The files are stored here on the web server: Local Drive:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\60\TEMPLATE\1033

Site customization of your site definitions (which is what you are referring to) is a broad topic. I have a lot of resources about customization here:

heathersolomon.com/blog/articles/sp2003.aspx

High level: Each type of sub area (News, Home, Topics, etc) uses a different site definition (footprint of what the area looks like and the files that are used to render the page). So you will need to either streamline and just use a handful of site definitions in your portal, or edit every definition that is in use, etc. Bottom line, you will need to repeat your edits that you have made to default.aspx to the default.aspx for each site definition you need to modify.

I have been an avid reader of your site for about a year and half now and I met you at tech ed 2006. I understand all of what you said as I have created  site def's a few times before. What I am specifcally asking is:

When I create  a new area on my home portal  say, http://rootWeb, I am clicking edit page, then create subarea. It asks me to give a name, description, and publish and expiration dates. I create an area called something like "Test". So now I have http://rootWeb/Test/default.aspx. I have completely rebranded the entire default.aspx under the SPS folder in template/1033. I was wondering which site definition folder, by default, the aforementioned site that I created is using. When I create these sub-areas they don't seem to be picking up from the 1033/sps/default.aspx def. So I was wondering what default.aspx page  I need to edit to change these subareas. I don't think its under sps lists. Heres what the OOB page looks like.

tech.ph.groups.yahoo.com/.../49c8?b=3

So basically what is the file  path to the location of this aspx  page from the root of the 60 hive?

‘SPS’ is only used for the home page. More than likely, your new subarea  is using ‘SPSTOC’ or ‘SPSTOPIC’. I would start with those. Based on the screenshot, check out SPSTOC first.

You can do something as simple as opening up the default.aspx in each of those site definitions and add a bit of text after the BODY tag. Refresh your area and see if your text comes up. It is a bit of a hunt and peck method, but you will find your site definition quickly.

The file  path is the same for all of the site definitions. So to answer your question, look here:

\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\60\TEMPLATE\1033\SPSTOC

Each Area in SPS 2003 is a different site definition. By default, you will be creating a Topic Area from an SPS 2003 Home Area. The Topic site definition can be found in the 60 Hive’s ..\60\TEMPLATE\1033\SPSTOPIC

However, you can use the following steps to choose what kind of Area will be created:

1. Select Change Settings from the Actions in the left navigation.

2. Choose the “Subareas can use any template” radio button.

3. Click OK.

4. Click create  Subarea and you will now be able to choose the Template (much like the template picker page  in WSS v2).

The sub area template used to create  a sub area is dependent on what area you are in on the portal  when you click Create Subarea. Go to the area where you will click Create subarea  and select ‘Change Settings’ instead. Then click on the page  Tab and you will see which subarea template used for subareas created  from this page. You will also see the template choice for this page. You can change which template will be used by selecting the dropdown and pick a different sub area template.