Update! June 2008
Before you go through the trouble to install FrontPage Express--which still works under Windows XP--you may want to check out this instead: Mozilla SeaMonkey
Mozilla SeaMonkey is an all-in-one browser, email client, NNTP news client, IRC chat, and a very good HTML editor, completely free!
Note: Microsoft FrontPage Express is part of an old Internet Explorer package provided for Windows 98 and (I think) ME. As soon as Microsoft discontinues support for these old versions of Windows, it's quite likely that the process described here will suddenly stop working. To that I can only say... bummer!
FrontPage Express is a tolerable HTML editor, and is a free part of Microsoft Internet Explorer 5. I recommend that you get it there--assuming you are running Windows 95 or 98. However, if you're running any new version of Windows, you might miss out.
DISCLAIMER:
This page provides a way to attempt an install of Microsoft FrontPage Express from the IE download files. It usually works, but it's never a sure thing. For legacy reasons, I'm leaving this page up with this disclaimer:
-
Microsoft might move their links around without notice--and that breaks this procedure. It's their product, and they have the right to do whatever they want.
- If this breaks, I might not bother fixing it because Microsoft provides FrontPage Express for you in a more proper method--I recommend that you download Internet Explorer 4 or 5 instead. And as much as I like freebies, the full version FrontPage really blows away FrontPage Express and is worth the money if you're doing a lot of web development.
- If you're maintaining a large web site, I recommend Drupal.
- Also recommended: get OpenOffice (www.openoffice.org) and say "bye bye" to Microsoft forever!
- And for basic HTML editing, why not try Mozilla SeaMonkey instead?
So, with that out of the way, I present...
Getting FrontPage Express for Free
Quick overview
This is a simple, no-frills process with no major hacks necessary:
- You will need to download 2 CAB files from the Microsoft Internet Explorer distribution site.
- Extract them.
- Run a simple install.
Some of this is based on Microsoft's own reference materials from http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q171/2/41.asp
Step One: Download the Pieces
Step Two: For VERY OLD Windows 95 systems Only!
Extract the setupw95.cab, just in case.
This step is optional: only do this on Windows 95 systems without MSIE 4 or later.
- Extracting the contents of CAB files can be tricky. The easy solution is to head over to www.7-zip.org and download the latest version of 7-Zip--it handles these Microsoft CAB files very well.
- At any rate, your goal is to get advpack.dll from the second CAB file. Some older Windows 95 systems do not have a version of advpack.dll capable of doing the FrontPage Express install: you MIGHT need this file if you are installing FrontPage Express on a Windows PC without MSIE 4 or newer.
Step Three: Do a Fake Install
NOTE! Has been tested on Windows 98, 2000, and XP; I have NOT checked this in Vista yet.
- Extract the FrontPage Express setup helper file (fpesetup.zip) you downloaded previously.
- Copy the following files to a directory:
fpesetup.cab : The cab file you downloaded in step 1. This contains the FrontPage Express application.
fpxpress.bat : this contains a single command that launches the normal Windows install feature.
fpesetup.inf : this is a slightly modified INF file based on the original. The only change: I moved the portion of the file that determines file locations up to the top, and tweaked it so the installer stops to ask you where you want to install FrontPage Express.
- Run the fpxpress.bat batch file by double-clicking it in the Windows Explorer, or run it from a DOS command window.
- You should be prompted for a destination: the default of C:\Program Files\Microsoft FrontPage Express is fine.
- On this page, click any ad to show your appreciation to the author of this web site. (beg beg!)
- You're done! FrontPage Express is installed in the Start Menu under Programs/Accessories/Internet Tools.
Old Windows 95 note: If you get an error message about your version of advpack.dll, then copy advpack.dll to the directory as well and try again. You should NOT put advpack.dll in the directory unless the first install attempt fails. The behavior of an older version of advpack.dll on systems that already have up-to-date versions is unknown.
Where is the Help File?
The help file is almost useless: it's 4 pages, and doesn't say anything about HTML specs or the like. It's a .chm file in the larger .cab, and it's in a "Compiled HTML" format.
Cool Things I Learned
A list of sites where you can download MSIE 4.01SP2 components.
MSIE 4.01 SP2 branding.cab : Poke around in this CAB... or try the MSIE 5 version too.
These were very useful:
A kind reader said that the Web Publishing Wizard is handy to have. I think you can find it at one of the following:
Other FrontPage Express Sites