How do I begin to figure out how to get into my old website?

October 15, 2013 4:07 PM

Hi! I have a website, which contains a blog. I haven't posted to this blog in ages and ages. I would like to start updating the blog again and do some stuff to the website, but embarrassingly, I don't know how.

An old boyfriend set up the domain name for me. I had it transferred to me a couple of years ago. I maintained a blog on it in 2005-2007 with Movable Type. All the blog posts still exist, but I want to get in and be able to Do Stuff with it again.

I have no idea how to even begin going about starting to figure out how I used to get into this thing, what my passwords were, all that. I don't even know the right words. Can you tell me where I should start? Or is it hopeless for me to try to do this on my own? If that's the case, what kind of person do I need to help me?

(I realize I sound like a complete idiot here. But I used to do all this stuff, built and tweaked the blog myself in fact - but it's been a long time and I haven't thought about it at all for years, it's like approaching an archaeological dig. And please feel free to ask for clarification/more information - I feel so at sea here I don't know what information is relevant and what isn't.)

posted by peachfuzz to Computers & Internet (7 answers total)

I'd start by looking at the blog and seeing if you can figure out what Movable Type version it is, and from there, look at old MT documentation to see if you can figure out what the address is for the page you need to get to log into the site as an administrator. Check old bookmarks, too, to see if you bookmarked it ever.

Depending on how carefully you've moved browser stuff over the years, I'd also look in the Saved Password sections of whatever web browsers you use to see if you still have that one recorded in there somewhere. I have some random things from sites I haven't used in 5+ years saved in Firefox because the last couple of times I've switched computers, I've done an export and reimported all that stuff, so it's been following me around. And newer browsers like Chrome will sync that data for you, as well, so it might be out there if it ever was.
posted by jacquilynne at 4:23 PM on October 15, 2013

If you know the URL can you contact the domain host and ask them what you need to do to reset the admin login info?
posted by pibeandres at 4:25 PM on October 15, 2013

With your domain name, we could look up a lot of things about how the site is maintained and give you links to password resets that may be relevant. I agree that the version of MT you're using is useful to know, and what you're using to store the data might be too.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 4:35 PM on October 15, 2013

Have you checked your email/IRC/IM archives for mentions of the domain name/admin URLs/other things you might have had sent to you around the time of the transfer? Maybe some useful information is hiding in there.
posted by symphonicknot at 5:15 PM on October 15, 2013

Contact your old boyfriend.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 5:58 PM on October 15, 2013

I'd be happy to help after Rhinebeck if you haven't figured it out by then!
posted by bitter-girl.com at 7:21 PM on October 15, 2013

Hmmmm. Good thoughts, guys. I think I'm going to start with old chats/browser bookmarks/Keychain and see if there are any clues. Will keep you posted!
posted by peachfuzz at 8:07 AM on October 16, 2013