIX servers may support ASP through an add-on called Chili!ASP. Chili!ASP is created by ChiliSoft Corporation. Please consult with your server administrator for information about your UNIX server.

For more information about Chili!ASP, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q225204 FP2000: Using FrontPage Database Features on Servers Running Chili!ASP

Method 2: Compatibility Settings

With the Compatibility settings in FrontPage 2000, you can turn on and off features that are not available to certain Web browsers or web servers. This allows you to develop web sites for Web browsers without the risk of using unsupported features.

For example, you can turn off VBScript in the Compatibility settings. This is beneficial if you are developing web sites for Internet Explorer and Netscape browsers, because Netscape browsers do not interpret VBScript.

To turn on Active Server Pages in the Compatibility settings, follow these steps:
  1. Open your web.


  2. On the Tools menu, click Page Options.


  3. Click the Compatibility tab.


  4. In the lower-right corner of the dialog box, click to select the Active server pages check box.


  5. In the Servers list, click to select either Custom or Microsoft Internet Information Server 3.0 and later.


  6. Click to select the Enabled with FrontPage Server Extensions check box.


Method 3: Page Is Not in a FrontPage Web

If you have opened a web page without opening the web, the database features of FrontPage are unavailable. If you are not certain that this is the problem, click Folders in the Views pane. If a FrontPage web is not open, the following message appears in Folders view:
When a Web is open, this view lets you organize its files and folders.
To resolve this problem, use the resolution appropriate to your situation.

Resolution 1: Open Your FrontPage Web

Instead of opening the individual page, open the FrontPage web. To do this, follow these steps:
  1. On the File menu, click Open Web.


  2. Click Web Folders, and click to select the web you want to open. If no webs are listed in the web folders window, just type the folder path or the HTTP Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the web you want to open.


  3. Click Open.


Resolution 2: Import the Page into an Existing Web

To import the page into an existing web, follow these steps:
  1. Follow the steps listed in Resolution 1 section.


  2. On the File menu, click Import. (If Import is not visible, click the down arrow at the bottom of the menu, and then click Import.


  3. In the Import dialog box, click Add File.


  4. Navigate to the file you want to import, and click to select the file.


  5. Click Open.

    Repeat steps 3 through 5 to add as many files as you want.


  6. Click OK.


Additional query words: front page fpodbc

Keywords : kbdta
Version : WINDOWS:
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb


Last Reviewed: September 15, 1999
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