FrontPage 2000 extensions can kill existing FrontPage search bots.

An apparent bug in Microsoft FrontPage 2000 server extensions has crippled searching on some of the 120,000 web sites hosted by Hway.net, the world_s largest FrontPage Web service provider. "WE DID A LOT OF BETA testing of FrontPage 2000 server extensions," Hway.net tech support told BugNet, "but there was no sign of this at all in beta." Hway.net called the problem a "pretty clear case of cause and effect. After FrontPage 2000 server extensions are installed, you get the same error message about not being able to find a file when you try to search." Typically, the problem appears when a Web browser attempts to use a search form created with a FrontPage search bot. You can see an example by running a query on BugNet_s own free search page at http://www.bugnet.com/search.html. The outward appearance of the problem is uniform - you generally get a page-not-found error for http://(domain_name)/_vti_bin/shtml.exe/search.html - but unfortunately the solutions are not. Hway.net told BugNet that the problem is aggravated if the Web site uses FrontPage themes, but it also occurs on sites that make no use of themes. Hway.net_s quick-and-dirty fix is to reinstall FrontPage 2000 extensions, but this doesn_t always work. In fact, in BugNet_s case, reinstalling FrontPage extensions actually broke the entire domain, so that no pages on the domain could be opened with FrontPage Explorer. According to Hway.net, solutions must be obtained on a case-by-case basis, and there is currently a two-plus-day wait for help. Asked if other ISPs should expect trouble when they install FrontPage 2000 extensions, Hway.net told BugNet, "If their system is set up like ours, yes."