How to create a new site collection and open it in SPD?

Question

Using a virtual machine (Oracle VirtualBox with Windows 7 and Sharepoint Server 2010), when I create a new site-collection in SCA, I can't open it with Sharepoint Designer.

When I try, it says:

Microsoft Sharepoint Designer does not support editing non-Sharepoint sites.

Now, that's a bit strange to me! I can navigate to the "sharepoint site" just fine in Firefox and IE!

I can confirm that the Sharepoint Designer Settings for the site collection are all set to allow the use of SPD. And I am admin everywhere.

The "Home" site is called http://myserver and the new site collection is at http://myserver/sites/thesite, where /sites/ is the managed url path that came default with Sharepoint.

What gives?

Answer 1

Ah, I stumbled around and finally got it.

Go to "Manage Web Applications" in Sharepoint Central Administration. Click on "Sharepoint - 80" or "myserver" or whatever you named the server and then click on the Managed Paths button.

Now check the box for "sites" and click okay. ( You don't have to worry about "Add a New Path".)

That must update a setting somewhere, because it makes the site available to Sharepoint Designer.