Macromedia MX combined design tools, browser media and server-side application development. To preserve an old project, first separate its readable content from the software needed to edit or run it. Then decide which reader tasks should continue in a maintained implementation.
Understand the roles in a 2002 MX project
The Macromedia MX family announced in April 2002 included ColdFusion MX and the Studio MX tool collection. A project could combine ordinary web pages, interactive Flash content and server-side application logic. Its preservation needs therefore depend on what was actually built.
| Tool | Role in the project | Inventory clues |
|---|---|---|
| Dreamweaver MX | Web-page and application authoring. | HTML, stylesheets, scripts, templates and site configuration. |
| Flash MX | Interactive media and application interfaces. | Editable FLA sources, published SWF files, ActionScript and linked media. |
| ColdFusion MX | Server-side scripting and application behavior. | CFM/CFML files, database dependencies, configuration and integrations. |
| Fireworks MX | Web graphics creation and preparation. | Editable design assets and exported web images. |
| FreeHand 10 | Vector illustration in the Studio MX collection. | Editable artwork and exported illustrations. |
A filename extension is a clue, so inspect representative files and the project documentation. Keep original filenames and directory relationships in the first preservation copy. An exported image or movie can be useful even when its editable source is missing, but record that limitation explicitly.
Separate Flash Player status from the whole project
Adobe ended Flash Player support on December 31, 2020 and blocked Flash content from running in the player beginning January 12, 2021. The dates are set out in Adobe’s detailed Flash Player end-of-life FAQ; Microsoft’s lifecycle notice corroborates the support-end date.
That client-runtime change has specific consequences for Flash interactions. Assess a ColdFusion application, static HTML site and image collection on their own software versions and dependencies. For a server application, establish its installed release, support status, database connections and current security requirements before planning continued operation.
Do not reactivate unsupported browser plugins to restore a public experience. Preserve available source material and record the required behavior for a maintained replacement. A SWF file alone is insufficient evidence that an automated conversion will reproduce the interface, data connections and interactions correctly.
Choose a treatment for each asset
| What you have | Useful treatment | Acceptance check |
|---|---|---|
| Readable text and ordinary HTML | Preserve meaningful text, headings, links and source context. | Compare content and navigation; test current accessibility and layout. |
| Images, audio or video | Keep originals and make appropriate access copies where rights permit. | Check quality, captions/transcripts and a clear relationship to the originals. |
| An interaction with useful behavior | Describe inputs, states, outputs, errors and dependencies; rebuild the task. | Run representative task scenarios with keyboard and current browsers. |
| An obsolete or unused transaction | Assess retirement with its service owner. | Preserve necessary records and provide a useful replacement route. |
| Incomplete source or unknown dependencies | Record what is known, obtain missing evidence and bound the preservation claim. | Identify which content is recoverable and which behavior remains unverified. |
Assess a fictional product-selector site
Preserve the catalog; redesign the selector
An inherited site contains 12 HTML information pages, 40 product images, one SWF selector and a ColdFusion inquiry form. The images and product text can be inventoried directly. The selector’s editable source is missing, so the team collects its documented choices, known outputs and existing screenshots without claiming complete behavioral recovery.
The service owner chooses a maintained HTML form for the selection task. Acceptance examples cover every documented product option, unavailable combinations, validation messages and keyboard use. The inquiry service is reviewed separately with its database and message-delivery dependencies. The final inventory marks unverified historical selector behavior as a gap.
Use the MX preservation and rebuild worksheet (plain text) to make the same distinction for your project. It includes asset provenance, rights, source availability, dependency owners, treatment decisions and test cases.
Keep a preservation package and a usable handover
Retain an unmodified source copy with a file manifest and hashes. Store editable files separately from access copies and rewritten material, and document any transformation. Keep evidence of approved rights and any restrictions on redistribution. Protect configuration or database exports containing secrets or personal information.
For a continuing website, deliver the content model, current dependencies, build and publishing instructions, known gaps and a verified recovery copy. Test the reader’s actual task from entry page to result. Preserving a screenshot documents appearance; a tested replacement workflow establishes that the task can still be completed.